Duong Trong Phuc has a social media account called "Youth Union Officer". He is currently the vice principal of Ly Tu Trong Youth Union School, which has trained many generations of Youth Union - Association - Young Pioneers cadres for the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union and many other provinces and cities.

Sharing about the book, Mr. Phuc said:

- When I come to work at Ly Tu Trong Youth Union School, I want to learn more information about the hero whose name the school is named after. Partly for myself to know more, partly to create documents to convey to the youth union members.

Searching the Internet and documents, I realized that information about Ly Tu Trong is not only scarce but also inconsistent. For example, when searching for Trong's picture on the Internet, it will give a picture of hero Nguyen Van Troi.

There was even information that Mr. Trong was arrested for protecting Phan Boi Chau's speech, while in fact the speaker was Phan Boi, but many units did not pay attention to this detail and are still using it. I want to find out for myself to have the most complete information.

Searching for limited documents

* How did you begin your journey to sketch the portrait of that first member?

- Honestly, the COVID-19 pandemic is a boost, helping me have more time to read books, more opportunities to interact with more people via social networks. Thanks to that, I can exploit and search for documents better.

The first person I met was journalist Minh Thuy in the film crew Ly Tu Trong - The Fire-Bearer . Through the guidance and some information provided by Ms. Minh Thuy, I outlined my approach.

I tried to connect and called Mr. Ly Kien Nam (son of revolutionary Ly Phuong Duc - who was in the same youth group as Mr. Ly Tu Trong).

Continuing my search, I connected online with Ms. Bui Ly Le Tan (daughter of revolutionary Ly Phuong Thuan - also a member of the above-mentioned group of teenagers and was arrested with Uncle Ho in the Tong Van So case in Hong Kong in 1931).

As I continued to search, I was able to build bridges and meet many other brothers and sisters. These included the resident reporters of the Vietnam News Agency in Thailand and Russia, and the Vietnamese Student Association in France, Russia, and China.

* The problem is that historical documents about that young hero are very few and quite vague...

- When the pandemic was more stable, I made many direct trips to the Archives Center I, the National Library in Hanoi, the General Science Library of Ho Chi Minh City, and the National Archives Center II. I also visited museums: Vietnamese History, Vietnamese Youth, Soviet Nghe Tinh, and then the two libraries of Nghe An and Ha Tinh...

In particular, after many links, I have found most of the families of those in the group of young people at the same time as Ly Tu Trong that the historical documents of the Union mentioned, such as the families of Mr. and Mrs. Ly Phuong Duc, Ly Phuong Thuan, Ly Van Minh, Ly Thuc Chat, Ly Anh To...

I searched through old bookstores and old book markets to find revolutionary books and memoirs. From what I recorded and found, I distilled them into my own materials.

3 year journey

* How long did it take you to complete the final page from the time you had the idea?

- Three years for that journey but not continuously because there is still professional work at the office. There are also times when I can't find the necessary documents, I feel a bit disappointed so I need to calm down, analyze, find solutions so that when there is a new discovery, I can continue.

Actually, when I started, I knew that this could not be rushed. If I was subjective, it would be easy to make mistakes, so I tried to be as careful as possible. I am very happy to be able to launch the book on the occasion of the 110th anniversary of Ly Tu Trong's birth this year.

* What new information does the work have, different from some rare works about Ly Tu Trong before?

- In the documents found and verified, the book provides some new information about the family, relationships and travel itinerary of the group of teenagers at that time, and about the specific activities of Ly Tu Trong in China and Vietnam.

There is also information about the location where Mr. Trong shot the French spy, the trial that was held to convict him, as well as the time he died... This is a research book. I rely on newspapers, memoirs, and books to compare information and documents and give my opinion.

Union cadres wearing green military uniforms

During 5 years of working in the sunny and windy land of the Vietnam - Laos border, the reconnaissance team leader was mentioned for many achievements and feats in his work.