Touching image of the general lighting the traditional fire at the parade

The image of Lieutenant General Nguyen Duc Soat, tall, majestic and dignified, lighting the traditional revolutionary flame at the parade celebrating the 80th anniversary of National Day on September 2 touched the hearts of millions of Vietnamese people.

Lieutenant General, Hero of the People's Armed Forces Nguyen Duc Soat, former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, who had an exceptionally outstanding achievement, shooting down 6 enemy planes, becoming one of the heroic pilots of the Vietnam People's Army - Photo: VNA

On the morning of September 2, when the traditional flame, the symbol of the indomitable will, immortal strength, and eternal aspiration of the Vietnamese people, was carried from the Ho Chi Minh Museum to Ba Dinh Square and handed over to Lieutenant General, Hero of the People's Armed Forces Nguyen Duc Soat, everyone watching live at the stage or on live television was very moved.

The person chosen to light the traditional flame in the sacred celebration of the 80th anniversary of National Day, September 2, was the former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, who had an exceptionally outstanding achievement, shooting down 6 enemy planes, becoming one of the heroic pilots of the Vietnam People's Army - Nguyen Duc Soat.

More recently, he has become a popular writer with two diary- style books , Fighter Pilot Diary and My Sky - My University, published by Tre Publishing House.

Hero of the People's Armed Forces for Mr. Nguyen Duc Soat in January 1973 - Photo: NVCC

The hero shot down 6 modern American planes

Lieutenant General, Hero of the People's Armed Forces Nguyen Duc Soat was born on June 24, 1946, hometown in Nam Phong commune, Phu Xuyen, Ha Tay (now Hanoi ).

He enlisted on July 4, 1965, was a fighter pilot of MiG-21, SU-22, SU-27, and shot down 6 American planes.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Soat graduated from the Krasnodar Air Force Officer School of the Soviet Union (1965-1968); the I. Gagarin Academy of Command and Staff of the Soviet Air Force (1977-1980); the Marshal Voroshilov Academy of Strategic Command and Staff of the General Staff of the Soviet Army (1982-1984).

He has a PhD in Military Science (2002). He has held the positions of: Commander of the Air Force; Commander of the Air Defense - Air Force; Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army.

Lieutenant General Nguyen Duc Soat's other great contribution is one that few people know about. He is the one who actively connects and heals veterans from both sides of the Vietnam and the US, especially pilots from both sides of the battle lines.

He has participated in organizing many meetings and exchanges between former Vietnamese and US pilots since the early 2010s.

Regarding Lieutenant General Nguyen Duc Soat, Senior Lieutenant General Pham Thanh Ngan - Hero of the People's Armed Forces, former Commander of the Air Force, former member of the 8th Politburo, Director of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army, Mr. Soat's direct commander, once gave very high praise.

During 4 years of extremely fierce fighting when the US army bombed the North, pilot Nguyen Duc Soat shot down 6 modern US planes and with his teammates shot down many others.

Thanks to that achievement, he was awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces by the President - an extremely noble title.

Also thanks to his great achievements in combat, on the evening of May 1, 1975, he was honored to join the presidium attending the rally to celebrate International Labor Day May 1 and the Liberation of the South at the Hanoi Opera House.

Talking about Lieutenant General Nguyen Duc Soat, Senior Lieutenant General Pham Thanh Ngan had "a few words of appreciation".

He was a young man full of emotions and had a strong will to strive since he was still in high school in his hometown. In fierce battles, he was always steadfast, brave, resourceful and had the spirit of collective achievement. He was a good commander who always created favorable conditions for his teammates to destroy the enemy.

As a person, he lived honestly, purely, and always cared for everyone, from his military brothers and sisters to departments such as mechanics, flight guidance, information, and meteorology.

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"He is a very emotional person, caring for his friends, the families of wounded and fallen soldiers," Senior Lieutenant General Pham Thanh Ngan wrote about his comrade. General Ngan said he "very much admires" Nguyen Duc Soat for diligently keeping a diary for 8 years during the extremely fierce fighting years.

Storytelling after the battle. From left to right: pilots Lieutenant Ngo Duy Thu, Lieutenant Nguyen Duc Soat, Lieutenant Tran Viet, Lieutenant Nguyen Thanh Quy

The literary general

In addition to his military achievements, many professional writers have expressed their admiration and recognized Lieutenant General Nguyen Duc Soat as a true writer during his recent book launch ceremonies, which were attended by many people.

In the book Fighter Pilot Diary , readers find a pilot, a young Vietnamese man full of desire and ideals to contribute and serve the Fatherland and the People, and always full of love for his comrades, especially the soldiers who sacrificed their lives.

Because of this camaraderie, writer Bao Ninh, when reading the diary, called it "Comrades' Diary".

The author of The Sorrow of War expressed that he was secretly surprised to find himself so intensely attracted and drawn to the battles in the high skies by Nguyen Duc Soat's writing.

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He said he "followed the diary from the first line to the last without stopping, first of all thanks to the author's writing."

It is a "concise writing style, simple words, sincere, not cultured, not long-winded philosophical, and most importantly, has a true soldier's voice and character".

Associate Professor Dr. Dao Tuan Anh - translator, literary researcher, assessed the appeal of Lieutenant General Nguyen Duc Soat's books in general and Fighter Pilot Diary in particular as "it revived a heroic period full of romance of the golden generations of the Vietnam People's Army".

Researcher Dao Tuan Anh recognized Nguyen Duc Soat's "hidden literary instinct" that the author himself was not aware of.

Central Committee, Hero of the People's Armed Forces Nguyen Duc Soat in 1972 - Photo: NGUYEN VAN UU

All my life I long for the sky of my motherland to always be blue and forever peaceful.

"For the rest of my life, I will always be grateful to my comrades in arms, talented commanders, political officers, consultants, technical support, logistics... All of them have helped to complete my love of the sky.

All my life I have always had the desire that the sky of my motherland is always blue and forever peaceful!"

(Excerpt from Fighter Pilot Diary)

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/xuc-dong-hinh-anh-vi-tuong-thap-sang-dai-lua-truyen-thong-tai-le-dieu-binh-20250902065139955.htm