Đồng Sĩ Nguyên facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Đồng Sĩ Nguyên
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| Born | March 1, 1923 Quảng Trạch District, Annam, French Indochina |
| Died | April 4, 2019 (aged 96) Hanoi |
| Allegiance |  Vietnam |
| Service/ |
 People's Army of Vietnam |
| Rank | Lieutenant General (Trung tướng) |
| Commands held | Group 559, Ho Chi Minh trail |
| Battles/wars | Operation Barrel Roll Operation Rolling Thunder Operation Steel Tiger Operation Commando Hunt Operation Tiger Hound |
Đồng Sĩ Nguyên (born March 1, 1923 – died April 4, 2019) was an important Vietnamese soldier and politician. He served as a Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam and was a high-ranking member of the Communist Party of Vietnam. He was also a lieutenant-general in the North Vietnamese Army and a minister of transport. He was born in Quảng Bình Province, a region known for other famous Vietnamese leaders.
Life Story
Đồng Sĩ Nguyên was born on March 1, 1923, into a middle-class family. He grew up in Quang Trung Commune, Quảng Trạch District, in Quảng Bình Province. He went to Sainte Marie Lycée, a school in Đồng Hới.
When he was young, he joined movements against French rule in Vietnam. Because of this, the French colonists looked for him. He had to escape to Thailand. There, he continued to be part of groups that wanted Vietnam to be free. In 1939, he joined the Indochinese Communist Party, a political party working for Vietnam's independence.
In 1944, he secretly came back to Vietnam. He became a leader for the Communist Party in Quang Trach Phu. He also worked as the main editor for the Hong Lac Newspaper. He helped build the Trung Thuan Military Zone and trained soldiers. He took part in the August Revolution, a big uprising for independence. After this revolution, he was chosen to lead the Viet Minh in Quảng Bình Province. He was also a member of Vietnam's first National Assembly.
Joining the Army
When the First Indochina War began, Đồng Sĩ Nguyên led the Viet Minh army in Quảng Bình Province. He was also a member of the provincial army's communist party committee. In 1950, he went to Việt Bắc for advanced army training. Later, he worked for the political department of the Vietnamese Army. He was an envoy in Lower Laos during the Winter-Spring Campaign of 1953-1954.
In 1954, he joined the General Staff of the North Vietnamese Army. He was in charge of organizing civilian support for the army. In 1959, he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel. In 1961, he went to China to study at the Beijing Advanced Military School.
He returned to North Vietnam in 1964. For a short time, he was Vice General Staff. In 1965, he became the head of the Communist Party Committee for Military Zone IV. He also led the North Vietnamese Volunteer Armed Troops in Central and Southern Laos.
In late 1965, he was hurt and went back to Hanoi for medical care. He then became the Vice Director of the Logistics Bureau for the North Vietnamese Army. In early 1967, he became the Chief-in-Command of Troop 559. He held this important role until 1976.
Building the Ho Chi Minh Trail
Đồng Sĩ Nguyên was very important in building the Ho Chi Minh trail during the Vietnam War. This trail was a secret supply route. When he became its commander, he changed it from a small, hidden path into a major, open supply route.
He made many improvements to the trail. Most of his forces used to carry supplies by foot, bicycle, or elephant. He changed them into units that used vehicles. He also gave these troops better equipment and made their army stations stronger. He set up a modern communication network to connect the stations. He even built a fuel pipeline that went across mountains in both Laos and Vietnam.
Later, he improved defenses against enemy planes. He placed surface-to-air missiles in key spots to stop B-52 bombing missions. He also designed mobile anti-aircraft units. He believed these changes were necessary to support North Vietnam's war efforts in the South. This was especially true as China and the Soviet Union agreed to send more military aid to North Vietnam.
In 1974, he was given the rank of lieutenant-general. In 1976, he became a deputy minister of the Ministry of National Defense. He was in charge of economic construction. Later, he served as Minister of Construction and then Minister of Transportation. In 1979, he returned to the military. He became the Chief Commander of the Capital Military Zone, which defended Hanoi.
Back to Civilian Work
From 1982, Đồng Sĩ Nguyên was an alternate member of the Politburo. This is a very powerful group in the Communist Party of Vietnam. From 1986 to 1991, he became a full member of the Politburo. He also served as Vice Chairman of the Council of Ministers (like a Cabinet member) and Minister of Transport.
After he retired from these roles, he worked as a special government envoy. He was in charge of Programme 327, which was a program to plant more trees. The Vietnamese prime minister, Phan Văn Khải, also asked him to oversee the Ho Chi Minh Highway.
Đồng Sĩ Nguyên was interviewed for several books about the Ho Chi Minh Trail. He also appeared in four episodes of the TV series The Vietnam War by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick.
