He is truly a national hero, venerated by the Vietnamese people and respected by international friends.
Speaking with Nhan Dan Newspaper on the occasion of the 135th birth anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh (May 19, 1890 – 2025), Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Huy Hieu shared his deep respect and cherished memories of the leader who devoted his entire life to the nation’s independence and freedom.
A lifelong inspiration
General Hieu recalled how, in his youth, he would listen to his father recount the horrors of foreign invasion and national suffering. Those stories ignited in him a burning desire to fight for Viet Nam’s freedom, guided by President Ho Chi Minh’s resolute words: “Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom” and “We would rather sacrifice everything than lose our country, than live as slaves.”
“In 1965, as the resistance war against the US intensified, I volunteered to join the army, answering the sacred call of the President,” he said. “We fought under the flag of a new Viet Nam, led by President Ho Chi Minh.”
Serving on the southern front lines, he never had the chance to meet President Ho Chi Minh in person. “I only knew him through photographs and his voice on the radio. By the time I returned to the North, the President had passed away,” he recalled with emotion.
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| President Ho Chi Minh with staff from the Presidential Office and Voice of Viet Nam during the recording of his 1969 Lunar New Year address. (Archive photo) |
Each year on Uncle Ho’s birthday, General Hieu and his comrades remember him with deep reverence. “Even in the most challenging conditions — whether in liberated zones or enemy-occupied areas — we eagerly awaited the New Year to hear his greetings and poetry,” he shared. “Those moments fuelled our patriotism and unwavering faith in the Party and the revolution.”
Reflecting on the 1968 General Offensive and Uprising, which marked a turning point in the war, General Hieu noted how the victory brought great joy to President Ho Chi Minh. In celebration, the President penned his final poem, “Spring 1969,” later set to music by composer Huy Thuc. The poem is rich in revolutionary fervour and optimism for the nation’s future — a call to arms for the Vietnamese people to press forward.
Preserving a national legacy
General Hieu also shared his profound sorrow upon learning of President Ho Chi Minh’s passing: “When the Liberation Radio first reported his deteriorating health, our entire unit stayed up all night, praying for a miracle. We were even ready to endure hardship ourselves if it meant he could recover. But ultimately, we had to accept the heartbreaking news.”
Following the war, in his long military career, General Hieu served with absolute loyalty to the revolutionary cause. Among many important assignments, he considers one of the most honourable to be his involvement in the preservation of President Ho Chi Minh’s embalmed body — a priceless legacy of the nation.
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| Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Huy Hieu was among those entrusted with the task of preserving President Ho Chi Minh’s embalmed body — a national treasure. (Archive photo) |
In early 1996, while serving as Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Viet Nam People’s Army, General Hieu was assigned to the Steering Committee under the Ministry of Defence in charge of President Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum. Alongside Minister of Health Do Nguyen Phuong and Russian scientists, he worked on the preservation of the embalmed body — a task requiring utmost care, precision, and confidentiality.
“We were trained directly by Russian experts in the most advanced embalming techniques,” he said. “Thanks to their hands-on guidance, we were able to maintain the President’s remains in optimal condition — potentially for thousands of years.”
During this period, General Hieu was also tasked with overseeing the replacement of the lawn at Ba Đình Square — an important project to preserve the ecological environment around the Mausoleum. High-quality grass was imported from Japan to create a green and serene space befitting of the nation’s beloved leader.
Furthermore, he was responsible for the restoration and preservation of K9 Da Chong — a historical site where President Ho Chi Minh once stayed. Under his leadership, the area was transformed into a meaningful memorial site, including the planting of two sacred bodhi trees brought from India, which now thrive in the compound.
Though approaching the age of 80, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Huy Hieu remains devoted to following President Ho Chi Minh’s teachings, not only through study, but also through his actions. Whether in science, environmental work, or initiatives to honour veterans and martyrs, he continues to live by the values of integrity, humility, and public service, striving to set an example for younger generations.
