General Vo Nguyen Giap.
Suddenly, I recall that 44 years ago, on another autumn day, the weather had begun to turn slightly chilly, and a torrential rain poured down. When I heard the news of President Ho Chi Minh's death, I experienced a similar feeling. The only difference was that back then, unlike now, I was much younger, barely in high school. A whole generation of rural students like us, upon hearing of his passing, vehemently argued that a man like Ho Chi Minh couldn't possibly "die." It was a naive and delusional belief of the time. Yet, the grief that enveloped the entire nation at that time was indeed real. Now, having experienced enough to understand the ways of the world, I realize that no matter how much we love a person, they cannot transcend the cycle of life and death. Although I can't do anything right now, witnessing the throngs of people pouring into house number 30, Hoang Dieu Street, to bid a final farewell to a man whose entire life was dedicated to the survival of the nation, I find it difficult to remain calm. Nevertheless, I still need to find a reason to reflect on him: indeed, he was a great general, but there was a time when he was also a teacher like me. And so, a stream of emotions flowed within me…
First of all, I can still be proud to know that General Vo Nguyen Giap was once a humble teacher like us (Vo Nguyen Giap was a history teacher at Thang Long Private School in 1938 and 1939). Later, he sincerely confided that if it weren't for the vicissitudes of life, if the country hadn't been invaded, he would have remained an ordinary teacher like any other. Why not? No matter how capable a person is of controlling and directing their own life, sometimes they are still pushed and manipulated by fate. Moreover, that force placed a man with innate talent and a compassionate heart like Vo Nguyen Giap in an undeniably important position. This history teacher accepted the challenge of dedicating his life to the lives of many people, and even more so, to the destiny of an entire nation. After moments of brilliant success, to the point where the whole world acknowledged him as one of the most talented generals of the 20th century, Vo Nguyen Giap, both before and after those moments, returned to the character of an ordinary teacher: always kind to everyone, attentive to character education, and throughout his life deeply concerned with the idea that: "Education and training not only have the mission of raising the intellectual level of the people, training human resources, and nurturing talent…but also have the mission of creating value orientations in culture, ethics, aesthetics, and spirit that are meaningful in promoting the progressive development of society, because education and training are the purpose of life, for humanity and for life…". If the character of a teacher hadn't been deeply embedded in his soul, I think he could not have been so great.
I was fortunate enough to be a student and colleague of an educator who was somewhat close to the family of General Vo Nguyen Giap (Distinguished Teacher, Associate Professor Dang Thi Hanh, sister of General Vo Nguyen Giap's wife, Dang Thi Ha). Therefore, unintentionally, observing the style, lifestyle, and thinking of the family of Lieutenant General Hong Cu – a close friend of General Vo Nguyen Giap – and Lieutenant General Hong Son – husband of Associate Professor Dang Anh Dao (sister of Dang Thi Hanh), I gained some understanding of him. For example, the story of the days when he was a close comrade of President Ho Chi Minh, and was given the nickname "Anh Van" (Brother Van) by the head of the country, who loved and trusted him. It's difficult to say whether the "military" or "literary" qualities were stronger in Vo Nguyen Giap. Regarding his military talent, perhaps by now, we no longer need to discuss it much. Not only the people, his comrades and friends, but even his enemies, those who had once faced him on the battlefield, had to acknowledge his innate military talent. The French newspaper Le Monde, after his death, dedicated two pages to General Giap, including an article titled: "Vo Nguyen Giap – the Napoleon of Vietnam has passed away," expressing sincere sorrow. It can be said that few generals have achieved such a "status" in the hearts of everyone, even those on different sides of the conflict. Why was General Vo Nguyen Giap able to create such positive feelings? If one takes the time to learn about him, from his early days steering the Vietnamese revolutionary armed forces to his rise as a general and Minister of National Defense, and even after returning to being an ordinary citizen (after leaving all his positions), Vo Nguyen Giap retained the same ordinary qualities of a simple man with a noble and humane heart. The French compared him to Napoleon – a brilliant general whom they greatly admired. Such a comparison, I think, is a source of pride for a Vietnamese general, but upon deeper reflection, I find that perhaps Napoleon only earned admiration for his military talent, while Vo Nguyen Giap earned not only admiration but also respect. The inherent qualities of a teacher within him shaped him into the person he was. Many Vietnamese soldiers who had the opportunity to be close to General Vo Nguyen Giap recounted that, in his role as Commander-in-Chief of the army, this People's General always placed the lives of the soldiers above victory. This quality is perhaps very similar to the soul and character of President Ho Chi Minh. A certain poet, when writing about Ho Chi Minh, once wrote these beautiful lines: "Uncle Ho did not praise battles that resulted in many deaths as beautiful battles / I hide the word 'beautiful' as I hide the narrow-mindedness in my heart…"
The potential of a deeply humane teacher in General Vo almost never diminished. That quality almost entirely governed his actions, thoughts, and deeds, even after he returned to ordinary life, without position or power. Yet, I believe few people wielded greater power than him. Just look at the long lines of people and the tears shed immediately after his passing; surely no one would disagree with me on that. These are the rambling thoughts I want to offer him on this late autumn day about a great personality who once worked as an educator.
USSH– These days, people across Vietnam are overwhelmed with grief and sorrow at the news of the passing of General Vo Nguyen Giap, the legendary general of the Vietnamese people. Domestic and international media have dedicated thousands of pages to him, praising one of the most outstanding generals of the 20th century, a man who not only changed the history of the nation and the world through his glorious battles, but above all, left a deep and lasting impression on the hearts of the Vietnamese people and friends around the world through his brilliant intellect and rare human qualities. Many tears have been shed, and there is much sorrow, reflection, and contemplation for those who remain. The life and career of General Vo Nguyen Giap is undeniably a great example for everyone to reflect upon, learn from, and contemplate... Amidst this sentiment, many educators, scientists, veterans, students, and trainees of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities have sent articles to the University's website containing profound feelings about the People's General. We are pleased to present them to our readers.