Trần Thị Lý (born Trần Thị Nhâm; 30 December 1933 – 20 November 1992) was a Vietnamese communist party member, revolutionary activist, and a female soldier in the People's Army of Vietnam and the People's Liberation Armed Forces of South Vietnam. She participated in the First Indochina War and the Vietnam War, and was a prominent political prisoner.
Early Life and Family
She was born on 30 December 1933 in Điện Quang, Điện Bàn District, Quảng Nam Province, Vietnam. She was the granddaughter of Trần Cao Vân, a notable Vietnamese nationalist. At the age of 12, she joined the Thiếu nhi cứu quốc (Children's National Salvation) organization of her commune. In 1946, she began working as a liaison officer.
Revolutionary Activities and Imprisonment
From 1956, Lý worked as a liaison officer for the People's Army of Vietnam in Điện Bàn. Later that same year, she was arrested by the South Vietnamese authorities while commuting to work. She was subjected to prolonged torture over a period of approximately two years. After being left for dead by her captors, she was transported to the Vietnam–Soviet Friendship Hospital in Hanoi. At that time, she weighed only 26 kilograms (57 lb), had 42 wounds across her body, and had sustained severe injuries including cut nipples and bleeding genitals.
Recognition and Death
In 1992, she was awarded the title Hero of the People's Armed Forces by the Vietnamese state. She died later that same year, on 20 November 1992, in Đà Nẵng. She was survived by her husband, Tuấn, and her adopted daughter, Thùy Linh.
Legacy
Trần Thị Lý is widely recognized as the inspiration for the poem "Người con gái Việt Nam" (The Vietnamese Girl) by the renowned Vietnamese poet Tố Hữu. The Nguyễn Văn Trỗi – Trần Thị Lý Bridge in Đà Nẵng is named after her and fellow revolutionary Nguyễn Văn Trỗi. Several schools in Vietnam also bear her name.
