Born in Hai Duong in 1928 in a “feudal” family with royal connections, Nguyen Duc Thuong nonetheless had a difficult childhood, and so joined the Viet Minh in 1944 while still a teenager. First doing simple tasks for local Viet Minh agents, he eventually joined the armed forces in 1945, after some back and forth between Hai Duong and Dong Trieu. Between 1945 and 1953, Thuong says he participated in 24 battles, and recounts in much detail the military aspects of some battles he was in. In particular, he gives relatively lengthy descriptions of battles such as those of the Bat and Non Nuoc pagodas (the latter of which he says was not a real victory, despite being “propagandized” as such), as well as battles in Ha Nam and Ha Tay in the early 1950s. He talks about the help of Chinese advisors in his unit training him in the use of explosives, preparation and logistics before battles, and problems with (lack of) supplies such as food. He also touches on the question of social dynamics within the army, such as the fact that, as a cadre, he had access to better material conditions than others, though he says that accusations of being a petty bourgeois only came from poor peasants who did not know how to behave and mobilize the population effectively. A similar problem occurred when he was considered to be promoted as a “hero” during the emulation campaign of 1952-53. Having been wounded and won several medals for his actions in battle, another person with lower achievements than he nonetheless ended up being the hero instead, as he came from a peasant background. Nguyen Duc Thuong also gives details about his search for a wife during the war.