Party Building

Eighty years of keeping the oath to the Party

Khanh Ly • DNUM_BDZAHZCACF 11:33

“There are two memorable memories in my life, the first is the honor of being admitted to the ranks of the Communist Party of Vietnam in 1947 and recently (June 2025) being awarded the 80-year Party membership badge by comrade Nguyen Duc Trung - Secretary of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee” - Ms. Nguyen Thi Dai, 98 years old, a veteran party member in Do Luong commune emotionally expressed.

Author: Khanh Ly -Technique:Hong Toai• 07/13/2025

Receiving us in a small house with a spacious and airy yard, despite her old age and having to use a wheelchair, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Dai (born in 1928, commonly known as Mrs. Hung) is still quite clear-headed and has a humorous way of speaking. When talking about her revolutionary days, her expression is very cheerful. Talking to us, she recalled her life story like a film of memories.

Born into a family with a revolutionary tradition in Nhan Hau village, Dang Son commune, Anh Son district, now Do Luong commune, Ms. Nguyen Thi Dai's father, Mr. Nguyen Trong Can, was a veteran revolutionary cadre, a party member from 1930-1931, and was imprisoned in Vinh prison. The family had 7 children, Ms. Nguyen Thi Dai was the first daughter; like many other poor farming families at that time, life was full of hardships and difficulties.

When she was young, Mrs. Dai had to work as a hired hand to plant rice for landlords in exchange for rice, while her younger brother had to work as a servant. She said: “Before the August Revolution in 1945, people’s lives were very hard, dependent on landlords, and taxes were heavy. Working as a hired hand, I had to go early every day, when the ground was still dark, the rice pot was full, so I could eat well, later I had to scrape the pot. After a hard day’s work, I could only exchange for 3 small bowls of rice, but no money…”

Right before the August Revolution of 1945, Mrs. Dai was enlightened and participated in women's activities. The organization assigned her the task of mobilizing women to participate in demonstrations to prepare for the general uprising to seize power.

At that time, she was 18 or 19 years old. Although she did not understand much about the revolution, she enthusiastically joined the women in the village, carrying sticks, rice balls, and joining the crowd in rallies, demonstrating patriotism and supporting the revolution to "win land, enough food, and warm clothes for the farmers".

The local Party history book also recorded that atmosphere: "On August 13, 1945, under the direction of the Viet Minh Headquarters, the people of the villages of Tong Dang Son prepared their weapons, flags, drums, and gongs and poured out into the streets to participate in the demonstration, demonstrate their power, and then gathered at Thanh Vo's house... At dawn on August 18, 1945, the sound of drums and gongs resounded everywhere. Under the guidance of the Viet Minh village, the people of Nam Son and 30,000 people from the 5 communes of Dang Son, Do Luong, Bach Ha, Thuan Trung, and Yen Lang marched to the Do Luong district headquarters, shouting the slogan: Down with the Japanese puppet government - Long live Vietnam's complete independence! - Support Viet Minh!... Receiving the uprising order from Viet Minh, on the night of August 22, 1945, the atmosphere of preparing for the uprising was boiling throughout the villages in Dang Son commune... On August 24, 1945, the people of the villages gathered in large numbers at the village communal house to witness the village chiefs and village leaders handing over books and public funds to the Uprising Committee. On this day, the provisional revolutionary committees of the villages also introduced themselves to the people...".

Thanks to actively participating in activities and women's work (Secretary of Women's Committee of Dang Son commune, Anh Son from 1945-1946), then working at Anh Son military factory, her family created conditions for her to attend evening mass education.

At that time, along with the fight against hunger, there was a policy of fighting against illiteracy. Popular education classes were continuously opened in villages and hamlets with the slogan "Those who are illiterate must learn, those who are literate must teach", "Those who are literate must teach those who are illiterate"... Classes were held at people's homes, under ancient trees or at Nhan Hau communal house.

“Having attended the popular education program, I not only learned to read and write, but also improved my knowledge and became more mature and thoughtful. Thanks to my positive and progressive spirit, on January 4, 1947, I was honored to be admitted to the Party. At that time, it was not yet public and we were operating secretly, so after dinner, someone took me 3-4 kilometers from Nhan Hau village to Long Son village to organize the admission ceremony at the old Dang Son Party Cell. I felt so proud and emotional at that time, like a dream… Not only me, but all my siblings were Party members. If it weren’t for the Party to guide me, if I wasn’t a Party member, my life wouldn’t be where it is today…”, Mrs. Dai emotionally expressed.

After joining the Party and participating in the resistance war and national construction of the whole nation, from the end of 1947 to 1950, Ms. Nguyen Thi Dai was assigned by the organization to be Deputy Secretary and then Secretary of the Women's Committee of Anh Son district. At the same time, she participated in training courses for cell committee members, training for women's cadres of Inter-zone 4, training for district cadres... After that, she was assigned to work as a trade cadre of Nghe An province.

In 1952, Ms. Nguyen Thi Dai was assigned to work at the Central Women's Union. After a year, she returned to her hometown because "partly I realized that I had not received a formal education and was afraid that I would not be able to handle the task well, and partly because my lover wrote a letter urging me to return to get married...", Ms. Dai said with a humorous smile.

