FIRST DAYS OF PRESERVING UNCLE HO’S BODY
Noted by Colonel TRAN VU TRANG
based on the story of Colonel, Doctor LE DIEU,
Former Deputy Director of Institute 69
Receiving the summons to the Office of the Party Central Committee, I couldn't help but feel anxious and worried about the responsibilities of being the Head of the Surgery Department at the Vietnam-Soviet Friendship Hospital. I wondered if there was something wrong with our service and treatment for senior officials? Early on the morning of August 21, 1967, I went to No. 6 Nguyen Canh Chan Street and unexpectedly saw Nguyen Gia Quyen there. We were colleagues, and Quyen was a Major, a doctor, Head of the Anatomy Department at Military Hospital 108, Head of the Forensic Department at the Army Medical Department. As we looked at each other, no one said anything, but we all realized that something serious was happening. Indeed, we were assigned a mission to study medical science for the body preservation in the Soviet Union. During the task assignment, Comrade Le Duc Tho, a Politburo member and Head of the Central Organization Committee, directly met with us and instructed: "This is a top-secret task; everything we do is according to Uncle Ho's words, nothing is hidden from Uncle Ho except for this task, he must not know, if he knows, he will not allow it." Comrade Le Duc Tho kept repeating: Even for family members, such as wives and children, no details about this mission should be disclosed. The Soviet Union agreed to send three doctors for the study, but Dr. Le Ngoc Man, Head of the Endocrinology Department at Bach Mai Hospital, was absent due to communication problems and could not make it.
Quyen, on behalf of all of us, promised to fulfill the mission excellently, keeping the top-secret nature of the task and not betraying the trust of the Party leadership and the military. Among the three of us, Quyen was a Major in the reserves, Man was a Captain, and I was a Lieutenant; all three of us had experienced combat. Previously, I served as a military doctor in the Engineer Brigade 18, Division 325, operating in the fierce Binh-Tri-Thien Front. I thought, in this selection, the Politburo placed trust in the Military, in the absolute loyalty and ability of military officers and soldiers to complete any task.
On the evening of September 02, 1967, a Soviet Skoda car from the Railway General Authority silently left Hanoi with the three of us. The capital during the war years was still brightly lit at night, but only with dim lights in small lanterns; whenever there was an alert, all lights would go out. The streets were still lively, especially with military vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians wearing straw hats. The car crossed Chuong Duong floating bridge, heading north across the Red River, and we encountered convoys of covered trucks with only undercarriage lights on, moving in a line down the bridge.
Far from Hanoi in the war, far from my field hospital, far from my small apartment in the hospital's dormitory housing where my wife and children lived, my emotions were indescribable. We had received the order to leave, a sacred order! Ahead was a task of utmost importance that required full concentration of strength and mind to accomplish.
The journey from Hanoi to Moscow by train took more than ten thousand kilometers and nearly half a month. I remember the train stopping and going, taking five days from Dong Dang station to Beijing. At that time, China was undergoing a vigorous "cultural revolution," so we had to stay still and stop for three days to complete procedures. Then we traveled for two more days to Zabaican, and after another five days, we finally arrived in Moscow.
Traveling was difficult, but as soon as we arrived, there was a car to take us to the hotel. In the hotel room, while searching for the light switch, we heard someone knocking on the door, inviting us to work with the foreign affairs officials of the Ministry of Health. The next day, the Deputy Minister of Health met us, took a photo for entry paperwork, and we visited Lenin's Mausoleum. We were taken to the V.I. Lenin Mausoleum Research Institute to discuss and coordinate the study program. Academician X.X. Dobop, the Director of the Institute, explained that the study program consisted of two parts: the theoretical part mainly involved reading materials at the institute, and the practical part, led by Professor Xarovatop, who was directly involved in preserving Dimitrov's body. All three of us were proficient in French, making our studies more convenient through the teachings of Professor and Academician I.A. Saratov. The translator, fluent in seven languages, was L.A. Gingin.
