SOUTHERN WOMEN – PEOPLE ATTACHED TO THE FLAG OF THE NATIONAL LIBERATION FRONT OF SOUTH VIETNAM

During the two resistance wars against France and the US, women were the fighting force on all fronts. Women's patriotism was not only demonstrated through heroic fighting examples but also through many meaningful actions. Sewing liberation flags was one of the sacred and extremely secret tasks that women often undertook. Those steadfast and persistent flags flew on the glorious paths of the Fatherland.

The flag of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam contains the aspiration for independence and freedom of the entire nation. The flag of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam (Liberation Flag) was used from 1960 to 1975. This flag was modeled after the flag of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and divided the red half to replace it with blue. The flag has a yellow star on a red and blue background. The upper half represents the independent North, the blue half symbolizes the South still under the control of the US and the Saigon regime, but the South fought for the aspiration for peace and unification (blue peace).

At the Southern Women's Museum, many flags of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, sewn by Southern women and kept in the enemy's heartland, are currently being kept. Among them is a flag sewn and hidden by Ms. Nguyen Thi Thiet. Ms. Nguyen Thi Thiet was in charge of logistics work and secretly sewed the liberation flag every day. At that time, the source of materials was very scarce. In order to have fabric and materials to sew the flag, she and her colleagues in the working group often had to go to the field and contact the bases. Because to sew the flag, she had to buy 3 types of fabric: blue, red, yellow, and at that time, wherever she went, there were eyes and ears of the enemy, so she had to be very vigilant. At first, she only bought a little fabric every day. She only dared to buy a lot when she knew which merchants were kind and trustworthy. She bought one type of fabric every week and only a few yards at a time. If her house had an attic, she would climb up there to sew every evening. There were times when the enemy planned to search her house, so she had to be gentle and sweet-talk. Many times when the henchmen were suspicious and wanted to check, she had to find a way to avoid it. At that time, she was very scared, but her responsibility to her homeland was above all.

In addition, there is also the flag of Mrs. Vo Hong Dieu, used on the great spring victory day, unifying the country on April 30, 1975. She was born in 1940 in Truong Long Hoa commune, Duyen Hai district, Cuu Long province, and participated in revolutionary activities from February 1959 to 1975 under the alias Hong Van. She not only directly participated in the direct struggle but also directed and coordinated with the forces of students, intellectuals, and small traders, and participated in the inner-city struggle for people's livelihood and democracy... She also gathered women to participate in sewing the flag of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam and prepared the flag for the day of total victory. During the historic Ho Chi Minh campaign, Mrs. Vo Hong Dieu was responsible for a coordinated uprising force with the armed forces to enter the Governor's Palace to fight with the masses, contributing to the complete liberation of Tra Vinh town. In the early morning of April 30, 1975, she and her comrades hung the flag of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam everywhere, signaling the victory of the resistance.

Liberation flag, Mrs. Vo Hong Dieu held the flag with the people of Tra Vinh town and marched out to the street to join the excited crowd in the joy of the great victory of the country on April 30, 1975.

The flag of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam sewn and hidden by Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thiet during the years of resistance against America

The flags of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam were quietly sewn by mothers and sisters in all the southern provinces to prepare for the uprisings and general uprisings. One of the women who sewed the flags themselves to prepare for the General Offensive and Uprising in the Spring of 1968 was Mrs. Nguyen Thi Dai. Her house had a sewing machine, so she often sewed clothes, military uniforms, and military uniforms for the soldiers. When the base needed to sew clothes, she sewed clothes, when the enemy needed to sew flags, she sewed flags, but when the enemy came, she secretly hid them, she often sewed at night. When sewing, if she heard noise, she hid everything and put it in the basement to hide carefully; Mrs. Le Thi Sen, Tan Thanh commune, Bien Hoa, a former female political prisoner at Tan Hiep prison, also sewed and used the flag of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam during the General Offensive and Uprising in the Spring of Mau Than in 1968 and donated it to the Southern Women's Museum as a souvenir of a time of war.

The flags of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam currently kept at the Southern Women's Museum are a vivid testament to the heroic years of Southern women living and fighting for the country, a cultural heritage in the spirit and patriotic tradition of the Vietnamese people, and at the same time a message for today's young generation of Vietnam to understand, be proud of and continue the tradition of patriotism and fighting against foreign invaders of their ancestors.

Ho Chi Minh City, January 20, 2025

Huynh Thi Kim Loan

Department of Communications - Education - International Relations

Source: https://baotangphunu.com/phu-nu-nam-bo-nhung-nguoi-gan-bo-voi-la-co-mat-tran-dan-toc-giai-phong-mien-nam-viet-nam/