After returning, she married Mr. Le Tien Thang, from the same hometown and 10 years older than her, an officer in the Vietnam People's Army, holding the position of C Truong (company commander). They had a son, and after getting married, she continued to participate in local activities.

In March 1953, Tay Son commune was divided into 3 new communes: Bac Son, Dang Son and Tay Son (including the villages of Phu Nhuan, Nhan Hau, Trung Thinh, Kha Phong and Xuan Chi). One month later, the first Congress of Tay Son commune Party Cell was held with the participation of 95 party members. Ms. Nguyen Thi Dai was elected Vice Chairman of Tay Son commune.

At that time, Mrs. Dai and the commune thoroughly instilled in each party member and people the determination to implement the first Tay Son Party Cell Resolution with the urgent task of: Continuing to raise high the flag of building a strong economy, continuing to perform well the task of supporting the battlefield, and at the same time thoroughly reducing rent.

In May 1954, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Dai received the news that her husband had died in Giang River, Quang Binh (old). Holding back her grief, the slender woman still tried to complete her national and family affairs well. After the Geneva Agreement, the country was temporarily divided into two regions. The North was completely liberated and initially moved towards building socialism. In the chaos after the war, the work of stabilizing the organization and consolidating the government was considered the most important and urgent task, so the Tay Son Party cell and the Tay Son commune government continued to be strengthened. Mrs. Nguyen Thi Dai continued to be elected Vice Chairman of the commune until 1956.

During this period, the dream of “farmers having land” of Tay Son farmers became a reality, ending the period of “eating rice borrowed to plow the fields at a low price”. The day Tay Son farmers put in their cards to receive their fields became a big festival in the village, hamlet… Later, with the consent of the superiors, Tay Son commune was renamed Nam Son commune.

During the period when Nam Son commune (old) implemented the first 5-year State plan (1961-1965), the key task was to perfect and develop agricultural cooperatives, promote comprehensive development towards large-scale agriculture, and improve the material and spiritual life of the people.

Nam Son Commune has a policy of merging 14 small-scale cooperatives into 4 larger cooperatives; including Dai Thang Cooperative with Mr. Le Danh Sanh as Chairman, and later, Ms. Nguyen Thi Dai was elected as Vice Chairman.

Under the leadership of the Party Committee, the Board of Directors of Dai Thang Cooperative advocated zoning land areas with favorable geographical conditions for crop restructuring. Thanks to that, Dai Thang Cooperative had the largest profit sharing. Ms. Nguyen Thi Dai was elected as Vice President of Dai Thang Cooperative from 1965-1968.

She then held the position of Vice President of the Women's Union of Nam Son Commune until 1985, when she retired and participated in activities at the village Party Cell. She shared that because of their absolute loyalty to the Party's revolutionary ideals, many Party members like her overcame the hardships of the two resistance wars against France and the US to continue to contribute to building their homeland and country.

Regarding her personal life, after her first husband died, she was moved by the sincerity, sympathy and sharing of Mr. Mai Hao - originally from Binh Dinh, a Southern soldier who had gathered in the North and worked in Division 324 - towards her and her son. Ms. Nguyen Thi Dai remarried; had 5 more children and together with her husband raised 6 children to adulthood.

The couple has 18 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. Her husband has passed away, and Mrs. Dai lives with her son's family in the old Nam Son commune, now Do Luong commune. "My parents always lived a pure and exemplary life, setting a good example for their children and grandchildren..." - Mr. Mai Van Linh, born in 1966, Mrs. Dai's son, proudly said.

In her conversation with us, Ms. Nguyen Thi Dai always expressed her luck in being alive and healthy to witness the prosperity of her homeland and the growth of the Party.

Looking back on her years of living, participating in revolutionary activities and participating in local work, Mrs. Dai proudly affirms that she has kept her oath to the Party - the oath that an eighteen-year-old girl swore before the Party flag and the national flag nearly 80 years ago.

She also expressed her emotion and gratitude when the Do Luong District Party Committee (old) solemnly organized the Party Badge Awarding Ceremony on May 19, 2025 with other veteran party members in the area before the end of the district level and the merger of the commune into the new Do Luong commune. For Ms. Dai, "It is an incomparable happiness, honor, and pride; also a milestone in the life of a communist".

Provincial Party Secretary Nguyen Duc Trung personally awarded and pinned the Party Badge to "tall and mighty" Party members like Ms. Nguyen Thi Dai; at the same time, he expressed his deep gratitude for the efforts and contributions of veteran Party members to the Party and the revolution.

The Provincial Party Secretary also emphasized: The Party badge is a noble reward of the Party for loyal Party members, and is the Party's recognition of the efforts, dedication, loyalty and contributions of Party members to the revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation.

At an age that is rare in both age and party age, Ms. Nguyen Thi Dai still boldly shared: Even though I still have one breath, I am still a Party member, continue to maintain the exemplary qualities of a Party member, be a spiritual support to educate children in the family to well implement the policies, laws of the Party and State; actively participate in local movements, contribute to building a renewed homeland, and build a strong Party.

The "tall trees" A life of struggle, dedication, and perseverance in serving the Party and the revolution like hers is a shining example for future generations to learn from and follow.