Forever deserving to be "Uncle Ho's soldiers"

The Vietnam People's Army was born in a difficult time of revolution, in the struggle for survival of the nation. From very armed organizations with rudimentary equipment, it has become a strong armed force with enough troops and relatively modern equipment. Over the past 79 years, the Vietnam People's Army has always been "ready to fight and sacrifice for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland, for socialism, with every mission also completed, every difficulty also overcome, every enemy also defeated".

Absolute loyalty

During the days when Binh Duong jubilantly celebrated the 78th founding anniversary of the province's armed forces; the 79^th anniversary of the Vietnam People's Army and the 34^th anniversary of the All People Defence Festival, we visited Major General Nguyen Van Phe, former Commander of the Military Command of Song Be - Binh Duong province. His military career went through two resistance wars against the French colonialists and the US imperialists, then participated in an international mission, helping Cambodia. He has made many contributions to the cause of national liberation and unification, as well as contributing to the glorious tradition of "Faith, courage, resilience - Proactiveness, creation - Solidarity, determination to win" of provincial armed forces.

Provincial Military Command holds a ceremony to launch the 2023 combat training

In a small house in Thu Dau Mot city’s Phu Hoa ward, many memories of Major General Nguyen Van Phe's military career came back. According to him, choosing the military career path also means accepting all sacrifices and hardships, only being allowed to move forward with the goal of serving the people. The first standard and duty of a soldier is absolute loyalty to the Fatherland, the Party and the people.

And in the story of Major General Nguyen Van Phe, the Vietnam People's Army was born in a difficult time of revolution, in the nation's struggle for survival. The army was directly organized, educated, trained and led by the Party and Uncle Ho, and the people of the country wholeheartedly nurtured, protected and helped the force. From very armed organizations with rudimentary equipment, it has become a strong armed force with enough troops and relatively modern equipment.

In Binh Duong, provincial armed forces have also developed continuously. Provincial Armed Forces quickly became uprising armed units from self-defense units, achieving many glorious victories in the two resistance wars against the French colonialists and the American imperialist invaders as well as doing international missions in Cambodia. And in the period of national innovation, provincial Armed Forces have been built and developed in a comprehensively strong direction, with the motto of building the all-people national defense, combining economics with national defense, building a posture of national defense. In 2023 alone, with its achievements, provincial Military Command was awarded the emulation flag of the Ministry of National Defense for its outstanding achievements in the emulation movement of “determination to win”.

Regular, elite, gradual modern

Promoting the glorious tradition of the Vietnam People's Army, over the past time, provincial Armed Forces effectively implemented local military and defense tasks. Provincial Party Committee and Ministry of National Defense played the core role in coordinating with departments, sectors and localities to advise provincial Party Committee, People's Committee and local authorities at all levels on directing the building of the all-people national defense, a strong posture of national defense in association with a people's security posture, building strong defense areas of the province, districts, towns and cities.

Colonel Nguyen Dinh Chuan, Political Commissar of provincial Military Command said that inheriting and promoting that glorious tradition, officers and soldiers of provincial Armed Forces are striving to overcome challenges and obstacles, being determined to successfully achieve local military and national defense tasks. Specifically, the Party Committee of provincial Military Command has well performed the function of advising the Party Committee and local authorities to effectively implement military and national defense work, maintain the local political security, social order and safety, contributing to promoting the local socio-economic development, building up a more and more prosperous, beautiful and civilized Binh Duong with sentimental attachment.

The Party Committee of provincial Military Command has focused on building the Party Committee of provincial Armed Forces to be in the vanguard in politics; further improved the quality, depth and solidity in building up a comprehensively strong unit "Typical model"; effectively implemented the models of "Party cell with 4 good performances, Party member with 5 good performances", "Cadres and Party members guiding the masses and subordinates", "Unit with the 3 best things"...Provincial Armed Forces have improved the quality of training tasks and combat readiness under the "basic, practical, solid" motto synchronously, intensively, being close to the combat objects, being close to the local situation.

On October 17, 1989, the Secretariat of the 6th Party Central Committee issued the Directive No. 381-CT/TW selecting December 22 as the founding day of the Vietnam People's Army, the National Defense Festival. On December 22, 1989, the first National Defense Festival was held throughout the country. Since then, December 22 has become a major festival for the entire nation with activities focusing on defense and military themes, aiming at widely propagandizing the nation's tradition of fighting the enemy and defending the country and noble qualities of "Uncle Ho's soldiers", educating patriotism and love for socialism; strengthening national defense, building strong people's armed forces in each locality, further building up a strong Vietnam People's Army in the new situation...

79 years ago, on December 22, 1944, the Vietnam Propaganda Unit of the Liberation Army was officially established in the forest of Nguyen Binh district in Cao Bang province, including 3 squads with 34 soldiers, directly commanded by comrades Vo Nguyen Giap. This is the first main unit of the revolutionary armed forces and the predecessor of the Vietnam People's Army...

Reported by Thu Thao-Translated by Kim Tin