On the morning of June 30, the funeral and memorial service for Colonel, Hero of the People's Armed Forces La Van Cau were held at the Ministry of National Defense Funeral Home, No. 5 Tran Thanh Tong (Hanoi).
Looking back at nearly a century of the life of Colonel, Hero of the People's Armed Forces La Van Cau, what makes up the stature of a hero is not only in his feats, but first of all in his ideals, will and personality.
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper, Major General, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Sau - Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Defense Strategy and History Institute (Ministry of National Defense) - shared that the famous feat in the battle against Dong Khe stronghold in the Border Campaign in 1950, with the action of asking his comrades to chop off his injured arm to continue fighting, brought La Van Cau's name into history.
But, if there is only one heroic moment on the battlefield, it is not enough to create a great stature. What is more precious is that after the war, he continued to live humbly, simply, devotedly, preserving the noble qualities of "Uncle Ho's Soldiers" throughout his life.
The life and career of Colonel La Van Cau is the unity between heroism in combat and exemplary in everyday life. He is the embodiment of patriotism, loyalty to the Fatherland, to the Party and the People; is a symbol of the will to overcome pain and loss to dedicate his whole life to the revolution.
According to Major General, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Sau, the passing of Colonel, Hero of the People's Armed Forces La Van Cau closed nearly a century of living and contributing, but the value he left behind is still intact. Colonel La Van Cau is not only a Hero of the People's Armed Forces but also a monument of patriotism, resilience and noble personality, becoming a bright example for officers, soldiers and young generations today and in the future.
What nurtured a generation of heroes "both extraordinary in combat and humble in life" like Colonel La Van Cau is the crystallization of revolutionary ideals, national traditions and the tempered environment of the liberation war. They entered the war not to become heroes, but because of patriotism, a desire for peace, independence, freedom and awareness that the Fatherland needs them.
In Colonel La Van Cau, the extraordinary in combat and the humility in everyday life are unified. After the war, he returned to a simple life, teaching his children and grandchildren to live decently. He rarely talked about achievements because he always considered victory as the merit of comrades, of the People and of the revolution.
That is also the typical beauty of a generation: "Going to battle without a return date, returning without recognizing themselves as heroes", "Creating merit without glorification", "Contributing without demanding enjoyment". They consider the highest honor to have completed their mission with the Fatherland.
Today, looking back at the nearly century-long life of Colonel La Van Cau, what leaves deep emotion is not only the arm left on the battlefield or the glorious feats, but also the humble personality, simple lifestyle and the morality of "living as a useful person". It is the greatness in dedication and the simplicity in everyday life that has created the sustainable stature of a hero" - Major General, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Sau shared.
