The immortal Dong Khoi spirit of the 'Long-haired Army'

The "long-haired army" protested against American imperialism during the Dong Khoi movement. Photo: VNA file

Entering the new era, Ben Tre women continue to carry on the glorious tradition of the “long-haired army”, pioneering in building a sustainable, integrated and developed future, becoming one of the key forces in the construction of a rich and beautiful homeland, making important contributions to the cause of national development in the 21st century.

"Long-haired army" - a unique special force

The Dong Khoi movement broke out in January 1960 with the special feature of the large and proactive participation of women, not only in the role of logistics but also directly on the political front. From demonstrations and protests against the Saigon government, Ben Tre women quickly developed into an organized force with clear tactics, thereby forming the "Long-haired Army" - an army without weapons, but with the power to shake the enemy's repressive apparatus.

One of the people who made important contributions in organizing and leading the movement was Ms. Nguyen Thi Dinh. With her strong will, she mobilized thousands of women to join the struggle according to the "three-pronged attack" strategy: Politics, military affairs and armed forces. The "long-haired army" under her leadership achieved many resounding victories, not only in Ben Tre but also spread throughout the South.

Unlike traditional forms of armed struggle, this army did not use guns and bullets, but relied on solidarity, strong will and creative intelligence to win. Women participated in the struggle not only as wives and mothers, but also as steadfast soldiers on the political and military fronts.

From the Dong Khoi movement, the “Long-haired Army” quickly expanded to other provinces in the South, becoming a revolutionary struggle method with strong influence. And from this movement, Ms. Nguyen Thi Dinh became a symbol of steadfast will, the first female general of the Vietnam People’s Army, who contributed to making women a special revolutionary force in the cause of national liberation.

Ms. Le Thi Hong (born in 1950) in Cam Son commune, Mo Cay district (now Mo Cay Nam district), Ben Tre province - later a political commissar of the Ben Tre province Special Forces unit shared that as a person born in the fire of war, when she was only 10 years old, she directly witnessed the Dong Khoi movement. In 1967, at the age of 16, she enlisted in the Ben Tre town Special Forces unit, operating openly and legally in the enemy's heartland, with the main task of building bases.

During the fighting, she showed determination, daring to penetrate deep into dangerous areas, directly fought 8 battles in the inner city, killed and wounded many enemy soldiers, destroyed weapons and ammunition. The female commando also cleverly transferred weapons to the troops to attack important targets. In 1968 and 1969, Ms. Hong participated in several battles, killed and wounded dozens of enemies, destroyed 6 tons of ammunition of various types, and 2 walkie-talkies.

Female special forces soldier Le Thi Hong of Ben Tre province said that in 1969, she was discovered and arrested by the enemy three times. They tortured her with electricity and dented her ribs, but she remained steadfast and refused to give any information. After that, they resorted to destroying her virginity; she had to be hospitalized for emergency treatment. After escaping from prison, Ms. Hong returned to continue fighting with her unit. "The brutal acts and brutal torture of the enemy did not make me lose heart or be discouraged, but rather made my hatred and fighting spirit even stronger," Ms. Hong said.

With her outstanding achievements in combat, Ms. Le Thi Hong was awarded the First and Second Class Liberation Feat Medal by the State; and was conferred the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces in November 1978.

Proud of the glorious tradition of the "Long-haired Army", Chairwoman of the Women's Union of Ben Tre province Nguyen Thi Kim Thoa said that in the Dong Khoi movement, a unique army appeared in the world - "Long-haired Army" which, according to the comment of Female General Nguyen Thi Dinh, "this is a special force of women organized into tight teams, with attack forces, reserves, logistics, medical, ambulance...". From the Land of Coconuts, the "Long-haired Army" expanded throughout the South and by 1965 the regular army had reached 2 million women.

“Although not trained, educated, or equipped with modern weapons, the “Long-haired Army” consisting of simple women, farmers, workers, merchants, intellectuals, nuns, etc. skillfully used three spearheads: military propaganda, political work, and armed struggle. Despite being imprisoned and tortured, the sisters remained steadfast and loyal, a typical example of ardent patriotism, the strength of women who were unarmed, with only hatred and the will to win, to defeat the enemy,” shared the President of the Women’s Union of Ben Tre province.

Promoting the spirit of "New Dong Khoi"

Continuing to inherit the indomitable spirit of the legendary "Long-haired Army", generations of Ben Tre women today have been stepping out of their comfort zone, affirming their mettle and leading role in many fields, from production and business, agricultural innovation, digital transformation to environmental protection and social development, with the spirit of "New Dong Khoi".

Chairwoman of the Provincial Women's Union Nguyen Thi Kim Thoa informed that on the economic front, Ben Tre women are showing a proactive and pioneering role in starting businesses and developing the collective economy. From small businesses, they have boldly expanded their scale, transformed digitally, sought new markets, and exported local products internationally. More than 1,300 businesses owned by women have not only affirmed their management and operational capacity but also created tens of thousands of jobs, improving the lives of the community.

Cooperatives and cooperative groups managed by women are thriving, especially in the fields of clean agriculture, agricultural processing and e-commerce. Loan support programs have helped tens of thousands of women access financial resources, with a total outstanding loan balance of more than VND3,750 billion, creating conditions for them to expand production, business and increase income.

In the construction of new rural areas, women not only play a role in production but also actively participate in creating green, clean and civilized living spaces. The campaign "5 no, 3 clean", the movement "Women say no to plastic waste", "Building green, clean, bright and safe roads" have been widely deployed, contributing to changing the appearance of rural areas in a civilized and sustainable direction. To date, more than 73% of women's union member households have met the criteria of "5 no, 3 clean", helping to significantly improve the quality of the living environment, raising community awareness of the responsibility to protect the landscape and public hygiene.

In particular, Ben Tre women also make an important contribution to the political field, pioneering in implementing gender equality, affirming their role in management and leadership. The rate of women participating in the political system in Ben Tre is increasing. Currently, the rate of women participating in Party committees reaches 30.05% at the grassroots level; 18.71% at the district level and 20.4% at the provincial level.

According to Secretary of Ben Tre Provincial Party Committee Ho Thi Hoang Yen, after more than 10 years of implementing Project No. 01/DA/TU of the Provincial Party Committee, the quantity and quality of female leaders and managers with professional qualifications and political theories suitable for their job positions have increased; their age has become younger; their position has been affirmed and enhanced. Women's Unions at all levels need to do a good job of grasping the ideological situation, thoughts and aspirations of female cadres and young female cadres; thereby, propagating and educating, building political mettle, saying goes hand in hand with doing, daring to take responsibility; raising the awareness of self-study and training of female cadres and young female cadres, continuing to promote studying and following Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and lifestyle.

On the other hand, units need to build a team of female cadres, young female cadres with qualities and capacities, ensuring standards commensurate with assigned tasks; especially focusing on forces outside the political system, good female entrepreneurs, outstanding social activists need to be interested in training and developing to supplement the female cadre force.

Source: VNA/Tin Tuc Newspaper

Source: https://baodongkhoi.vn/thoi-su/tin-trong-nuoc/hao-khi-dong-khoi-bat-diet-cua-doi-quan-toc-dai-a145305.html