In memory of the late Editor-in-Chief Thai Ngo Duong

Editor-in-Chief of Nghe An Newspaper Ngo Duc Kien wished Mr. Thai Ngo Duong a long life on the occasion of the Year of the Cat 2023. Photo: PV

Some time later, he was assigned to be in charge of the newspaper “Viet Bac Soldier”, contributing his efforts and intelligence to create a newspaper for the armed forces of the military region guarding the “Northwest, Viet Bac” of the Fatherland. He alone took care of the articles, organized the layout, and then brought the newspaper down to print at the People's Army Newspaper Printing Factory. With a unified bicycle, he rolled over high passes, steep slopes, and mountains in the midlands of Phu Tho and Hoa Binh, collected documents, and wrote articles right at the army and militia units, for the upcoming issue.

He opened a column “From Lung Cu” the northernmost point of the country to “Viet Tri”, synthesizing news on training, combat readiness, and building policies for the military rear of the “Viet Bac Military Region”. He attended a training course on writing news and articles for the “Viet Bac Soldier” newspaper; thanks to reporters from the Vietnam People’s Army Newspaper and Vietnam News Agency, he was taught the craft. Through the training courses, he was discovered to be a talented journalist and then asked to be transferred to the Military Region newspaper.

The 1974-1976 journalism class of the Central Propaganda School in Hanoi had four ethnic minority students who were his journalism students: Lo Duy Hien (Lai Chau), Ninh Van Do (Hoa Binh), Lang Van Mau (Cao Bang), and Lo Moong Chien (Lang Son). They highly appreciated his publishing organization talent and his virtue as both a teacher and a colleague and comrade of journalist Thai Ngo Duong. Some time after the Viet Bac Regional Party Committee was established and decided to publish the newspaper "Vietnam Doc Lap", inheriting the tradition of the newspaper "Vietnam Doc Lap" founded by Uncle Ho in 1942, he was transferred to the position of Editorial Board member in charge of reporters. Together with poet and journalist Nong Quoc Chan and Ban Tai Doan, he built the foundation, content, and form of the Party newspaper of the Viet Bac Regional Party Committee, under the direct direction of Senior Lieutenant General Chu Van Tan.

Leaders of Nghe An Newspaper of all periods congratulate the former Editor-in-Chief of Nghe An Newspaper on his longevity. Photo: PV

Having been away from home since he was a soldier fighting against the French, he was troubled by his failure to fulfill his responsibilities as a husband and father to his children. In 1972, he applied to return to Nghe An Newspaper as a member of the Editorial Board. He worked side by side with Editor-in-Chief Nguyen Huong; Deputy Editor-in-Chief Pham Dinh Co; Editorial Secretary Phan Huy Chuyen to build the Party Committee's newspaper to become more and more prosperous in extremely difficult conditions and circumstances.

At the evacuation site in Phong Toan hamlet, Hung Dung commune (Vinh city), he rolled up his sleeves and worked with the agency to erect wooden and bamboo pillars to build several thatched and reed-roofed houses for his colleagues far from Vinh to live, write and work. He and the Editorial Board coordinated with Vinh Pedagogical University to organize in-service Literature classes for reporters and editors. Famous teachers who were dedicated to imparting knowledge to reporters included: Tu Duc Tinh, Nguyen Nguyen Tru, Le Ba Han. For two whole years, ignoring the rain, sun, storms and wind, the teachers diligently cycled to the agency to teach University-level Literature to journalists.

Hoping that the newspaper would improve the quality of information in the direction of economic development, he and journalists Duong Huy and To Quoc Bao expanded the investigative genre to build agricultural models in the Tay - Yen - Trung, Nam - Hung - Nghi regions, shaping high-yield rice areas, concentrated in Yen Thanh, Quynh Luu with tens of thousands of hectares. He proposed to establish an industrial group with specialized reporters with solid skills such as Thanh Phong, Thuy Lien, Duong Xuan Huong to stabilize topics reflecting typical industrial production, construction, transportation, fish, salt, forestry.

Mr. Thai Ngo Duong - former Editor-in-Chief of Nghe An Newspaper. Photo: QS

During his time as a reporter, capable journalists with specialized expertise all showed their talent and writing ability. In that professional journalism team, they later matured and were trusted with the responsibility of leading Nghe An Newspaper such as: Phan Thi Thuy Lien - former Editor-in-Chief of Nghe An Newspaper; Thanh Phong - former Head of the Party Building Department of Nhan Dan Newspaper; Duong Huy - former Secretary General of Nghe Tinh Journalists Association; To Quoc Bao won the First Prize - National "Golden Rice Flower" Award...

I will always remember the image of Mr. Thai Ngo Duong when he was Editor-in-Chief, his straightforward voice when proposing the wish to be granted land and capital to build a three-story office in Quang Trung ward. He did so, he was so determined because the newspaper of the provincial Party Committee had a spacious and worthy facility, not just for himself. When the new editorial board, along with the team of reporters and editors were able to work and live in the bright and newly built premises, he retired, returned to the fields and plowed the fields, there was no land reserved for him in Vinh city, although his contributions as a soldier fighting against the French and the Americans, as a leader of the "Northwest Soldier Newspaper", "Vietnam Independence Newspaper" and "Nghe An Newspaper" for many years were very worthy of what he deserved, needed to be recognized, needed to be rewarded and honored.

He peacefully and serenely passed away into the eternal world at the beginning of Spring, January of the year of the Cat, leaving behind sorrow and the mark of his pure revolutionary journalism career for many generations of journalists, not only today, but also in the future./.

Hoa Tien, Hung Loc (Vinh City) January 13, Quy Mao year