Reflections on General Vo Nguyen Giap

Sunday - October 13, 2013 08:03

During my high school years, I studied in the specialized History class at Buoi - Chu Van An High School. Every morning on my way to school, I would cycle along Hoang Dieu Street and gaze at the lush, shady garden of house number 30. Perhaps behind that iron gate, my General was exercising or taking a stroll. Even though I've passed Hoang Dieu Street thousands of times, I've never met him in person. But his image remains simple and serene in my mind, nestled within that verdant garden.

Cảm niệm về Đại tướng Võ Nguyên Giáp — Reflections on 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 our three years of high school, in the specialized History class, we were immersed in the vibrant and heroic atmosphere of Vietnamese history during class time and extracurricular activities. Throughout our lessons on 20th-century Vietnamese history, we always saw the image of General Vo Nguyen Giap in his most glorious victories. In the Dien Bien Phu campaign, he made historical strategic changes that allowed the Vietnamese flag to fly atop the De Castries bunker on May 7th. In the Ho Chi Minh Campaign, he ordered: “Speed, even greater speed, boldness, even greater boldness, seize every minute, every hour, rush to the South. Fight decisively and achieve total victory.” Hearing that rallying cry, we 17-year-old students felt like soldiers on our way to the Southern front, determined to advance and win independence for our homeland. And then, when the teacher asked, "How many of you are willing to enlist to defend the Fatherland?", we raised our hands without hesitation, simply because we love our country, we love the peaceful landscapes that the great people of the General's generation – the generation of the "Oath of Independence" – sacrificed their entire lives to protect.

On the day the General passed away, my family became quieter. My grandfather and father patiently waited for the 7 PM news program to hear about the General. Both my grandfather and father were soldiers, and both held deep respect and affection for the great "elder brother." Perhaps, while watching the news, my grandfather was recalling the memory of meeting the General while digging the D67 tunnel, a story he often told us. He must have felt a great loss. And I felt the same loss. I lost a familiar figure in our shady garden. Our generation lost a hero, a spiritual anchor that gave us faith whenever the country faced challenges.

These days, I vividly remember the General's interview answer: "I have dedicated my whole life, every hour, every day, every minute..." That is the most righteous way of life for a human being. And how happy we would be if our generation of young people also followed the General's example and lived our lives of complete dedication.

Author:Nguyen Dinh Hung, student of the QH-2011-X cohort, majoring in Sino-Vietnamese studies.

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