VietNamNet Bridge - General Vo Nguyen Giap, former Commander-in-chief of the Vietnam People’s Army, passed away in Hanoi on October 4 at the age of 103.

Due to his old age and poor health condition, the General passed away at 18:09 on October 4, 2013 at Military Central Hospital despite wholehearted care of the Party, State, the Party Central Committee’s Military Commission, the Ministry of Defense, and hospital doctors.

The Party, National Assembly, the President, the Government, the Fatherland Front and the People’s Army Party Organization have decided to hold a state funeral in honour of General Vo Nguyen Giap.

On October 5, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), the National Assembly, the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Government, the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF), and the People’s Army Central Party Commission, released a special communique announcing the death of legendary General Vo Nguyen Giap.

General Giap’s name at birth: Vo Giap (alias: Van), was born on August 25, 1911 in Loc Thuy commune, Le Thuy district, Quang Binh province; former Politburo member, former Secretary of the Party Central Committee’s Military Commission, former Standing Deputy Prime Minister, former Minister of Defense, Commander in Chief of the Vietnam People’s Army, a National Assembly deputy from the 1st tenure to the 7th tenure.  

The communique highlighted 80 years of revolutionary activities by the General and his great merit to the Party and nation’s revolutionary cause. As an excellent and close disciple of President Ho Chi Minh, the first General and Commander in Chief of the Vietnam People’s Army, General Vo Nguyen Giap earned people’s respect and international friends’ acclaims.

The General was conferred with the Gold Star Order, Ho Chi Minh Order, the 70 year -Party membership badge and many other noble orders and medals.

His death was a great loss for the Vietnamese Party, State, People and Army.

The funeral committee consists of 30 members and is headed by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

Members of the committee include President Truong Tan Sang, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung, Standing member of the Central Committee’s Secretariat Le Hong Anh and President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) cum Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan.

The memorial and burial services will be broadcast live by Vietnam Television (VTV) and Radio the Voice of Vietnam (VOV).

Funeral service is slated for October 12 at the national funeral house, 5 Tran Thanh Tong, Hanoi. Memorial service is scheduled for October 13 and burial service will be held at the General’s home province of Quang Binh at the wish of the General and his family.

Respect-paying and memorial services will also be held at the office of the Quang Binh provincial People’s Committee and the Thong Nhat Hall in Ho Chi Minh City at the same time with the ceremonies in Hanoi.

During the two days of mourning on October 12 and 13, public offices and places will fly national flags at half-mast while entertainment activities will be postponed.

Biography of General Vo Nguyen Giap

General Vo Nguyen Giap, who was a former Politburo member, Secretary of the Central Military Commission, Defence Minister and Commander in Chief of the Vietnam People’s Army, passed away on October 4 at the age of 103.

General Vo Nguyen Giap (real name Vo Giap, alias Van) was born on August 25, 1911 , in Loc Thuy commune, Le Thuy district, the central province of Quang Binh.

During 1925-1926, he joined students’ movement in Hue.

In 1927, he participated in the Tan Viet (New Vietnam) Revolutionary Party (a predecessor of the Dong Duong Communist Party and now the Communist Party of Vietnam).

In 1930, he was arrested and imprisoned two years by the enemy. After being released, he continued to involve in revolutionary activities, developing revolutionary bases among the youth.

In 1936, he worked as an editor for the Party’s newspapers, including Lao Dong (Labour), Tieng noi chung ta (Our Voice), Tien len (Advance), and Thoi bao Co Giai phong (Liberation Flag Times). He was appointed to be the chair of the Bac Ky (North) Press Committee.

In June, 1940, he was admitted to the Dong Duong Communist Party and sent abroad to meet comrade Nguyen Ai Quoc (Ho Chi Minh).

In 1941, he returned to the country, taking part in activities to prepare for an armed uprising in the Cao-Bac-Lang revolutionary base.

In December, 1944, Nguyen Ai Quoc assigned him the task of setting up the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army (now the Vietnam People’s Army).

In April 1945, Giap was appointed to the Bac Ky (North) Military Committee.

From May 1945, he was commander of the new armed revolutionary forces (then they were merged to be the Vietnam liberation army).

In June 1945, he was assigned by Nguyen Ai Quoc to set up the provisional Commanding Committee of the liberated area.

In August 1945, he was appointed to the Party Central Committee and the National Uprising Committee. At the Tran Trao National People’s Congress, he was elected to the Vietnam National Liberation Committee and Minister of Interior Affairs in the provisional government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

In March 1946, he was military chairman, member of the coalition government. Then he became Secretary of the Central Military Commission when the commission was formed.

In October 1946, he was Minister of Defence and authorised by President Ho Chi Minh to be Commander in Chief of the Vietnam People’s Army and Militia.

In January, 1948, he was conferred the highest ranking of General, Commander in Chief of the Vietnam People’s Army.

In Feburary, 1951, he was elected to the Party Central Committee at the second National Party Congress and the Party Central Committee then elected him to the Political Bureau.

From September 1955 to December 1979, he was Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister.

At the third National Party Congress in September 1960 and the fourth National Party Congress in December 1976, he was re-elected to the Party Central Committee and the Political Bureau.

At the fifth and sixth National Party Congresses, he was re-elected to the Party Central Committee.

From January 1980, he served as Standing Deputy Prime Minister.

From April 1981 to December 1986, he was Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers.

He was a deputy of the National Assembly from the first to seventh tenures.

In recognition of his great contributions to the Party and country’s revolutionary cause, General Giap was conferred with the Gold Star Order, the Ho Chi Minh Order, the 70-year Party membership badge and other noble orders and medals of Vietnam and foreign countries and organizations.

VNN/VNA