Brief about the family of Comrade Nguyen Huu Tien
Comrade Nguyen Huu Tien's grandfather - Nguyen Huu Dieu (1858 - 1925) was born into a patriotic Confucian family, received a full education, passed Sinh Do and was ordained Am Sinh. Mr. Am Dieu inherited the inheritance of his father, Nguyen Trong Nhieu, so he lived a leisurely life, refused to submit to the ruling class at the time, he opened a class to teach Confucian letters to the children in the village and often interacted with poor intellectuals such as Tam Nguyen Yen Do Nguyen Khuyen, and Kep Tra.
His father was Nguyen Huu Lap (1880 - 1924), an ordinary civil servant (the title of “Thong su") of the colonial government from the late 19th century in Nghia Hung district (Nam Dinh). Mr. Nguyen Huu Lap married Mrs. Bui Thi Men (1882-1908) and gave birth to 4 children: 2 sons, Nguyen Huu Tien and Nguyen Huu Tiem, 2 daughters, Nguyen Thi Hy and Nguyen Thi Lang. In 1908, Mrs. Bui Thi Men died. Because the children are still young and have no one to take care of these children, in 1909, Am Dieu let Mr. Lap marry Mrs. Ung Thi Vu (other name is Ung Thi Chon 1887 - 1971) to take care of the family. Mrs. Vu and Mr. Lap gave birth to 1 son and 2 daughters: Nguyen Thi Yen, Nguyen Huu Uan and Nguyen Thi But.
Mr. Nguyen Huu Lap lives a pure life, has an affirmative character and repeatedly resists the district officials who cheat in the redistribution of public lands of people. Therefore, the rulers hated him, transferred him to work as a “thong su" in Vo Nhai province, Thai Nguyen province, then moved to Tien Lang district, then An Lao district, Kien An province (now in Kien An district, Hai Phong city). In 1922, they transferred him to Thach An district (now Thach An district, Cao Bang province), more than a year later, he fell seriously ill, after returning home for a while, he died.
Following the example of the comrade Nguyen Huu Tien, the eldest brother in the patriotic and revolutionary family, his younger brothers and sisters were early revolutionary enlightened persons and participated in patriotic organizations since the early days of the founding of the Party. His younger brother Nguyen Huu Tiem (1906 - 1936), participated in revolutionary activities, was exiled to Con Dao by the enemy, brutally tortured, suffered many tortures and died in Con Dao. The youngest brother Nguyen Huu Uan (1918 - 1985), joined the revolution in 1931, former Chairman of the Administrative Resistance Committee; Secretary of the District Party Committee of Dai Tu District; Chief of Police Department; Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee of Thai Nguyen Province, Deputy Head of the Central Party History Research Committee. His younger sister Nguyen Thi Yen also participated in the revolution from 1930 - 1931.
The comrade Nguyen Huu Tien married Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hao and gave birth to 2 children, a son is Nguyen Huu Bo (1926 - 1932), a daughter is Nguyen Thi Xu (1929 - 2015). Mrs. Xu married Mr. Pham Van Tien (died in 1989) and gave birth to 7 children, 5 sons and 2 daughters: Pham Van Thu (died), Pham Van Thach, Pham Van Thu, Pham Van Thai (died), Pham Van Kha, Pham Thi Nhat (died), Pham Thi Nhi. Currently, the memorial house of Comrade Nguyen Huu Tien in Yen Bac ward, Duy Tien town is taken care of by his maternal grandson, Pham Van Thach (born in 1955).
A shining example of heroic sacrifices for the Vietnamese revolution and the Ha Nam homeland
In 1927, Nguyen Huu Tien, together with Tran Tu Yen and Vu Hung (also known as Uyen) from Than Tu village, established the Youth Revolutionary Youth Association at Lung Xuyen communal house. This is the first Vietnam Youth Revolutionary Association in Ha Nam, led by comrade Nguyen Huu Tien as its Secretary. He led the Association and sought to divide and isolate the oligarchs, propagated and educated people with progressive tendencies facilitating the operation of revolutionary establishments; at the same time, he mobilized the people to abolish the old customs in the village such as aspiration and superstition. These actions are supported by the general public. Therefore, there are many organizations such as: Mutual Aid Association, Women's Union, Friendship Association, and Football Association were established.
