Nguyen Binh (1908-1951)

Nguyen Binh’s real name was Nguyen Phuong Thao. Although he was born in An Phu village, Giai Pham commune in Yen My district, he lived in Hai Phong city.

Born in 1908 in a middle-class family with five children, he was the fourth child with a healthy body shape, a determined face and an open characteristic. His confidence in communication made a deep impression on other people. At the age of 17, when learning at Hai Phong high school, he went to the South without family permission and made friends with Vuong Son, a freelance writer, and Tran Huy Lieu, a writer and journalist, who was a member of the Vietnamese Nationalist Party. Then he became an active member of this Party and worked as the head of the personnel department. In 1928, its Southern branch was established with the principle “Dan toc doc lap, dan quyen tu do, dan sinh hanh phuc” (Independent Vietnam, free civil rights, happy people). He was appointed to be a member of ithe Standing Committee and Tran Huy Lieu was the Party’s Secretary.

In 1929, he and Tran Huy Lieu were arrested and sentenced to 5 years in prison, and banished to Con Dao Island. During this period, he met some Communist Party’s members, he developed his goodwill towards the Party. Therefore, he was damaged one of his eyes by the Vietnam Nationalist Party as the punishment.  By then, he found that the motto of Nationalist Party is just the empty words, the leaders just worked for their personal purposes (“Vinh than thi gia”) and unhesitatingly killed other members if they had different points of view with them.

In 1935, after his release, he returned to his homeland. Despite living under a house arrest, his spirit of revolution was not stamped out and he continued to establish Dong Trieu as the base against the French. In 1941-1942, he was assigned by the Viet Minh and Party to buy weapons for the revolutionary force. In addition to completing his task successfully, he also advocated soldiers in Thuy Nguyen, Cua Ong and Kien An town to provide weapons for the army. With these weapons, Dong Trieu base became a strong one with the general headquarter of liberation force located in Bac Ma pagoda.

In the late evening of 12 March 1945, he joined to overrun Ban Yen Nhan military station and gained much success, which was considered a model battle at the delta region. In April 1945, the northern military meeting decided to divide the country into 7 military zones, with 4 zones in the north and he was assigned to take the responsibility of Commander of the fourth military zone (Dong Trieu base covering Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Thai Binh, Hai Phong, Hon Gai, Mong Cai and Lang Son provinces)

In June and July, 1945, he led a series of attacks such as an ambush on Kinh Thay river, a series of attacks on military stations of Thanh Ha, Kinh Mon, Thuy Nguyen, Uong Bi and Bi Cho, especially the attack on Quang Yen military station, and gained a large amount of food supplies and weapons. In these attacks, he and his comrades gained 600 pistols and 400 light machine-guns. Taking the advantages of these victories, he and his comrades came to support revolts in Hai Phong and then liberated Tien Yen, Ba Che, Hon Gai, Cam Pha and Cat Ba.

With a trust in his military abilities, in September 1945, Uncle Ho assigned Nguyen Binh to go to the south to reunify all armed forces in the southern front and to be southern military officer cum head of the seventh military zone and then the Commander of the Southern Front with full power in decision on military-related issues in the south.

In the beginning of the resistance war, the south was plunged in political chaos like the historical period of instability caused by “Thap nhi su quan” (twelve armed forces) with a number of armed forces fighting against a strong and powerful French army. Nguyen Binh tried his best to group all revolutionary troops to create a comprehensively strong resistance war. With his talent, he succeeded in persuading the involvement of all classes for the resistance war. His success in this historical mission created favorable conditions for the revolutionary cause, hindering the invasion of the enemy.

The name Nguyen Binh, closely associated with the initial victories of southern people and army forces and was also admired by French political and military officers.

In 1947, he joined Vietnam’s Communist Party. 

On 25^th November 1948, Uncle Ho signed the Decision on rewarding him with the title of Lieutenant General. He was the first Lieutenant General of Vietnam People’s Army.

In September 1951, as requested by the Party, he came back to the north to receive a new mission. On the way of return, he was ambushed by the enemy and died in an area along the border of Vietnam – Cambodia.

Lieutenant General Nguyen Binh was a decisive, brave and strict military strategist who made great contributions to military achievements in the most difficult situations. He contributed significantly to the reunification of southern revolutionary army forces and to the establishment of Sai Gon commando. In February 1952, Uncle Ho signed the Decision No. 84/SL to reward him with the first military achievement medal. He was the first military officer receiving this honor.

When he passed away, many articles and books praised Lieutenant General Nguyen Binh as a military genius at the beginning of the resistance war against French colonialism. 

In 2000, The High Command of the seventh military zone decided to move his remains for burial in Ho Chi Minh City cemetery. He was bestowed the title of “Hero of People’s Army Forces.”