(This is a draft page still under preparation - please let me know any corrections or additional information/examples.)


O-02 HO CHI MINH ORDER
  Huân Chương Hồ Chí Minh

The Hồ Chí Minh Order is the second highest order of the DRV/SRV. It is awarded to individuals, collectives and foreigners. It has reportedly been awarded to more than 600 individuals and collectives in Vietnam and over 50 foreign individuals. [A partial award recipient list is here - (Vietnamese)] (if anyone has a more complete recipient list, please let me know at rdavemail-medals@yahoo.com)

It was established in 1947 as part of the inital three awards of the DRV, and was maintained with the SRV. Formalizing the regulations for all SRV awards was done in 2003. Redesign for all SRV awards was done in 2006. Another redesign for all SRV awards was done in 2014. Originally it had three classes, but was reduced to one class in 1981. (see regulation extracts here)

General Vo Nguyen Giap was the first person to be awarded the Ho Chi Minh Order and also twice awarded (the first time in 1950 and the second time in 1979).

2/A PRIMARY DESIGN
  three - distinguished by ribbon device stars - established 6 June 1947; revised to one class 28 August 1981, revised 26 November 2003; guidelines 30 September 2005;
(if anyone has the ordinance 10- HĐNN7 of 28/8/1981, please let me know at rdavemail-medals@yahoo.com)
  For: units and individuals for outstanding contributions to the revolutionary cause of the people;
  Design: round breast badge, golden bronze, 33.5mm across, with suspension ribbon;
    Obverse: portrait of Hồ Chí Minh facing left, with two laurel branches below, and inscription above "HUÂN CHƯƠNG HỒ CHÍ MINH";
    Reverse: plain;
    Suspension: small wreath with eyelet, and ribbon ring to lower bar of pentagonal frame with upper pinback; (perhaps also having full pentagonal plate with pinback)
  Ribbon: 25mm - red with three yellow stripes 1.5mm grouped 1.5mm apart in center; pentagonal;
  Device: stars indicating award class (until 1981)

The order was designed by artist Bùi Trang Chước.

hcm order obvhcm order rev

hcm t1981 grades
Võ Nguyên Giáp wearing two different classes as awarded under 1947 regulation of Hồ Chí Minh Orders of second version (awarded in 1950 & 1979)
hcm order giap
Võ Nguyên Giáp wearing two Hồ Chí Minh Orders without class differentiation
 
hcm order T1981 giap
one of the Hồ Chí Minh Orders awarded to Võ Nguyên Giáp
(at SRV Army Museum, Hanoi, Vietnam)
hcm order T1981 another
An example with different ribbon ring eyelet
(and perhaps full pentagonal ribbon plate ?)

Official issue with a case

ocm order with case

Documents

hcm order cert
Hồ Chí Minh Order certificate presented by the State Council of Vietnam in 31 January 1989 to Vietnam Military Specialists Group 478 that completed international tasks in Cambodia.
(from SRV Army museum Hanoi)

Some copies have been available on the market, all crude and some with numbering on the reverse (if anyone has seen another such example, or has any other info on this, please let me know at rdavemail-medals@yahoo.com)

hcm copy 1 obv
Copy 1 - obverse

hcm copy 1 rev
Copy 1 (numbered 65) - reverse



Copy 2 - blank reverse

hcm order copy 2018
Copy 2 (numbered 3034) - another example from HCM in 2018


hcm copy 3 obv
Copy 3 - obverse

hcm copy 3 rev
Copy 3 - reverse

 



2/B DESIGN OF 2006
  one class - redesigned 19 May 2006; revised 16 November 2013; guidelines 30 September 2005, 15 April 2010;
  For: units and individuals for outstanding contributions to the revolutionary cause of the people;
  Design: round breast badge, gilt, 39mm across, with suspension ribbon;
    Obverse: portrait of Hồ Chí Minh facing left, with lotus below, and inscription above "HUÂN CHƯƠNG HỒ CHÍ MINH" and below "VIỆT NAM", sometimes all coated on the face in clear laquer;
    Reverse: plain; or checkered pattern with manufacturer name "C. TY. CƠ KHÍ 17" and local phone number "04.3884 3323";
    Suspension: 5 circles at top the middle one with eyelet, and ribbon ring to golden pentagonal plate with pin-back;
  Ribbon: 28mm - red with three yellow stripes 3mm grouped 3mm apart in center; pentagonal;

hcm order t2006 v1 obv
Version without laquer coating - obverse
 
hcm order t2006 v1 rev
Version without laquer coating - reverse
(mounting glue residue on reverse)

hcm order t2006 v2 o
Version with laquer coating - obverse
hcm order t2006 v2 o
Version with laquer coating - reverse

 



2/C DESIGN OF 2014
  one class - redesigned 10 September 2014 and 20 July 2018; guildelines 31 July 2017
  For: units and individuals for outstanding contributions to the revolutionary cause of the people;
  Design: round breast badge, gilt, 40mm across, with suspension ribbon;
    Obverse: portrait of Hồ Chí Minh facing left, on background of lotus flowers, and inscription in red above "HUÂN CHƯƠNG HỒ CHÍ MINH" and below "VIỆT NAM"(, all coated in clear laquer ?);
    Reverse: checkered pattern with manufacturer name "C. TY. CƠ KHÍ 17" and local phone number "04.3884 3323";
    Suspension: lotus with center eyelet at top, and ribbon ring to golden pentagonal plate with pin-back;
  Ribbon: 29mm - red with two 3mm yellow stripes 4mm from edges; pentagonal;

