100-year-old Party member recalls revolutionary autumn days

Although he is 100 years old and has been a Party member for 75 years, Mr. Phan Dinh Tiep in Tung Loc commune (Can Loc, Ha Tinh) is still excited, passionate and proud when recalling the fiery autumn days of the August Revolution in his homeland.

Although he is 100 years old this year, Mr. Phan Dinh Tiep still has the habit of reading the newspaper every day.

Mr. Phan Dinh Tiep was born in 1923 in Tan Tung Son village (Tung Loc commune) in a family with a rich revolutionary tradition. His father was Phan Dinh Dau (1904-1948), also known as Phan Lieu (Lieu), alias Tran Bi, a party member active during the Nghe Tinh Soviet period of 1930-1931, and was arrested and imprisoned by the enemy.

In mid-July 1945, after the Nghe - Tinh inter-provincial Viet Minh Front was established (May 19, 1945), comrade Le Hong Co returned to establish the Can Loc district Viet Minh Front, gathering forces to prepare for the uprising. As an acquaintance who had worked together, Mr. Co went to see Mr. Phan Dinh Dau to discuss how to contact his comrades.

Mr. Tiep told the story of the revolutionary struggle in his hometown of Tung Loc to the young union members.

Mr. Phan Dinh Tiep said: “I still remember very clearly, one summer night in 1945, Le Hong Co secretly returned to see my father. When he met my father, he told me about the Japanese and French fighting. This was an opportunity for us to revolt, so he returned to find a way to contact and connect with comrades to prepare for the great event.”

At that time, comrade Le Hong Co contacted a number of cadres who had completed their prison terms and returned, such as Dang Nghiem, Dang Kieu, Dang Thao, Dang Trung, Nguyen Ngu, Nguyen Duc Kiem, etc. to organize a meeting at Ham bridge (Thuan Thien commune, Can Loc) to listen to instructions on establishing the Viet Minh commune leadership committee and mobilize the masses to wait for the opportunity to rise up and seize power. The conference also agreed to convert a number of members of the Phan Anh organization to participate in the movement...

Comrade Le Hong Co - former Secretary of the Can Loc District Party Committee in 1931 and the first term . Photo: Document.

Mr. Tiep was instructed by his father, Mr. Dau, to actively participate in the youth self-defense team to be ready to protect the organization when the uprising broke out. On the evening of August 16, 1945, at Can Loc district headquarters, the Can Loc district Uprising Committee led the people to successfully overthrow the puppet government. At dawn on August 17, the demonstration spread out to all communes in the district. Organizations and people in Tung Loc commune responded in unison.

Mr. Tiep recalled: “Throughout the night of August 16, 1945, the whole village, the whole commune, the drums beat out, urging, pressing, repeatedly. As members of the self-defense team, we were assigned to distribute leaflets, plant flags from Thuan Chan ferry to Hoa Loc, everyone holding sticks, spears to be ready to protect the uprisings. At dawn, from all the roads, the people of Tung Loc poured out, raising high the red flag with yellow star, banners flying high... marching to the village chief's house, forcing them to hand over their seals and books to the revolution. Before the power of the people, the henchmen were submissive, fearful, quickly handing over their seals of surrender. The government returned to the people in a joyful and excited atmosphere.”

Rally at Hanoi Opera House Square, August 19, 1945. Photo: Archive

Successful in Can Loc, the uprising movement spread throughout the province, achieving complete victory just one day later. On August 19, the nationwide uprising achieved victory. On September 2, 1945, President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence, declaring the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam amid the joy of millions of Vietnamese people.

Along with the whole country, Mr. Tiep and the people of Tung Loc were extremely excited about a new autumn - the first autumn the whole nation gained independence. "It is impossible to describe the atmosphere of September 2, 1945, the joy was clearly visible on the faces of every Tung Loc resident. After more than 80 years of slavery by the French colonialists and the feudal government, for nearly half a month (from August 17 to September 2), in the village and commune there was no longer oppression and arrogance from the village chiefs and tyrants, now we were able to hear President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. That was an incomparable happiness" - Mr. Phan Dinh Tiep recalled.

On September 2, 1945, at Ba Dinh Square, Hanoi, President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, opening a new era in the history of the nation. Photo: Archive

After the success of the August Revolution, Mr. Phan Dinh Dau was assigned by the organization to be the provisional Chairman of Ha Yen village, a delegate of the People's Council of Son Thuy commune (now Tung Loc commune); Mr. Tiep joined the commune's militia and self-defense force, and actively participated in teaching popular education classes. After many efforts and contributions, in May 1949, he was honored to be admitted to the Party.

From 1949 to 1951, Mr. Tiep was the Secretary of the Resistance Committee of Ich Hoa commune (including present-day Tung Loc and Ich Hau communes); from 1952 to 1953, he was an agricultural warehouse officer of Can Loc district. After a period of being wrongly classified as a member, in 1956, Mr. Tiep was cleared and continued to be elected as the Head of the Agricultural Production Group, then the Chairman of the Tung Son Agricultural Cooperative (Tung Loc commune). From 1963 to 1981, he held many positions at the Provincial Department of Agriculture, performing tasks such as: building the Thuan Loc Brick and Tile Enterprise, the Ke Go Aquatic Products Enterprise... then retired and returned to his locality.

Mr. Phan Dinh Tiep with his eldest son, Mr. Phan Dinh Ty (right, retired teacher) and his second son, Colonel Phan Tien Sy.

Mr. Phan Dinh Tiep's wife, Mrs. Pham Thi Sau (born in 1925, deceased), was a cadre of the Women's Union of Tung Loc commune from the 1950s until now. He and his wife have 4 children (2 boys, 2 girls), of which 2 are teachers, 1 is a retired army colonel. Continuing the family tradition, his children and grandchildren always strive, contribute and have roles and positions in society.

With his contributions, Mr. Phan Dinh Tiep has been awarded many medals by the State, including the Third Class Medal of Resistance Against America for National Salvation. Although he is 100 years old this year and has been a Party member for 75 years, Mr. Tiep is still lucid and can still read the newspaper every day. Living an optimistic life, he always tells the younger generation stories about the revolutionary history of his homeland.

Mr. Phan Dinh Tiep is excited that his hometown is increasingly developing and renewing.

Promoting the tradition of the homeland, today, along with many other localities in Can Loc district, the Party Committee and People of Tung Loc commune are constantly striving to build their homeland more and more prosperous. Accordingly, along with the increasingly spacious infrastructure system of the commune, the average income per capita in 2022 of Tung Loc reached 45 million VND. The commune is striving to complete the criteria to reach the finish line of an advanced NTM commune.

Mr. Phan Dinh Tiep expressed: “I am very excited to see my homeland and country developing more and more. Compared to the years when the country was still in misery and slavery, life now is incomparable. That is thanks to the revolution, the sacrifice of our ancestors, who did not spare their blood and bones to regain independence and peace for the country.”

A corner of Tung Loc hometown (Can Loc) today.

Angel

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/nui-hong-song-la/dang-vien-100-tuoi-hoi-uc-ve-nhung-ngay-thu-cach-mang/253567.htm