The Memorial House was invested and built by Department 12 under General Department II. The construction began in July 2025 as a key project to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Foundation Day of Vietnam’s Defense Intelligence Service (October 25, 1945 - 2025). Located in Tan Nhut commune, Ho Chi Minh City, the memorial covers a construction area of 246 sq.m, with a total roofed area of 464 sq.m and a total cost of VND 11 billion. The building includes four exhibition halls displaying artifacts and documents on the life, revolutionary activities, and intelligence work of Comrade Pham Xuan An.
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Delegates cut the ribbon to inaugurate the Memorial House. |
Comrade Pham Xuan An (aka Tran Van Trung) was born on September 12, 1927, in Dong Nai Province. Over 23 years of working under cover within enemy ranks, driven by unwavering revolutionary ideals and absolute loyalty to the Party, the Fatherland, the military, and the people, he became one of Vietnam’s most outstanding intelligence agents, renowned for his ingenuity, courage, and sharp intellect.
Under various covers, he gathered and sent hundreds of intelligence reports, contributing significantly to the Party’s strategic planning and policymaking during the resistance war against the U.S. imperialists for national salvation. In recognition of his exceptional contribution, he was awarded numerous noble orders and medals by the Party and State. On November 15, 1976, he was conferred the title of the Hero of the People’s Armed Forces by the State President.
Speaking at the ceremony, Lieutenant General Nguyen Duc Loi, Political Commissar of the General Department II, emphasized that over the past 80 years, under the direct leadership, guidance, and education of the Party, President Ho Chi Minh, and the military, along with the close cooperation and support from various ministries, sectors, localities, and the protection of the entire nation, the defense intelligence service has continuously grown stronger, achieving many outstanding accomplishments, significantly contributing to the cause of national liberation, the Fatherland construction and defense, fulfillment of noble international duties. Today’s generation of the force will never forget the shining example of revolutionary heroism set by Major General and Hero of the People’s Armed Forces Pham Xuan An, a legendary intelligence officer revered by the Vietnamese people and acknowledged even by the other side as “the perfect spy.”
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Lieutenant General Nguyen Duc Loi speaks at the event. |
General Loi affirmed that, inheriting this glorious tradition, the defense intelligence service remains determined to be “sharp in mind and keen in sight,” serving as a trusted political force and a loyal combat arm of the Party, the State, the military, and the people.
The Memorial House dedicated to Major General and Hero of the People’s Armed Forces Pham Xuan An is a project of profound significance, honoring his immense contributions as well as those of the entire defense intelligence service to the cause of national construction and defense. Its completion is a sincere tribute to the dedication of previous generations and serves as a “red address” for revolutionary tradition education, helping build faith, determination, and a spirit of devotion among today’s and future generations of defense intelligence officers and soldiers.
Translated by Song Anh