Talking about the virtues of Uncle Ho’s soldiers coming from the revolutionary nature of the military, Sr. Lt. Gen. Trinh Van Quyet stated that the VPA was directly organized, led, educated and trained by the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Ho Chi Minh. Therefore, the military always carries within itself the revolutionary nature of the working class, is born from the people and fights for the people; is loved and supported and honored with the title “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” by the people.
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Chief of the General Department of Political Affairs Senior Lieutenant General Trinh Van Quyet |
Thus, the virtues of Uncle Ho’s soldiers are fundamentally derived from the revolutionary nature of the military, from the goal and ideal of fighting for the people. They represent a system of standards featuring the best virtues of revolutionary soldiers and Vietnamese people in the Ho Chi Minh era, continuously cultivated, maintained, and promoted by generations of officers and soldiers. The noble virtues and title are important factors and sources of strength for the combat power and victories of our military.
During the past 80 years of building, fighting and growth of the VPA, the virtues of Uncle Ho’s soldiers have become a system of standards, representing the moral values of revolutionary soldiers. It is a bright symbol of the Vietnamese revolutionary heroism. The virtues of “Uncle Ho's soldiers” always shine, showing the spirit of determination to fight, determination to win, intelligence, creativity, unity, discipline, endurance, overcoming difficulties to excellently complete all assigned tasks.
The image of Uncle Ho's soldiers always leaves good impression in the hearts of Vietnamese people and international friends. Generations of VPA’s officers and soldiers have continuously upheld the “Ten honorary oaths” of military officers, strictly observed twelve rules of discipline when dealing with people, building a glorious tradition, deserving the praise of President Ho Chi Minh: “Our military is loyal to the Party, filial to the people, ready to fight and sacrifice for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland and socialism. Every task is completed, every difficulty is overcome, every enemy is defeated.” This was also affirmed by Party General Secretary To Lam at the VPA’s 80th foundation anniversary and the 35th anniversary of the Whole-people's Defense Festive Day “Our military truly deserves to be the heroic military of the heroic Vietnamese nation, the pride of the Party, State and people of Vietnam, and those loving peace, freedom, and justice worldwide.”
Sharing his opinion on the statement “The virtues of Uncle Ho’s soldiers have been increasingly promoted and shining brightly,” the GDP chief expressed that the noble virtues of Uncle Ho’s soldiers are a blend of the revolutionary nature and the functions and tasks of the military. Wherever they are and whatever missions they undertake, the virtues of Uncle Ho’s soldiers are always preserved and promoted by troops in the whole military.
The year 2024 is marked by many important political events of the Party, State, military and GDP, in the context of the tasks of building the military, strengthening national defense, and protecting the Fatherland posing higher requirements.
With high determination of the whole military in task performance, the virtues of Uncle Ho’s soldiers have been clearly reflected through the military’s strategic advisory role to the Party and State on military and defense issues. The military has proactively proposed many major policies and initiatives to meet both immediate and long-term needs. Notably, the military gave recommendations to the Central Executive Committee on the review of Resolution No.8 of the 11th Party Congress and issue of Resolution No.8 of the 13th Party Congress on the strategy for Fatherland protection in the new situation; gave advice to the National Assembly on the amendments and supplements to a number of articles of the Law on Officers of the Vietnam People’s Army in 2024; and successfully organized significant celebrations, including the 70th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu Victory, the VPA’s 80th foundation anniversary, the 35th anniversary of the Whole-people’s Defense Festive Day, and the GDP’s 80th founding anniversary. The military also successfully held the Vietnam International Defense Expo 2024, among others. These activities have contributed to fostering the spirit of great solidarity, national pride, patriotism, and the heroic traditions of the VPA, leaving good impressions on the Vietnamese people and international friends.
Additionally, the virtues of Uncle Ho’s soldiers are also shown via the effective implementation of political education, ideological leadership, and the “Determined to win” emulation movement and other campaigns at all levels. The military has strictly maintained combat readiness posture, implemented organizational adjustments according to the schedule; ensured a close combination of ideological, organizational, and policy work, contributing to maintaining the stability of the military and enhancing its combat readiness capacity; and actively renewed and improved the quality of training, education, and exercise. Logistics, technical work, defense industry, and military science have obtained positive outcomes with significant breakthroughs. The military has also participated in multilateral and bilateral defense external activities, U.N. peacekeeping operations, humanitarian activities, and search and rescue missions. The mass mobilization and policy work have been carried out in a creative and effective manner, with many new, practical, and efficient models.
The military agencies and units have pro-actively deployed forces and vehicles to help people overcome flood consequences. Meanwhile, the virtues of Uncle Ho’s soldiers have been demonstrated via the construction of a clean and strong Military Party Organization and the thorough preparations for Party congresses at all levels in the military, towards the 14th National Party Congress
In Sr. Lt. Gen. Trinh Van Quyet’s view, in the time to come, amid complicated developments in the region and the world, the military will face many difficulties and challenges. Hostile forces and political opportunists, both domestic and foreign, will continue to push for “peaceful evolution,” promote “self-evolution,” “self-transformation,” and the “depoliticization” of the military with increasingly sophisticated methods. The rapid development of science and technology, the Internet, and social media is exerting both positive and negative effects on the thoughts, ethics, lifestyles, and the “resilience” of part of officers and soldiers. In addition, many new breakthrough policies of the Party and State, including in the military and defense sectors, will be actively implemented, raising high requirements for ideological, organizational, and policy work.
Given this situation, in order to successfully achieve the goal of building a revolutionary, regular, elite, and modern military, meeting the requirements of the task of protecting the Fatherland, under any circumstances, one of the most important requirements is that the whole military should further promote the virtues of Uncle Ho’s soldiers in implementing the military’s functions and tasks. This requires the Party committees and chains-of-command at all levels to give advice and propose solutions to the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defense on policies and measures to maintain and strengthen the absolute, direct leadership of the Party over the military, building a politically-strong military, contributing to raising the overall quality and the combat power of the military.
The Military Party Organization and the whole military should well perform the work of Party building and rectifying; build a truly clean and strong Party Organization in terms of politics, ideology, ethics, organization and personnel; constantly improve leadership capacity and combat power; actively engage in building a firm posture of people’s hearts; and raise the efficiency of international cooperation and defense external affairs, to name but a few.
Over the past 80 years, raising the flag of national independence and socialism and promoting the quality of Uncle Ho’s soldiers, generations of officers and soldiers of the VPA have consistently upheld the Party's goals and revolutionary ideals; stayed united; and achieved many glorious victories, joining hands with people to complete the revolutionary mission of national liberation and reunification, obtain great successes in the renewal process, as well as national construction and protection. Therefore, the virtues of Uncle Ho’s soldiers have always developed and constantly shined.
Following the heroic traditions of the military, the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defense believed that in any circumstances, officers and soldiers in the whole military will always remain absolutely loyal to the Fatherland, Party, State, and people; steadfast in their stance and views on Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh thought, the goal of national independence and socialism, ready to receive and fulfill all assigned tasks, and ready to fight and sacrifice to protect the lives and properties of the people.
As the virtues of Uncle Ho's soldiers continue to shine, and troops are united to move forward, the whole military will continue to achieve many new victories and achievements, making contribution to the cause of building and protecting the Fatherland, deserving to be the revolutionary military of the people, by the people, and for the people, and standing by the whole country to enter a new era - the era of the nation’s rise.
On the lunar New Year of the Snake 2025, Sr. Lt. Gen. Trinh Van Quyet wished all officers, soldiers and their families a New Year of health, happiness and success.
Translated by Quynh Oanh