 

hcm 2016 obv
obverse

hcm 2016 rev
reverse

hcm 2014 design

hcm order cert 2014

 



2/D EARLY VERSION (1947) (thru when ?)
  three classes - distinguished by ribbon device stars - established 6 June 1947;
  For: units and individuals for outstanding contributions to the revolutionary cause of the people;
  Design: round breast badge, golden bronze, 33mm ? across, with suspension ribbon;
    Obverse: large portrait of Hồ Chí Minh facing left, with two laurel branches below, and inscription above "HỒ CHÍ MINH";
    Reverse: plain ?;
    Suspension: link with small gold wreath, with ring to lower bar of pentagonal frame suspended from a barette à coulisse;
  Ribbon: 25mm - red with three yellow stripes 3mm grouped 1mm apart in center, pentagonal;
  Device: stars indicating award class

2/D/1 First Class - Device: three small gold stars;
2/D/2 Second Class - Device: two small gold stars;
2/D/3 Third Class - Device: one small gold star;

(WANTED: If you have one like this and want to sell it, or have any other pictures or other information, please let me know at rdavemail-medals@yahoo.com)

This early version is extremely rare and it is not known when the change to the later version was.

(if anyone has further information, has actually seen such example or has any other pictures, please let me know at rdavemail-medals@yahoo.com)

hcm order t1947 museum 1
(example at Moscow museum)
(which museum ?)

hcm order t1947 museum 2
(example at another museum)
(which museum - maybe Hungarian or East Germany ?)


gold star order t1947 gilt 1 obv
Design shown in the DRV National Army magazine QUÂN ĐỘI NHÂN DÂN in 1955

hcm order usarmy 1959
The US Army shows the same design in 1959
 


hcm t1947 wearing
Võ Nguyên Giáp with 1947 version
(early or incorrect ribbon ?)


 

 


References (Please let me know others at rdavemail-medals@yahoo.com) :

1 Handbook on Uniforms and Insignia of Sino-Soviet Bloc Ground Forces (Asian Members), Chapter 3 Vietnamese People's Army, Department of the Army Pamphlet 30-55, 1959. [Out of Print]
2 The Orders and Medals of the Communist Governments of Indochina, Revision II, John Sylvester Jr., 1994. (JS94) [Out of Print]
3 Orders and Decorations of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Nước Cộng Hòa Xã Hội Chủ Nghĩa Việt Nam), Institute of Orders (Viện Huân Chương). (Does anyone know the date of publication ?)
4 Orders, Decorations and Badges of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam, Edward J. Emering, 1997. (EE97) Availalbe at https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764301438/
5 Encyclopedia of the Orders, Decorations, Medals and Badges of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Edward John Emering, 2000. (EE00) Available at http://www.themedalhound.com/books/titles.html
6 Orders and Decorations of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: An Update, Edward John Emering, 2008. (EE08) Available at http://www.themedalhound.com/books/titles.html
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Articles (Please let me know others at rdavemail-medals@yahoo.com) :

1 “Stray Notes on the Orders, Decorations, and Medals of the Democratic/Socialist Republic of Vietnam”, John Sylvester Jr., 2000.
2 “Addendum to the Stray Notes on the Orders, Decorations, and Medals of the Democratic/Socialist Republic of Vietnam”, John Sylvester Jr., 2003.
3 “The New 2007 Orders and Decorations of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam”, by Emering, Edward J, JOMSA Vol. 62, No. 1 (Jan-Feb 11): 21-28
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Websites (Please let me know others at rdavemail-medals@yahoo.com) :

1 Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_Ho_Chi_Minh
2 Partial recipients list https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/ (Vietnamese)
3 http://www.giaithuong.vn/giaithuong/tieng-viet/khenthuong-giaithuong/gioithieu-giai/thi-dua-khen-thuong-cap-nha-nuoc/huan-chuong-ho-chi-minh.html/
4 Visual Artist Bui Trang Chuoc who designed the Vietnam’s Coats of arms, and the Gold Star Order, Ho Chi Minh Order, Independence Order, Labor Order and other Decorations, logos… https://laodongthudo.vn/co-hoa-si-bui-trang-chuoc-nguoi-tao-hinh-quoc-huy-79364.html
5 Ho Chi Minh Order given to the People’s Public Security in 1975 by the President Ton Duc Thang
http://btlsqsvn.org.vn/Ho%E1%BA%A1t-%C4%91%E1%BB%99ng/B%E1%BA%A3o-t%C3%A0ng-%C4%91%C3%B3-%C4%91%C3%A2y/bai-viet/tam-huan-chuong-ho-chi-minh-dau-tien-cua-luc-luong-cong-an-nhan-dan--phan-2-7661
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PAVN Major General Vo Bam, Manager of the HCM Trail and Recipient of the HCM Order

General Vo Bam