Story of the man who painted the national flag

Author - writer Son Tung, a 1/4 disabled veteran, has carved a portrait of revolutionary - martyr Nguyen Huu Tien (1901 - 1941) in literary language with nearly 300 pages of book. First introduced to readers in 1981, the book has been reprinted many times at the publishing agency under the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union. The life and revolutionary career of the loyal, talented communist soldier, an excellent son of his homeland Ha Nam (now Ninh Binh province) through the work is extremely vivid and attractive.

RED FLAG WITH YELLOW STAR BRIGHT FUTURE

In the spring of 2010, just after the Lunar New Year of the Tiger, my classmate Danh Gioi (from Luc Ngan district, Bac Giang province) and I returned to Lung Xuyen village, Yen Bac commune, Duy Tien district, Ha Nam province. We met Mrs. Nguyen Thi Xu, the only daughter of revolutionary - martyr Nguyen Huu Tien, Deputy Secretary of the Ha Nam provincial Party Committee and author of the National Flag.

Standing in the quiet yard, we watched the moss-covered flat-roofed house gradually covered with the words: "Commemorative house of comrade Nguyen Huu Tien - the painter of the national flag...". The middle door was wide open but no one was in the house.

Chuyện về người vẽ cờ Tổ quốc- Ảnh 1. — Book *Nguyen Huu Tien - The man who painted the national flag*

Seeing a stranger, the neighbor standing next door called out: "You have a guest." A voice answered from the end of the house.

A moment later, before our eyes, an old woman with a kind face slowly walked out. It was Mrs. Nguyen Thi Xu, the daughter of martyr Nguyen Huu Tien. Hastily tying her head scarf, she slowly said, "Please come inside and have some water."

After looking up at the gable, admiring the oil portrait of the author of the National Flag painted by the author of the National Anthem - musician Van Cao, Mr. Danh Gioi spoke up:

- Today, we came back to our hometown to see you to ask you to tell us some information about Mr. Nguyen Huu Tien.

Mrs. Xu offered us drinks, then leisurely told us:

- My grandfather joined the revolutionary movement early, when I could barely crawl, so I didn't know the story directly. Unfortunately, all the old people who knew him have passed away. Later, a writer named Son Tung in Hanoi wrote a book about him. What I'm telling you is from that book.

On March 5, 1901, the baby Nguyen Huu Tien cried out at birth in Lung Xuyen village. Forty years later, Nguyen Huu Tien drew the red flag with a yellow star, the revolutionary flame that urged the people to rise up and break the shackles of French colonialism in the Nam Ky uprising (November 23, 1940) and was then chosen by President Ho Chi Minh as the National Flag at the Tan Trao National Congress (August 16, 1945), and the 1st National Assembly (1946) once again unanimously chose it as the sacred symbol of the nation until today.

Chuyện về người vẽ cờ Tổ quốc- Ảnh 2. — Portrait (portrait) of martyr Nguyen Huu Tien

Before the Southern Uprising (November 23, 1940), as a member of the Standing Committee of the Southern Regional Party Committee, in charge of the agency printing the Party's appeal leaflets and the Tien Len newspaper, Nguyen Huu Tien had a red flag made, with a five-pointed yellow star attached in the middle. Then Nguyen Huu Tien himself drew the flag on a stone slab, printed many copies and sent them to secret bases. The printing was almost finished when secret soldiers arrived. No one in the agency escaped.

After the failure of the Southern Uprising, Nguyen Huu Tien was sentenced to death along with former General Secretary Ha Huy Tap, General Secretary Nguyen Van Cu, Vo Van Tan, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai...

Before going to the execution ground, Nguyen Huu Tien left a message for his comrades:

"Goodbye today have a few words

Message to comrades everywhere

Spirit left for the country

Hatred is engraved deep between heaven and earth

The Ha Nam beheading case has been cleared.

Con Dao prison is over

Let's go all the way

"Red flag with yellow star, bright future"

In 1993, the Provincial Party Committee - People's Council - People's Committee of Ha Nam Province and Duy Tien District built a memorial house for the person who painted the national flag. Mrs. Xu and her fourth son took care of it.

In memory of his merits, the local government named Nguyen Huu Tien Street in Phu Ly City, Dong Van Town, Nguyen Huu Tien Primary School in Yen Bac Commune, and Nguyen Huu Tien Gifted School outside Hoa Mac Town after him.

POEM IS A BASIS OF AUTHENTICITY

Nearly 10 years later, I returned to Lung Xuyen, Mrs. Xu had returned to her ancestors. The memorial house was renovated and decorated. In 2015, President Truong Tan Sang attended the inauguration ceremony of the Nguyen Huu Tien Memorial House.

Chuyện về người vẽ cờ Tổ quốc- Ảnh 3. — Former President Truong Tan Sang attended the inauguration ceremony of the Martyr Nguyen Huu Tien Memorial House (February 13, 2015)

During a conversation at the office (2022), Associate Professor Dr. Ly Viet Quang, Director of the Ho Chi Minh Institute and Party Leaders (Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics), asked me about documents related to the author of the National Flag. I answered him:

- More than 40 years ago, writer Son Tung published in the Saigon Giai Phong newspaper 10 installments the article The person who painted the national flag . The author affirmed: Nguyen Huu Tien was the person who painted the red flag with a yellow star. In the early 1980s, there were many important and essential witnesses of the Southern Uprising (November 23, 1940) who were still healthy and clear-minded, such as Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thap - former Vice President of the National Assembly, the first woman to be awarded the Gold Star Medal; Professor - People's Teacher Tran Van Giau - former Secretary of the Southern Party Committee... At that time, they all lived in Ho Chi Minh City. And through the information I have, I do not see that Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thap and Tran Van Giau have opposing opinions.

On April 9, 2021, the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and the Ha Nam Provincial Party Committee organized a scientific workshop "Comrade Nguyen Huu Tien - A loyal and talented communist soldier, an excellent son of Ha Nam homeland". At the workshop, Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Minh Truong, former Director of the Ho Chi Minh Institute and Party leaders (Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics), announced a discussion paper to contribute additional opinions on Who is the author of the national flag - the red flag with a yellow star .

Dr. Truong stated his opinion: "Nguyen Huu Tien is the author of the national flag. Because, if Nguyen Huu Tien was not the one who designed and drew the red flag with a yellow star; was not the author of the national flag, and had never seen the red flag with a yellow star in reality, why could he compose a poem describing the flag so accurately and in detail? The image of the red flag with a yellow star - through Nguyen Huu Tien's poem is an authentic basis, a scientific basis, to verify and affirm the author of the national flag in an objective and accurate manner".

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chuyen-ve-nguoi-ve-co-to-quoc-185250901215538385.htm