Visiting Uncle Ho’s former bodyguard

Turning 90 this year, Phung’s hair has turned completely white with age, yet he still wears a gentle smile and his eyes shine with warmth and vitality. His life has been bound with happiness and pride in serving the Party, the people, and above all, the great honor of directly protecting President Ho Chi Minh for many years.

Tran Bien ward People’s Public Security Veterans Association (Dong Nai) presents a gift to Vu Dinh Phung on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the People’s Public Security force. Photo: Hien Luong

Born in 1935 in Vu Ban, Nam Dinh, Phung joined the army at the age of 18. He was later assigned to the Capital Protection Division and then the Honor Guard Company of Division 350. In 1960, he was transferred to the Security Department of the Ministry of Public Security, taking on the special duty of guarding President Ho Chi Minh. “Serving alongside Uncle Ho was the honor of a lifetime. Protecting him was not just a task, but a sacred sentiment,” Phung recalled.

One of his most cherished memories was escorting Uncle Ho on a visit to his maternal homeland in Nghe An in 1961. Phung’s voice trembled as he recounted: “The most unforgettable moment of my life was accompanying Uncle Ho during his visit to Nghe An homeland. The Nghe An Provincial Party Committee had invited him, and Uncle agreed. Before the trip, the Security Department sent a team to prepare a protection plan. The people and Provincial leaders wished to welcome him openly, as he was both their beloved leader and their fellow countryman. Uncle Ho consented.

That day, from the airport, the Uncle traveled in a convertible car. Along the route, tens of thousands of people stood on both sides waving with overwhelming emotion. On the day Uncle Ho returned to his mother’s hometown, I still vividly remember the image of him warmly asking after the elderly and chatting with the children of the family. Then he called on us, the bodyguards, to bring gifts so that he could personally hand them to the little ones. That scene remains deeply etched in my memory: A great leader, yet so simple and close, always thinking of the people and especially the children”.

Phung continued: “Later that same year, we accompanied Uncle Ho during his visit to his paternal homeland. Many elderly villagers came out to greet him. Seeing the modest three-compartment family home in disrepair, the people proposed rebuilding it. But Uncle Ho waved his hand and gently said the country was still struggling, and resources should not be wasted. So the house remained as it was, simple, like the man himself.”

Learning simplicity and responsibility from Uncle Ho

When it comes to Uncle Ho, yet Phung still remembers even the smallest details of his time beside Uncle Ho. From the emotional welcome in Nghe An to the day Uncle Ho visited Dong Xuan market, simply walking among Hanoi residents, Uncle was always warm and approachable. And wherever he went, his bodyguards like Phung felt pride in ensuring his safety.

The time he spent near President Ho Chi Minh gave Phung the most important lesson of his life. “The greatest lesson we learned from Uncle Ho was his lifelong devotion to the nation and the people,” Phung shared.

 “He is father, uncle, brother. His great heart filters through thousands of small veins.” These two lines of poet To Huu encapsulate all feelings of Phung, one of the last bodyguards of Uncle Ho. For more than half a century, those lessons have been deeply ingrained in his character and his way of life.

Phung recalls the unforgettable memories of accompanying Uncle Ho. Photo: Hien Luong

A lifetime of dedication

In March 1975, Phung was assigned to a new post at Southeastern Public Security. After National reunification, he served in the PA25 Division of Dong Nai Police, in charge of protecting cultural and ideological security. Wherever he was, he always upheld a strong sense of responsibility and strictness at work, yet in daily life he remained warm and approachable, earning the affection of his comrades.

Ha Thi Hong Thanh is delighted to be visited by her former chief, Phung. Photo: Hien Luong

Ha Thi Hong Thanh, a former police officer who worked with Phung, said: “He was a model leader, always caring for comrades and colleagues. He was a shining example for us to follow.”

After retiring in 1990, Phung continued contributing to his community. From 1991 to 2000, he served as Secretary of the Party Committee of Trung Dung ward, Bien Hoa. In every position, he remained a dedicated Party member, wholeheartedly serving the people and earning their trust.

Le Huu Minh of the Tran Bien Ward People’s Public Security Veterans Association affirmed: “Despite his age, Phung actively participates in association activities, leads a modest and exemplary life, and always encourages the younger generation to uphold the glorious traditions of the People’s Public Security force.”

For his contributions, Phung received many prestigious honors, including the Third-Class Glorious Soldier Medal signed by President Ho Chi Minh himself in 1965, the First-Class Feat of Arms Medal, the First-Class Resistance Medal, and multiple commendations from the Ministry of Public Security and Dong Nai province. In his modest home, a treasured photo with Prime Minister Pham Van Dong is proudly displayed, a reminder of his years serving alongside national leaders.

Phung looks at a photo with late Prime Minister Pham Van Dong and other keepsakes from his career. Photo: Hien Luong

With 40 years in the People’s Public Security and another decade serving his local community, Vu Dinh Phung – Uncle Ho’s former bodyguard – has devoted his life to the Party, the people, and the nation.

At the age of 90, he still possesses remarkable health and sharpness. He remains lucid, strong, and lives peacefully with a simple pride: having safeguarded the beloved leader and contributed a small part to the great cause of the nation. He still maintains a routine of regular exercise and daily activities, and in his free time, he picks up the camera to take photos of himself, his comrades, and his family, as if to preserve the most beautiful moments of life.

Photography is Phung’s passion. Photo: Hien Luong

Phung’s life is a vivid testament to the qualities of loyalty- responsibility- and devotion to the Party, the people, and the Fatherland, serving as a shining example for today’s and future generations.

By: Hien Luong

Translated by: M.Nguyet-Thu Ha