Following the general’s instruction, Tan to date has written 10 books about Laos, including a novel on the revolutionary life of the Lao Prince who then became a Communist party member, which won him a medal presented by the Lao Government. It is regrettable that Tan could not meet General Vo Nguyen Giap to report to him before he passed away on October 4th.

General Vo Nguyen Giap and army writers

Tan recalled that he met General Vo Nguyen Giap for the first time in Muong Phin, Laos, in late 1945 when the General saw Prince Souphanouvong off before he returned to Laos to join the revolutionary administration.

At that time, Tan was the youngest liaison under the the Hue liberation army platoon which was in charge of escorting Prince Souphanouvong on his return to Laos after his meeting with Uncle Ho to establish the Vietnam-Laos alliance to fight against the French colonialists. General Vo Nguyen Giap asked for Tan’s name and age, and encouraged him to try his best as a young soldier of our army supporting Laos for the first time.

30 years later, also in Laos, Tan got a chance to meet General Vo Nguyen Giap for the second time during his visit to Savanakhet, Laos, while Tan was among the delegation of Hue city writers to visit Laos. They were welcomed at Prince Boun Oum’s villa. General Vo Nguyen Giap entered into Tan’s room and surprised him with his wonderful memory. The General still remembered Tan’s two short stories published by the People’s Army Newspaper and commended him for being an army writer.

At the fourth congress of the Vietnamese Writers’ Association, Tan and other Vietnamese writers had the honour of having a picture with General Vo Nguyen Giap.

In recent years, due to his health, General Vo Nguyen Giap could not attend such congresses, but still kept asking writers in Quang Binh Province, the General’s homeland, and writers who used to live and write works in the province during the resistance wars against French and American invaders, to visit his residence.

Tan’s last meeting with General Vo Nguyen Giap was at the General’s residence. In military uniform, General Vo Nguyen Giap received Tan and other writers of Quang Binh Province and offered them chocolate, a present of overseas Vietnamese to the General.

On this occasion, General Giap urged writers to write more works on Vietnam’s heroic people and army. Before saying goodbye, the General advised Tan to write more about the two neighbouring countries of Vietnam and Laos.

Source: PANO