During her life of revolutionary activities, she was a cadre who directly protected Uncle Ho and high-ranking leaders of the Party and State.
From a clever schoolgirl
Colonel Nguyen Thi Bich Thuan was born in 1922 in Lang Yen village (now Thanh Luong ward, Hai Ba Trung district, Hanoi), in a family of poor workers and civil servants. Her family’s situation was relatively difficult when her mother passed away early, so Mrs. Thuan lived with her father and grandmother.
Although her living situation was not very prosperous, her father still tried to let her study at Dong Khanh Girls’ School. At that time, Buoi school and Dong Khanh school were two cradles that nurtured the revolutionary will of many generations of soldiers.
Having been taught by her father since childhood, and having seen and heard many scenes of slavery and misery, the young girl Bich Thuan soon turned to the revolution. In October 1944, Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Thuan joined the Women’s Team for National Salvation at Hoang Dieu Citadel, starting operations in Inter-Region II of Hanoi.
Portrait of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Bich Thuan – Vietnam’s first female guard
In July 1945, Hanoi was boiling in preparation for a general uprising. Ms. Thuan was mobilized to sew a flag to hang on top of Turtle Tower on the day the “government” Tran Trong Kim hung the hexagram flag. Sewing a flag is not difficult, but where to get the fabric to sew it? At this time, if you go to the market to buy red fabric, you will easily be exposed.
Wondering how to solve the problem, she suddenly saw a red towel covering the family’s ancestral throne, and she secretly cut a part of the red towel (about 40x50cm) to sew the flag, and the rest covered the top. altar. The red flag with a yellow star was hung on top of the Turtle Tower as planned, causing panic and confusion in the enemy ranks, and at the same time, had a great impact on the spirit of the boiling people. prepare to rise up and fight for power.
In the days of August 1945, the revolutionary spirit was increasingly rising, Ms. Thuan and her sisters in the Women’s National Salvation Association participated in rallies, demonstrations and to seize power in Hanoi. “On August 19, our delegation was assigned the task of moving to Camp Bao An Binh, along with the protest group to support the Viet Minh delegation negotiating with the Japanese army. After that, I was ordered to take a group to Ty Liem Phong, which was occupied by our police force. This was also the first milestone for me joining the police force,” Colonel Nguyen Thi Bich Thuan recalled.
The first female guard to directly serve Uncle Ho
When peace was restored, Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Thuan was sent to study at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy. In 1961, after graduating, she was assigned to the Police Department, Ministry of Public Security. After that, she was sent by the Ministry of Public Security to the Soviet Union to learn methods of protecting leaders. Returning to the country, Mrs. Thuan took on the task of protecting Uncle Ho and became Uncle Ho’s first female bodyguard.
President Ho Chi Minh with Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Thuan (right) at the 3rd Party Congress, 1960. Documentary photo at Ho Chi Minh Museum
From the time she received her assignment in the Guard to protect Uncle Ho until his death, she accompanied Uncle Ho to many places, each trip leaving unforgettable memories. Among them, the most unforgettable impression of Uncle Ho on her was his simplicity, closeness, and the old Father’s warm feelings towards the people. Every time Uncle Ho gave her feedback, it was a lesson for her to grow.
After nearly 10 years of protecting Uncle Ho and senior leaders of the Party and State, Colonel Nguyen Thi Bich Thuan and her teammates did not let any unforeseen circumstances affect their safety and health. Uncle’s health. This is a silent victory that contributes to the common victory of the entire nation. She considered it the honor of her life. Later, she still remembered and followed his teachings, because she always thought: “We must follow Uncle Ho’s teachings and each previous generation must have the responsibility to set a good example for the next generation.”
President Ho Chi Minh took a photo with delegates attending the first Women’s Congress in Viet Bac, 1950 (Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Thuan is the person marked with an X). Photo: Ho Chi Minh Museum
While participating in revolutionary activities, Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Thuan also fulfilled her responsibility as the wife of comrade Le Van Luong – a senior leader of the Party and State. In life, she always studies Ho Chi Minh’s example, ethics, and style to educate her children and grandchildren in the family. More than 40 years serving the Party and State, of which 8 years served as Deputy Director of the Police Department and after many deployments, no matter what position she held, Colonel Nguyen Thi Bich Thuan always performed excellently. Identify all assigned tasks.
>> The only female general of the Vietnam Revolutionary Army who was praised by Uncle Ho as “only our country has the whole world”, is the first female Vice Chairwoman of the State Council of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
