"April 30th – A symbol of peace, independence, and the aspiration for progress"

The victory of April 30th - A great blessing for the nation.
Associate Professor Dr. Pham Thanh Hung (born in 1954) is from Nga Son, Thanh Hoa. He is known as a dedicated and tireless teacher who has contributed to the university education system for 42 years. However, before becoming a teacher, Associate Professor Dr. Pham Thanh Hung was a soldier who fought bravely on the battlefield.
Recalling the victory of April 30, 1975, Associate Professor Pham Thanh Hung shared that it was a great victory, a miraculous achievement, seemingly beyond the imagination of many soldiers who had to leave the army early and return to the rear in the North, like himself.
According to him, the victory of April 30th should also be understood as "a great blessing," not only because the country was free from foreign invaders, but also because from now on, future generations will live in peace, study, and contribute to an independent and prosperous Vietnam.
“That day, when we heard the news of the victory broadcast on the Voice of Vietnam radio station, many people cheered, but not a few also burst into tears, choked with emotion. As for me and my comrades – wounded soldiers returning from the battlefield – we looked up at the Hanoi sky and silently recited the poem: ‘This blue sky is ours…’ Reading that poem brought tears to our eyes. Before, it was hard to imagine this moment. From now on, the sky will no longer have a single streak of smoke from American enemy planes. The sky will be clear and blue, a blue of peace, a blue of life. “April 30th” – those four words, those four sounds, for half a century have become four words symbolizing the beginning of an era of independence and freedom, an era of peace, and the reunification of the country,” Associate Professor Dr. Pham Thanh Hung recalled emotionally. "Lend me a leaf, and when I return victorious, I will tend the tree and repay the debt..."
When speaking about the contributions of intellectuals during the resistance war, especially students and staff of Hanoi University (now Vietnam National University, Hanoi), Associate Professor Pham Thanh Hung could not hide his emotion.
He recalled memories from the autumn of 1971. Those days, students from universities in North Vietnam carried their books to lecture halls amidst the joyful news from the Route 9-Southern Laos Front. The sounds of gunfire from the South echoed through Hanoi, reminding students to be ready for battle. The country needed many soldiers. Students at Hanoi University, as well as other universities in Hanoi, were distracted and unable to concentrate on their studies because of the war news from the South.
“We, the students of Hanoi University, practiced military skills, sports, and physical fitness to prepare for the military recruitment examination. We practiced marching. The mahogany trees in Hanoi weren't very tall at that time. We plucked mahogany leaves from the roadside to make camouflage rings. Looking at the sparse rows of mahogany trees, a young poet among us students whispered an apology and promised the trees: 'Lend me your leaves, and when we return victorious, I will take care of the trees and repay the debt…'” Associate Professor Dr. Pham Thanh Hung recalled.
“We set off, still remembering the image of the student conscription groups from previous years, and who knows, there might be many more to come. Students and young lecturers from Hanoi University were deployed to various regiments and branches of the armed forces across the country. No one lost heart, no one deserted; everyone fought, one by one sacrificing their lives, shedding blood and sweat for the final victory of the historic April 30th,” Associate Professor Pham Thanh Hung continued.
Of the 400 students from Hanoi University who put aside their studies to go to war, fifty did not return; they fell scattered across the battlefields of Quang Tri.
Currently, the campus of the University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, houses a memorial inscribed with the names of 108 martyrs along with thousands of faculty and students from the University who participated in the national resistance wars. It is a sacred symbol of the spirit of serving the Fatherland in all circumstances. Building on traditions and moving forward steadily in the new era of national development.
Building upon the heroic traditions of the University of Hanoi, Vietnam National University, Hanoi today is a modern, multidisciplinary university model, bringing together leading intellectuals, scholars, and scientists from across the country.
Associate Professor Pham Thanh Hung shared: “The scientific and training achievements of VNU have become a source of pride for generations of staff and students of VNU, as well as for the people of the whole country. We believe that, building on the traditions of the former Hanoi University, VNU will not only be a cradle for training and producing talented scientific staff for the country, but also become a pillar of science, technology and innovation, a source of creative inspiration for the national intellect.”
Commemorating the Liberation of Southern Vietnam and the reunification of the country is an occasion for gratitude, pride, and continuity. It is a day of appreciation for the generations who have fallen, a reminder of the value of peace, and also a motivation for today's generations to continue striving to build a strong and prosperous nation.