This cadre was born in 1931 in the district of Quang Xuong in Thanh Hoa. He was head of a contact team (to lien lac) for the Viet Minh before the August Revolution. He taught binh dan hoc vu classes in his commune, and later joined the Army, notably participating in the Dien Bien Phu campaign. He was head of a land reform team during the land reform in Thanh Hoa and Thai Nguyen.