During the day, we studied and worked, and in the evening, we continued researching, exchanging experiences, or reading materials to delve into a highly specialized and new scientific field. Every day, we turned on the radio to catch up on news from our homeland. Every Sunday, we visited Ambassador Nguyen Tho Chan to inquire about the situation back in Vietnam, if there were any directives and updates about the President's health status. Studying there was urgent, as everyone worried that if something happened to the President while we were still studying in the Soviet Union, it would be distressing. After seven months of study, we completed our mission, being able to handle the initial phase of preserving the body to cope with wartime situations that Soviet experts might not return in time.
Upon returning to the country, the United States had ceased bombing in the North. Upon arrival at Bang Tuong station, someone came to inform us that there was an Office of the Party Central Committee’s vehicle waiting behind the station. Thus, every step of our journey was closely monitored and supported by the Office. On that bright moonlit day, we arrived at Military Hospital 108, and Quyen helped us move our belongings into his room and then locked it. The next day, he gathered clothes to return to the Finance Department. It was too cold back in So Viet, so they bought each one of us a fur hat, gloves, and a coat. Comrade Nguyen Tho Chan allowed us to keep them as souvenirs, while all other items provided had to be returned. At the Office, before the trip, I received 21 Chinese yuan, and after expenses, there were 7 yuan left, which we returned. We had completed our mission and returned.
We had a day off and the day after we reported to Comrade Nguyen Luong Bang, in charge of Uncle Ho's health, and Comrade Nguyen Khai, Deputy Head of the Central Organization Committee. After hearing the report, Comrade Nguyen Luong Bang advised: "You must immediately train the next generation." At that time, I was 38, the youngest one on the team, while Quyen and Man were over 40. We proposed selecting young doctors for comprehensive training to succeed us. Through this, we could see the far-reaching vision of the Party leaders in building a close-knit team to preserve Uncle Ho's body for the long term.
Regarding the assignment of tasks, Comrade Quyen was in charge of general oversight, Comrade Man was assigned to the Presidential Palace to assist Doctor Nhu The Bao in caring for the President's health, and I was responsible for implementing the preparation of the special laboratory and conducting experiments. The Party leadership, the military, and Comrade Romakov would come to inspect whether we had the necessary conditions to preserve the President's body in Vietnam.
I worked in the department overseen by Comrade Quyen, and the secrecy was well maintained. People only knew that Comrade Dieu's working group, including Comrade Am, was responsible for a special medical department, as a civilian doctor was working in the military hospital. In June 1968, the Special Medical Team was officially established with Major, Doctor Nguyen Gia Quyen as the Head. The team members included: Captain, Doctor Le Ngoc Man; Second Lieutenant, Doctor Nguyen Van Chau; Medic Nguyen Trung Hat; Chief Nurse Pham Ngoc Am, and myself, who had rejoined the military and was promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant.
My first task was to work with Comrade Quyen to outline the repair of the facilities at Military Hospital 108 to serve the mission of preserving the President’s body. We labeled the rooms from numbers 1 to 6. I still remember this detail vividly; I can write and draw it again. Subsequently, Comrade Quyen and I worked with the first group of engineers, including Quyen, Van, Chieu, and Sinh, to repair, search for, and supplement the internal equipment. When the Special Medical Team returned to the country, So Viet provided us with surgical instruments and some specialized tools. However, we were still lacking many specialized equipment needed for the special medical mission. With the assistance of agencies and hospitals such as the Vietnam-Soviet Friendship Hospital, the Army Medical Department, the General Logistics Directorate, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, An Duong Stone Company, Dong Da Glass Factory, the Ministry of Forestry, and artisans in Hang Bac Street, we managed to prepare all the specialized tools such as special syringes, golden needles, etc., needed for the special medical mission. After completing the 75A facility, we conducted experiments on cadavers using the methods we had learned in the Soviet Union.
Comrade Nguyen Luong Bang instructed us: "we have to urgently conduct experiments so that the Central Party and the Politburo can be reassured; moreover, we have to pay close attention to exploiting the experiences of our ancestors." Comrade Hat and I went to coordinate the excavation of ancient tombs in Hung Yen as planned, but it was not successful.
After a period of preparation, the Party, State and military leaders, including Comrades Nguyen Luong Bang, Le Van Luong, Pham Ngoc Mau, Phung The Tai, Tran Kinh Chi, came to inspect. The first time they saw our experiments meeting the required standards, they were very satisfied and reassured.