In November 1929, comrade Nguyen Huu Tien became one of the first 6 party members and Secretary of the Indochinese Communist Party branch of Duy Tien district, including: Nguyen Huu Tien, Nguyen Doan Chap, Vu Van Uyen (Vu Uyen), Nguyen Huu Trac, Pham Van To, Pham Van Binh.
In September 1930, the Provisional Provincial Party Committee of Ha Nam was established, consisting of 3 comrades: Le Cong Thanh, Nguyen Duy Huan and Nguyen Huu Tien, led by comrade Le Cong Thanh as a Secretary; Mr. Nguyen Huu Tien was assigned to be in charge of propaganda work. The Provincial Party Committee decided to set up a printing facility and publish the Party newspaper named "Dan cay", the printing facility was located at the comrade's house for conveniently printing of propaganda materials. He directly wrote many articles exposing the bad habits and corrupt activities greedy officials, village authorities; propagating patriotism, educating the people against colonialism and feudalism... The newspaper "Dan cay" and many slogans and leaflets have been printed, hidden and secretly distributed to effectively serve the propaganda work of the Provincial Party Committee.
In September 1930, he participated in organizing and leading a meeting at Lanh temple (now in Moc Nam commune) which made a great impression, gathered a large number of people to participate. The meeting turned into a mass march, contributing to promoting the revolutionary struggle movement of the people in the whole province to a new step, the revolutionary prestige is deepening.
In January 1931, the meeting of Ha Nam Party Committee delegates was held in Lung Xuyen village to officially elect 7 members of the Provincial Party Committee; Comrade Nguyen Huu Tien was assigned to be in charge of propaganda and training of the party committee. He actively reprinted the newspaper "Bua Liem (Hammer and Sickle)" of the Party Central Committee, the book "The First Steps of Communism" and published the "Red" newspaper of the Party Committee of Ha Nam Province as propaganda materials.
On May 22, 1931, Nguyen Huu Tien, Pham Van To and Nguyen Duy Huan were surrounded by secret agents and a number of leaders of Tonkin provinces at house number 165 Gia Long Street - Hanoi and taken to detention in Nam Dinh, Hoa Lo, Son La. In prison, comrade Nguyen Huu Tien actively participated in the struggle against the harsh regime of the imperial prison, demanding improvement of life for inmates, fighting against beatings and forced labor; at the same time he takes advantage of time to study, improve the level of revolutionary theory, foster more cultural knowledge. The periodicals "Prison magazine", poems written and composed by the comrade during this time are important documents contributing to cheering and encouraging the inmates in prison to keep up the flame of the revolutionary struggle.
On December 5, 1933, the French colonialists took comrade Nguyen Huu Tien and nearly 150 political prisoners as comrades: Le Duan, Nguyen Duy Huan, Pham Van To...to Con Dao. In Con Dao, he was appointed to the leadership of the prison cell. In January 1935, he was arranged by the Party cell of Con Dao prison to escape from prison to return to the mainland to operate, but due to strong winds, he was lost, the boat drifted to the island and was captured and punished by the enemy, punished in the rice mill, suffered many tortures for escaping from prison.
In April 1935, Comrade Nguyen Huu Tien and comrades Tong Van Tran, Pham Hong Thai, Ta Uyen, Nguyen Van Trong, Pham Van Tham, Tran Quang Tang were facilitated by the Party cell for the second time to escape and landfall Vinh Chau wharf, Bac Lieu safe, assigned to operate in Long Xuyen area. In his role as a teacher, he returned to teach in Long Dien hamlet with the alias Hue Lam and used this place as a stopover to implement the policy of "self-igniting fire" of the Con Dao prison cell.
