This year, our Party, people and military celebrate the 30^th anniversary of the All people’s Defence Festival (22^nd December 1989 – 22^nd December 2019), and the 75^th anniversary of the foundation of the Vietnam People's Army (VPA) (22^nd December 1944 – 22^nd December 2019) when the country is seeing robust growth in the cause of renewal, industrialization, modernization and international integration. The 13^th National Congress of the Party is coming near, bringing a new spirit and strong belief. Being founded, educated and trained by the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Ho Chi Minh, the VPA has inherited and promoted the nation’s tradition and experience of fighting against foreign invaders; continuously grown during combat and truly become the core in the cause of national defence.

Over the past 75 years, under the leadership of the Party, promoting the revolutionary natures and the tradition of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers”, generations of cadres and soldiers of the VPA, together with the entire people, have fought and won the invaders regardless of sacrifice and hardships to gain independence and bring the country to socialism. Despite difficulties and challenges, the VPA has always been loyal to the Party and State and dedicated to the people; unceasingly enhanced its level of combat readiness and ready to win wars in any situations. The VPA has always grasped and given out the right anticipation of the situations relating to defence and security; actively proposed and recommended to the Party and State the lines and policies for protecting the Fatherland and dealing with complicated and sensitive matters in defence and security and external affairs. At the same time, the VPA has succeeded in neutralizing the sabotage of hostile forces; maintaining independence, sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity and good relations with neighbouring countries; ensuring socio-political stability and creating favourable environment for rapid and sustainable growth of economy, culture and society. In addition, the VPA has thoroughly fulfilled its public work as proactively assisting the people in hunger eradication and poverty reduction, building grassroots political systems and new style rural areas, and pioneering in the natural disaster prevention and control, search and rescue. The more hardships they share with the people, the closer the relationship they build with them. With historical feats of arms, the VPA has built their fine tradition of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” which has been honoured and respected by the people.

Promoting the nation’s tradition of Fatherland protection and in face of the requirements of national defence in the new situation, on 17^th October 1989, the Party’s Secretariat (VI tenure) issued the Directive No. 381-CT/TW on deciding the VPA’s foundation day (22^nd December) as the All People’s Defence Festival. Since then, 22^nd December has really become a big festive day of the nation and a big day of the tradition of national defence and construction to honour and brighten the image of “Uncle’s Ho Soldiers” – a specific feature of Vietnam’s culture in Ho Chi Minh era. This day is also an occasion for us to propagandize the nation’s tradition of fighting the enemy and the fine virtues of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers”; nurture the people’s patriotism and encourage them to pay attention to strengthening defence potentials and building strong armed forces in their localities and the VPA powerful in the new situation. This is also the occasion for us to promote our patriotism, uphold the strength of the national unity bloc and promote the determination of the entire Party, people, and troops in the cause of constructing and defending the Socialist Vietnamese Fatherland.

After 30 years, we have created various activities to celebrate the foundation of the VPA and the All People’s Defence Festival, such as: meeting, conference, artistic performance, presenting gifts to the war invalids and families of martyrs, sport festival, etc. We have also adopted suitable measures for celebrating the anniversary focusing on promoting the emulation movements in training, combat readiness, disciplining, building new cultural environment, improving the quality of defence and security education, strengthening defence potentials through socio-economic projects of localities. The All People’s Defence Festival has nurtured the patriotism and vigilance of people of all strata, cadres and troops of the Military and stimulated the youth’s eagerness for military service and Fatherland protection.

Through 30 years of celebrating the All People’s Defence Festival, we have gained important and substantial results. The awareness and responsibility for Fatherland protection of the whole society and the aggregate strength of an all people’s national defence and people’s security have been improved; independence, sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity and socialist orientation have been safeguarded, ensuring a peaceful and stable environment for the country’s development; hostile force’s plots have been smashed, contributing to improving the country’s status in international arena. The strength for Fatherland protection has been consolidated, enhancing the capability for preventing and curbing the risk of war and the ability to deal successfully with the challenges of war and national security infringement, shaping the strategic posture for Fatherland protection in the new situation. The all people’s national defence posture and people’s security posture have been established in a widespread, firm and inter-connected manner. The “people’s heart and mind posture” has been consolidated. The quality of the armed forces with the VPA at the core has been increasingly enhanced, affirming their roles in the cause of national construction and defence.

Celebrating the 30^th anniversary of the All People’s Defence Festival and 75^th anniversary of the foundation of the VPA is the chance for us to recall the nation’s glorious history with landsliding victories of our people and troops, thereby arousing our national pride, patriotism, self-reliance and self-resilience for building the all people’s national defence strong and the VPA revolutionary, regular, seasoned and gradually modern deserving to be a reliable political and combat force of the Party, State, and the People, contributing to the cause of socialism construction and Fatherland protection. On this occasion, each of us should promote our responsibility and duty for the cause of building the Military, strengthening the defence posture and Fatherland protection to make the All People’s Defence Festival truly a festive day of national defence tradition and the noble image of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” be hornoured and beautified.

National Defence Journal