Dong Sy Nguyen Đồng Sỹ Nguyên ( born Nguyễn Sĩ Đồng , other name : Nguyễn Hữu Vũ ; ) is a former Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam , a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam , lieutenant - general of the North Vietnamese Army , and former minister of transport of Vietnam . He was born in Quảng Bình Province , home to general Vo Nguyen Giap and Ngo Dinh Diem , president of the Republic of Vietnam . Born on March 1 , 1923 to a middle - class family in Quang Trung Commune , Quảng Trạch , Quảng Bình Province , Dong Sy Nguyen attended Sainte Marie Lycée in Đồng Hới . He participated in anti - French political movements and was sought by the French colonists ; therefore he fled to Thailand and participated in overseas Vietnamese patriotic movements there . He joined the Indochinese Communist Party in 1939 . In 1944 , he secretly returned to Vietnam and was made leader of the Communist Party committee branch in Quang Trach Phu , served as editor - in - chief of the " Hong Lac Newspaper " , built up the Trung Thuan Military Zone , trained the armed forces , and participated in the August Revolution . After the August Revolution , he was nominated as the leader of the Viet Minh in Quảng Bình Province . He was a member of the first session of the National Assembly of Vietnam . Joining the army . When the First Indochinese War broke out , he was assigned the leader of Viet Minh ' s army in Quảng Bình Province and the provincial army ' s communist party committee member . In 1950 , he was sent to Việt Bắc to attend an advanced level army class , then he was sent to the Bureau General of Politics of Vietnamese Army to act as an envoy in Command wing in Lower Laos in Winter - Spring Campaign of 1953 - 1954 In 1954 , he was dispatched to the General Staff of North Vietnamese Army , in charge of Civilian Forces Mobilization Department . In 1959 , he was promoted lieutenant - colonel . In 1961 , he was sent to China to attend Beijing Advanced Military School . In 1964 , he came back to North Vietnam and was assigned Vice General Staff for a brief period , then the head of Communist Party Committee of North Vietnamese Army ' s arm Military Zone IV in 1965 , and Chief Command and Head of Communist Party Committee arm in North Vietnamese Volunteer Armed Troops in Central and Southern Laos . In late 1965 , he was wounded and returned to Hanoi for medical treatment , he was assigned Vice Director of the Bureau of Logistics of North Vietnamese Army and Frontline Logistics , reporting to Dinh Duc Thien . In early 1967 , he was assigned Chief - in - Command of 559 Troop , replacing colonel Hoang Van Thai . He remained this position until 1976 . Dong Sy Nguyen was one of important persons in constructing the Ho Chi Minh trail during Vietnam War . In 1974 , he was conferred lieutenant - general . In 1976 , he was promoted deputy minister of the Ministry of National Defense in charge of Economic Construction , then Minister of Construction , Minister of Transportation . In 1979 , he returned to the military to assume Command - in - Chief and leader of the Communist Party of the Capital Military Zone ( an arm of Vietnamese Army in charge of defending Hanoi ) . He was a member of the secession IV Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam . Back to civil duty . From 1982 , he was an alternate of the session V Politburo then member of Politburo of the Central Executive Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam ( the supreme power body of the Communist Party of Vietnam ) ( 1986 – 1991 ) and Vice Chairman of the Council of the Ministers ( Cabinet ) and Minister of Transport . After he had retired from above positions , he was assigned as a special governmental envoy in charge of Programme 327 ( an afforestation programme ) . He was assigned by Vietnamese prime minister Phan Van Khai as the special envoy in supervision of Ho Chi Minh Highway . His wife is Nguyen Thi Ngoc Lan , they have 4 sons and 2 daughters . His eldest son is Nguyen Sy Hung , chairman of the board of directors of Vietnam Airlines .