Memories of General Vo Nguyen Giap

Saturday - October 12, 2013 21:03

During my high school years, I studied at the History class of Buoi School - Chu Van An. Every morning on my way to school, I often cycled across Hoang Dieu Street and looked at the lush green garden of house number 30. Perhaps behind that iron gate, my General was exercising or taking a walk. Although I passed Hoang Dieu thousands of times, I had never met him in person. But his image still appeared in my mind, simply in the midst of that lush green garden.

Cảm niệm về Đại tướng Võ Nguyên Giáp — Memories of General Vo Nguyen Giap

Jackie Chan/USSH

People lined up on Hoang Van Thu Street to pay their respects to General Vo Nguyen Giap, on the afternoon of October 10, 2013.

During the 3 years of high school, in the History class, we lived in the vibrant, heroic atmosphere of Vietnamese history during class hours and extracurricular activities. Throughout the lessons on Vietnamese history in the 20th century, we always saw the image of the General in the most glorious victories. During the Dien Bien Phu campaign, he made changes in historical strategy so that the Vietnamese flag could fly on the roof of the De Castries bunker on May 7. During the Ho Chi Minh campaign, he ordered: "Faster, faster, bolder, bolder, seize every minute, every hour, rush to the South. Determined to fight and win completely". When hearing that proclamation, we, the 17-year-old students, thought we were also soldiers on the way to the Southern front, determined to advance to gain independence for the Fatherland. Then when the teacher asked the question: "How many of you are willing to join the army to protect the Fatherland?", we raised our hands without hesitation, simply because we love our Fatherland, love the peaceful sceneries that the great people of the General generation - the generation of the "Oath of Independence" sacrificed their whole lives to protect.

The day the General passed away, my family became quieter. My grandfather and father both patiently waited for the 7pm news program to hear information about the General. Both my grandfather and father were soldiers, and both had deep respect for the great "big brother". Perhaps when watching the news, my grandfather was recalling the memory of meeting the General when digging tunnel D67, which he often told us about. He must have felt a great loss in his heart. And I felt the same loss in my heart. I had lost a familiar figure in the shady garden. Our generation had lost a hero, lost a spiritual support that gave us confidence every time the country faced challenges.

These days, I really remember the General’s interview answer: “I have devoted my whole life, every hour, every day, every minute…”. That is the most correct way of life for a human being. And how happy it would be if our whole generation of young people followed the General’s example and devoted their whole lives.

Author:Nguyen Dinh Hung, student of QH-2011-X course, majoring in Han Nom

Newer news

Older news