Origin of the 10 oaths of honor of the Vietnam People's Army

On December 22, 1944, under the red flag with a yellow star, 34 officers and soldiers of the Vietnam Propaganda and Liberation Army solemnly recited the Ten Oaths of Honor in a forest located between the Hoang Hoa Tham and Tran Hung Dao communes in Nguyen Binh district, Cao Bang province. Since then, anyone who has served in the Vietnam People's Army must memorize every word of the Ten Oaths of Honor.

The Vietnam Liberation Army Propaganda Team in its early days. (Archival photo)

On December 22, 1944, the Vietnam Propaganda and Liberation Army took its ten oaths of honor. General Vo Nguyen Giap recounted this historic moment as follows: “In the middle of winter, the weather in the high mountains was bitterly cold. In the vast forest with its rows of straight trees, the Vietnam Propaganda and Liberation Army, for the first time, assembled in neat formation under the bright red star flag. Representatives of the Cao Bang - Bac Giang - Lang Son Inter-provincial Committee, along with a large number of representatives of the Tay, Man, and Nung people from Cao Bang and Bac Kan provinces, attended, standing in two rows on either side of the troops. I was commissioned to represent the Party in declaring the establishment of the Vietnam Propaganda and Liberation Army and outlining its mission to the Fatherland.”

Following Comrade Vo Nguyen Giap's statement, a representative of the Inter-Provincial Party Committee read a congratulatory letter. Representatives from peasant, youth, and women's organizations, as well as local armed forces, also offered their congratulations to the Team. Next, the Team's oath-taking ceremony took place. The 10 oaths of honor, composed by Comrade Vo Nguyen Giap, resounded. These 10 oaths also serve as the source of the 10 oaths of honor for soldiers today…

Later, in an interview with a French journalist, General Vo Nguyen Giap revealed: "I drafted a ten-point oath of honor, referencing the oaths of honor of foreign armies, including the oath of the FFI (Forces francaises de l'Intérieur - the French resistance group against the German occupation forces in World War II) and the Yugoslav liberation army."

Below are the ten oaths of honor taken by members of the Vietnam Propaganda and Liberation Army in those days:

"We, members of the Vietnam Propaganda and Liberation Army, swear by the honor of a soldier of national salvation under the red flag with a five-pointed yellow star. We swear:

1. To sacrifice everything for the Vietnamese Fatherland, to fight to the last drop of blood to annihilate the Japanese and French fascists and the Vietnamese traitors, and to make Vietnam an independent and democratic country on par with other democratic countries in the world.

2. Absolutely obey the orders of your superiors; upon receiving any order, carry it out diligently and accurately with all your might.

3. Always fight resolutely, never complaining no matter how difficult or arduous the struggle, never losing heart in the face of life and death, charging forward with determination in battle, never retreating even if heads roll and blood flows.

4. Always be diligent and active, study hard to train yourself to become a revolutionary soldier, worthy of being a pioneering fighter who kills the enemy and saves the country.

5. Maintain absolute secrecy for the troops regarding organizational details and command levels; maintain absolute secrecy for all national salvation organizations.

6. When going into battle, if captured by the enemy, no matter how brutal the torture, they must remain steadfastly loyal to the cause of national liberation and never betray or confess.

7. Show utmost affection for your fellow fighters as well as for yourself, wholeheartedly helping each other in peacetime as well as in battle.

8. Take utmost care in preserving weapons, never allowing them to be damaged or fall into the hands of the enemy.

9. When interacting with the people, we must adhere to the three commandments: "Do not take from the people," "do not threaten the people," and "do not harass the people," and the three virtues: "respect the people," "help the people," and "protect the people," in order to gain the people's trust and achieve unity between the army and the people in fighting the enemy and saving the country.

10. Always uphold the spirit of self-criticism, maintain exemplary personal conduct, and do nothing that would harm the reputation of the Liberation Army and the national prestige of Vietnam.”

The current Ten Oaths of Honor of the Vietnam People's Army (revised, supplemented, and implemented from 1976 to the present) essentially retain their original content, with only minor changes in form and some outdated content. This demonstrates the comprehensive vision of General Vo Nguyen Giap, encompassing both the past and the future.

For example, the opening paragraph and the first oath: “We, soldiers of the Vietnam People’s Army, in the honor of revolutionary soldiers, swear under the glorious flag of the Fatherland:

"We will sacrifice everything for the Vietnamese Fatherland. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, we strive to build a peaceful, independent, and socialist Vietnam, actively contributing to the struggle of the world's people for peace, national independence, democracy, and socialism."

Through various stages, the practice of reciting the Ten Oaths of Honor is now uniformly implemented throughout the army immediately after the end of the national anthem. A soldier steps forward, stands before the national flag, and solemnly recites the Ten Oaths, followed by the resounding shout of "We swear!" from the entire column. Before and after reciting the Ten Oaths, the reciter must perform the flag salute.

Even after 70 years, the 10 oaths still retain their full value, reminding every soldier, both in everyday life and when facing the enemy, to always uphold their determination to fulfill the glorious nhiệm vụ entrusted to them by the Party and the people.

According to PetroTimes