Pham Van Dinh - a life of revolutionary activities

(Baothanhhoa.vn) - Comrade Pham Van Dinh (alias: Phung), the younger brother of martyr Pham Van Hinh, was born in January 1924 in Cam Bao village, Co Te commune, Thach Thanh district (now Cam Bao village, Tay Do commune, Thanh Hoa province). Pham Van Dinh learned Chinese characters when he was young and went to the French-Vietnamese Primary School in Vinh Loc. Living in a feudal mandarin family, his father was the Chief of the commune and the District Council, but he had a real brother, Pham Van Hinh, a loyal soldier who sacrificed heroically in the Ngoc Trao resistance zone, so Pham Van Dinh soon followed and devoted himself to the revolution.

The house is currently worshiping martyr Pham Van Hinh and Mr. Pham Van Dinh in Cam Bao village, Tay Do commune. Photo: PV

From May 1941, Pham Van Dinh enthusiastically participated in the Cam Bao village self-defense team, Youth activities in the Anti-Imperialist National Salvation Front, slogan-making, guarding, and transporting revolutionary comrades to operate in the area such as Trinh Huy Lan (Tran Tien Quan), Dang Van Hy and guerrillas to Ngoc Trao war zone. After Ngoc Trao war zone was surrounded, suppressed, and arrested by the French imperialists, in October 1941, the revolutionary soldiers moved to the Cam Bao village area to gather and hide. Pham Van Dinh suppressed his grief over the sacrifice of his brother Pham Van Hinh, continued to participate in the work assigned by the organization, providing daily meals to the hill for the soldiers to eat, and sharing wet clothes.

Realizing that it was impossible to operate in Cam Bao village for a long time, the guerrilla team's leadership decided to disperse the team to other localities to operate, waiting for the right time. The Self-Defense Force and the people of Cam Bao village did a good job of preparing the means to safely transport the entire guerrilla team out of the village. As for weapons, equipment, and printed press documents, the leadership had to send them back to Cam Bao village for hiding. Pham Van Dinh was assigned to hide the knife commonly used by comrade Dang Chau Tue - commander of Ngoc Trao war zone and the newspapers: "Cut chains", "Break chains", "Chasing the enemy", "Liberation flag" along with many other books and propaganda documents of the Party, the Anti-imperialist Front and Ngoc Trao war zone. The enemy came to search very closely many times but the documents assigned to be hidden were still safe. After the success of the August Revolution, Pham Van Dinh handed them over to the Viet Minh of Thach Thanh district.

Cam Bao village was surrounded by the enemy many times, searching every house in order to capture guerrillas. During a fierce search, they captured 14 Cam Bao people and imprisoned them in Vinh Loc, then in Thanh Hoa prison. Besides 5 people from the village who were guerrillas in Ngoc Trao war zone, most of them were self-defense forces and members of the Anti-Imperialist Association. Pham Van Dinh's real brother, Pham Van Tuynh, was also arrested.

After March 9, 1945, hiding under the guise of fake independence directed by Japan, the Tran Trong Kim government had to release political prisoners. The Thanh Hoa Party Committee had more cadres to expand and consolidate the movement, discuss policies, and seize the opportunity for uprising. Pham Van Dinh actively worked in the Viet Minh Front of Co Te, Thach Thanh district. He was assigned to set up a committee to mobilize people to support the fund to buy weapons for the Viet Minh General Headquarters of Co Te, and participated in the command to prepare for the general uprising. In August 1945, implementing the order of the Thach Thanh District Uprising Committee, along with other communes in the district, Co Te commune rose up to gain independence and freedom, besieged the Prime Minister to return the bronze seal, and returned power to the people. The uprising was completely victorious throughout the country, Pham Van Dinh was appointed to hold the position of Chairman of the Provisional People's Revolutionary Committee of Co Te commune. When the commune level was abolished to establish communes, he was appointed as Secretary of the Administrative Committee and Chairman of the Resistance Committee of Thach Long Commune. On November 10, 1945, Thach Thanh District Party Committee was established. In February 1946, Pham Van Dinh was admitted to the Communist Party of Vietnam and assigned to establish the Thach Long Commune Party Cell. In October 1946, he was a member of the District Party Committee and Secretary of the Thach Long Commune Party Cell. He successively held the positions of Secretary of the Youth Union of Thach Thanh District, Chief of Office of the Thach Thanh District Party Committee, and General Secretary of the Lien Viet Committee of Thach Thanh District. In September 1948, the Thanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee transferred him to the Nga Son District Party Committee. From December 1949 to 1952, Pham Van Dinh was assigned to work in the Party Committee of the Western Thanh Hoa Region, Secretary of the Provisional District Party Committee of Quan Hoa District, and participated in the Lien Viet Committee of 6 mountainous districts of Thanh Hoa. Later, he returned to work in Thach Thanh District.

During the land reform in 1955, his family was accused of being a member of the Party, he was suspended from Party activities, in June 1956, he corrected his mistakes, had his Party membership restored, and was assigned to work in Vinh Long commune, Vinh Loc district.

In early 1960, Pham Van Dinh was assigned by the Central Committee to work in the Northwestern provinces, successively holding the following positions: officer of the Propaganda Department of the Thai Meo Autonomous Region (Northwest), Deputy Head of the Inspection Department of the Lai Chau Provincial Party Committee. At the end of 1979, after 20 years of working in the Northwestern region, Pham Van Dinh retired in his hometown. He passed away on December 18, 2007 (November 9, lunar calendar), at the age of 84.

Pham Van Dinh's revolutionary life was closely linked to the local base, closely connected with the ethnic minorities in the West of Thanh Hoa and the Northwestern provinces of the country. Loyal to the Party, the Fatherland and the People, enthusiastic in his work, he was ready to go anywhere, fulfilling all tasks assigned by the Party and the State. His contributions and dedication to the revolutionary cause were recognized and awarded by the Party and the State: Third-class Resistance Medal (1962); First-class Resistance Medal; Third-class Independence Medal; 60-year Party membership badge.

Nguyen Huy Mien (Contributor)

* The article uses the document "History of Thach Thanh District Party Committee" and other documents.

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/pham-van-dinh-cuoc-doi-hoat-dong-cach-mang-260043.htm