At the beginning of 1937, comrade Nguyen Huu Tien was sent by the Long Xuyen Interprovincial Party Committee to Cho Moi, where the revolutionary movement was most active in the province, with the alias Hue Tien. He participated in organizing many rallies, propagandizing and mobilizing people to fight openly and legally for freedom, democracy, foods and peace. Thereby, gathering forces, developing organizations to make people believe in and participate in the revolution.
When the Second World War broke out (September 1939), Comrade Nguyen Huu Tien was appointed to replace comrade Nguyen Kim Nha as Secretary of the Long Xuyen Interprovincial Party Committee, including the provinces of Chau Doc, Long Xuyen, Ha Tien, and Rach Gia, Sa Dec (now in the provinces of An Giang, Hau Giang, Kien Giang, Soc Trang, Ca Mau, Bac Lieu).
In March 1940, he was assigned to work in the Nam Ky Party Committee, was a member of the Party Committee of Saigon - Gia Dinh with the alias of “Hai ky su"; in charge of the Party's printing agency, participated in printing many important documents and made many contributions to the propaganda work of the Party Committee of Saigon - Gia Dinh. The comrade joined the People's newspaper with the new name Truong Xuan Chinh.
During this time, there were many opinions that Nguyen Huu Tien and his comrades in the Party Committee were assigned the task of drawing the Red Flag with a 5-pointed yellow star, which was used in the Nam Ky Uprising in November 1940. In one of his poems, he highlighted the meaning of the Red Flag with a yellow star, a very sacred symbol, the expression of red blood and yellow skin of the Vietnamese people, the solidarity of the officers, workers, farmers, merchants, soldiers…... is a banner calling, summoning, rallying and encouraging the spirit of patriots in the struggle against colonial and feudal domination.
In the evening of July 30, 1940, comrade Nguyen Huu Tien and comrade Nguyen Thi Minh Khai - Secretary of the Saigon - Gia Dinh Party Committee came to work at a revolutionary base in Cha Va village, adjacent to the inner city of Saigon, 2 comrades were surrounded by French spies. When he was arrested, he tried to kill himself by biting his tongue to protect the Party and the revolution. The enemy used many cruel tortures, but he still endured and kept the communist temperament. When the enemy could not interrogate anything, they transferred him to the Kham Lon Sai Gon (“Maison Centrale de Saigon").
On May 17, 1941, the French colonialists opened a trial, forcing comrade Nguyen Huu Tien and a number of other leaders of the Party on the charge of “being mentally responsible for the Nam Ky Uprising" and sentenced to death. In the days waiting for the execution of the judgment of the colonial government, he still clearly showed the spirit of revolutionary optimism: exercising regularly, borrowing books and newspapers for reading, research, storytelling, and teaching revolutionary culture and theory for a number of brothers and comrades such as: Nguyen Van Cung (other name is Ba Cung, Ba Xe, an official of the Nam Ky Party Committee).
Before going to execution grounds, he also reminded brothers and comrades with emotional poems and believed in the inevitable victory of the revolution. Those poignant poems were deeply imprinted in the minds of comrades until later:
“Goodbye today, I have a few words
To comrades everywhere
The spirit sent back to the country
Hatred is written all across the country
The sentence in Ha Nam has been shaken off
The life of hard labor in Con Dao is over
Let's go all the way, brothers
Red flag with yellow star brings light to the future"
On August 28, 1941, Comrade Nguyen Huu Tien fell at the shooting range at the Gieng nuoc Crossroads, Hoc Mon, Gia Dinh (now Hoc Mon District Medical Center, Ho Chi Minh City) along with comrades : Ha Huy Tap, Nguyen Van Cu, Vo Van Tan or Bien Tan, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai or Co Duy, Nguyen Van Tay and Nguyen Van Huan with the immortal chant: Long live the Indochinese Communist Party! Long live the successful Vietnamese revolution!
The example of comrade Nguyen Huu Tien's lifetime dedication and heroic sacrifice will forever go down in the history of the Party, the nation and for generations to learn and follow. His name and great contributions are the noble and beautiful image of the Vietnamese communists, forever the pride of our Party and nation./.
