A relief depicting the establishment of the Vietnam Propaganda Unit of Liberation Army at the Tran Hung Dao national relic site in Tam Kim commune, Nguyen Binh district, Cao Bang province

Duong Mac Thang, the son of Duong Mac Thach — the first political instructor of the Vietnam Propaganda Unit of Liberation Army — lives in a small house in Minh Tam commune, Nguyen Binh district. Thang said that this area once had only a few households surrounded by forests and frequently visited by wild animals.

His family's house served as a safe shelter  for Party officials. It hosted President Ho Chi Minh twice and housed General Vo Nguyen Giap for a period of time. Thang said his father was profoundly influenced by President Ho and General Giap to engage in revolutionary activities.

"General Giap and the team leaders suggested that the first meal be plain — without salt or vegetables — to underscore the determination and strong will to face the challenges and hardships ahead,” Thang recalled his father’s story about the founding of the Vietnam Propaganda Unit of Liberation Army.

“When the team assembled, some members had shirts, and some didn’t. It was even colder then than it is now, but the soldiers endured it. That resilience alone was already an expression of their determination and bravery."

In his memoirs, General Vo Nguyen Giap recounted the army’s first assembly amidst the biting cold of winter. Representatives from local ethnic groups joined in solidarity as the mission to liberate Vietnam was declared. 

Even under harsh conditions, such as their first saltless meal and inadequate clothing in freezing temperatures, the soldiers’ resolve symbolized their readiness to endure hardships for the nation.  

At the First National Militia and Guerrilla Conference on May 24, 1947, in Thai Nguyen province, the “10 oaths of honor” were once again recited by General Giap and other participants. The oaths embodied absolute loyalty to the nation, the  Party, and the people and the readiness to sacrifice for national independence and sovereignty. 

95-year-old veteran Nguyen Quan

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Quan, 95, said he is honored to join the army as soon as 1946 and fought in both resistance wars, highlighted the unbreakable bond between the army, the Party, and the people. He noted that the oaths inspired soldiers to enter the battlefield with no expectation of return but with a steadfast commitment to freedom and independence.  The most important principle of the 10 oaths of honor is loyalty, he said. 

“Up to now, the military remains the Party's most loyal force. In 1968, when we entered the Southern battlefield, we were fully aware that we might never return. Yet, we were determined to go. What drove us to fight? Above all, it was our sense of responsibility to the Party, the people, and the cause of national independence and freedom,” said veteran Quan.

The 10 oaths of honor are engraved on a plaque at the foot of Slam Cao Mountain, Tam Kim commune, Nguyen Binh district, Cao Bang province.

True to those solemn oaths, the Vietnam People’s Army has grown from a force of just 34 soldiers into a formidable institution. Today, at the foot of Slam Cao Mountain, the 10 oaths of honor are engraved on a commemorative plaque marking the birthplace of the Vietnam Propaganda Unit of Liberation Army.

"Every Monday morning, standing under the national flag and reciting the 10 oaths, we feel an immense sense of pride and honor. My colleagues and I are doing our best to successfully complete every task entrusted to us," Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Ngoc Quan, Political Commissar of the Quang Long Border Guard Station in Cao Bang province, said. 

The first 34 soldiers, along with generations of Vietnamese People’s Army troops, have faithfully upheld and embodied the 10 oaths of honor. Their commitment has ensured national  defense, bringing peace, prosperity, and happiness to the people.