At the end of 1968, Comrade Romakov, Deputy Director of the Lenin Mausoleum Research Institute, came for inspection. One evening, around 11 PM, I drove Comrade Romakov to the 75A facility in a black Volga car with curtains, passing through the gate of Military Hospital 108. Comrade Am was waiting at the entrance of the 75A facility to welcome us. Initially, Comrade Romakov was surprised because compared to the Lenin Mausoleum Research Institute, our 75A facility was too small and dark. But when he stepped inside, he was amazed to see the spaciousness, bright lights, air conditioning, and a ventilation system that ensured the prescribed temperature and humidity standards. Comrade Romakov pushed a stretcher around without encountering any obstacles, feeling reassured and very satisfied. In room 3, seeing a stone table, Comrade Romakov was surprised and asked, "Is this our table?". We answered, "This is the result of the skillful hands of the workers at An Duong Stone Company in Vietnam." Even more unexpectedly, he saw a specialized syringe that was 15 cm long. We found a 73-year-old artisan in Hang Bac Street and asked him to make that syringe.
Following the guidance instructed, we only reported the failures in the experiments for feedback, and we did not mention the successful ones. Comrade Romakov said, "Compared to the preservation conditions at the Institute for Lenin Mausoleum Research Institute, here we need to research adjustments suitable for the skin color of Asians”.
After that, during the farewell meeting for Comrade Romakov, which was organized by Comrade Le Van Luong, with the participation of Comrade Secbakop, the Soviet Ambassador; the very first words he said were to praise the Vietnamese colleagues for solving a very complex problem in a very short time. He expressed his personal opinion that Vietnam has all the conditions to preserve the President's body. He promised to report to the head of the institute to seek opinions. From then on, the 75A facility was always ready and regularly implemented drying and steaming preservation procedures, waiting for orders from the superior.
Then came the day that no one expected. Although I had been informed by Comrade Quyen about President Ho Chi Minh's health status, when I received the news of his passing, we were still shocked and in so much pain. At 75A, Comrade Phung The Tai, while crying, gave orders for everyone to take their duties. According to the assignment, the Special Medical Team, including Doctor Nguyen Gia Quyen, Doctor Nguyen Van Chau, Medic Nguyen Trung Hat, sat in the red hearse driven by Colonel Tran Kinh Chi, who commanded the mission to pick up President Ho Chi Minh's body from the traditional stilt house where he took his last breath.
Waiting at 75A were Comrades Nguyen Luong Bang, Le Quang Dao, Phung The Tai, and myself, along with Soviet medical experts, ready to receive the delegation bringing President Ho Chi Minh back. When the red hearse carrying President Ho Chi Minh's body stopped, everyone gathered around to bring him into the special room. Seeing President Ho Chi Minh in simple attire, peaceful and serene, as if resting peacefully, I couldn't believe my eyes, and tears suddenly burst out. Then, with the courage of a soldier and a military doctor, I calmed down because at that moment, the requirement was utmost diligence, utmost accuracy, and no room for even the smallest mistake.
At 75A, the Soviet experts and the Special Medical Team coordinated smoothly to complete the preservation of President Ho Chi Minh's body during the initial stage - a stage that determined the subsequent long-term preservation of his body.
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Looking back, 40 years have passed since the day Uncle Ho departed, yet the memories of those unforgettable years remain vivid in me as if they just happened yesterday. Following the direct guidance of the Political Bureau and the Central Military Commission, and in response to the earnest wishes of the entire Party and the people, we have successfully fulfilled the sacred mission: preserving the President's body in the best possible condition, keeping intact the distinctive features of the beloved leader from his lifetime. We never forget the precious contributions of the Soviet medical experts, who were our direct mentors. They had trained and helped us with their heart. With deep respect for President Ho Chi Minh and the expertise of top international medical professionals, they wholeheartedly assisted us.
The Special Medical Team, the predecessor of Institute 69, successfully completed the initial assigned mission and laid the essential foundation for us to continue the long-term preservation, ensuring the absolute safety of President Ho Chi Minh’s body.
