In this Vietnamese name, the surname is Nguyễn, but is often simplified to Nguyen in English-language text. In accordance with Vietnamese custom, this person should be referred to by the given name, Định.
Madame Nguyễn Thị Định (15 March 1920 – 26 August 1992) was the first female general of the Vietnam People's Army during the Vietnam War and the first female Vice President of Vietnam. Her role in the war was as National Liberation Front deputy commander, and was described as "the most important Southern woman revolutionary in the war".[1] Furthermore, she was commander of an all-female force known as the Long-Haired Army, which engaged in espionage and combat against ARVN and US Forces.[2]
Biography
Định was born from a peasant family in Bến Tre Province, and fought with the Viet Minh forces against the French. She was arrested and incarcerated by the French colonial authority between 1940–43, and helped lead an insurrection in Bến Tre in 1945, and again in 1960 (against the government of Ngô Đình Diệm). In that period, she lost her first husband while incarcerated by French authorities.[3] She was a founding member of the National Liberation Front (NLF). In 1965 she was elected chairwoman of the South Vietnam Women's Liberation Association, who were given the name the "long-haired warriors" by Ho Chi Minh.[4] A portion of membership in the National Liberation Front continued to be women, and many were drawn to the promise of changes in the role of women in society.[4]
After the Vietnam War and the reunification of Vietnam, Madame Định served on the Central Committee of the Vietnamese Communist Party and also became the first female major general to serve in the Vietnam People's Army. She was also one of the Deputy Chairmen of the Council of State from 1987 until her death. Together with Madame Nguyễn Thị Bình, she is one of the two most prominent female Vietnamese communist leaders. She was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize for 1967. In 1995, she was posthumously awarded the title Hero of the People's Armed Forces. [citation needed]
