Origin of the 10 honor oaths 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 Liberation Army solemnly recited 10 honorary oaths in a forest located between Hoang Hoa Tham and Tran Hung Dao communes in Nguyen Binh district, Cao Bang. Since then, anyone who has been a soldier in the Vietnam People's Army must memorize every word of the 10 honorary oaths.

The Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army in its early days. Photo courtesy

On December 22, 1944, the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army took 10 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 freezing cold. In the vast forest with rows of straight trees, the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army, for the first time, gathered in an orderly formation, under the bright red star flag. Representatives of the Cao - Bac - Lang Inter-Provincial Party Committee along with many representatives of the Tay, Man, and Nung people of the two provinces of Cao Bang and Bac Kan attended, standing in two rows on either side of the troops. I was authorized to represent the organization to announce the establishment of the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army and clearly outline the Team's mission to the Fatherland.”

After the announcement of comrade Vo Nguyen Giap, the representative of the Inter-Provincial Party Committee read the congratulatory letter, representatives of farmers', youth, women's organizations, and local armed forces also congratulated the Team. Next, the Team's oath-taking ceremony took place. The 10 honor oaths composed by comrade Vo Nguyen Giap resounded. Those 10 oaths are also the origin of the 10 honor oaths of soldiers today...

Later, when interviewed by a French journalist, General Vo Nguyen Giap "revealed": "I composed a ten-point oath of honor, referring to 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 in World War II) and the Yugoslav liberation army."

Below are the 10 honorary oaths of the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army members at that time:

“We, members of the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army, swear by our honor as national salvation soldiers under the red flag with a five-pointed yellow star. We swear:

1. Sacrifice everything for the Fatherland Vietnam, fight to the last drop of blood to destroy the Japanese - French fascists and the Vietnamese traitors, making Vietnam an independent and democratic country on par with other democratic countries in the world.

2. Absolutely obey the orders of the commander, when receiving any orders, will wholeheartedly carry them out quickly and accurately.

3. Always fight resolutely, no matter how difficult or painful, never complain, never lose heart in life or death situations, when going into battle, determined to charge forward, no matter how much blood falls or how much blood flows, never retreat.

4. Always be active and eager to learn to train yourself to become a revolutionary soldier, worthy of being a pioneer soldier killing enemies to save the country.

5. Absolutely keep secret for the army about the organization's content and command levels, absolutely keep secret for all national salvation organizations.

6. When in battle, if captured by the enemy, no matter how cruel the torture, remain steadfastly loyal to the cause of national liberation and never betray.

7. Love your fellow soldiers as much as yourself, help each other out in normal times as well as in battle.

8. Take great care of your weapons, never let them get damaged or fall into enemy hands.

9. When interacting with the people, one must follow three commandments: "Do not take from the people" - "Do not threaten the people" - "Do not harass the people" and three things to do: "Respect the people" - "Help the people" - "Protect the people", to gain the people's trust, and to carry out the army and people's unity to kill the enemy and save the country.

10. Always uphold the spirit of self-criticism, maintain exemplary personal conduct, and do nothing to harm the reputation of the Liberation Army and the nation of Vietnam.

The current 10 oaths of honor of the Vietnam People's Army (revised, supplemented and implemented from 1976 to present) basically retain the same content, only a few changes in form and some content is no longer suitable. This demonstrates the comprehensive vision from the past to the future of General Vo Nguyen Giap.

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

Sacrificing everything for the Fatherland Vietnam. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, striving to realize a peaceful, independent and socialist Vietnam, actively contributing to the struggle of the world's people for peace, national independence, democracy and socialism".

Through many stages, now the entire army has unified the reading of the Ten Oaths of Honor to be performed immediately after the end of the National Anthem; a soldier steps forward to stand before the national flag and loudly reads the Ten Oaths, after each oath comes the heroic shout of "I swear" from the entire army. Before and after reading the Ten Oaths, the reader must perform the flag salute.

After 70 years, the 10 oaths still retain their value, reminding every soldier in daily life as well as when facing the enemy to always uphold their determination to complete the glorious mission assigned by the Party and people.

According to PetroTimes