Trần Quý Hai was born in 1913 as Bùi Chấn to a poor peasant family in Châu Sa commune, Sơn Tịnh district of Quảng Ngãi province. He took part in revolutionary movements since early ages and joined the Indochinese Communist Party in October 1930. In mid-1931, Bùi Chấn was jailed by the French colonial authorities for supporting Nghệ-Tĩnh Soviets. Freed in 1932, Chấn continued operating in communist movements till 1939 – when he was arrested again for leading anti-tax movement in Sơn Tịnh and Bình Sơn districts.[3]
When Chấn's prison term was over in mid-1944, the colonial authorities sent him to Ba Tơ exile house where he and his comrades like Trương Quang Giao, Phạm Kiệt [vi], Trần Lương and Nguyễn Đôn [vi] clandestinely established the Provisional Provincial Party Committee of Quảng Ngãi. Together with other comrades in the committee, Bùi Chấn led Ba Tơ uprising [vi] in March 1945, then August Revolution in Quảng Ngãi successfully. In September 1945, he was named Secretary of the provincial committee.[1]
Military career
NLF Fronts and Military regions, 1970
In early 1946, Chấn was sent to fighting against the French in Thừa Thiên-Huế front. After voted to the standing committee of the Provincial Party Committee of Thừa Thiên-Huế, Bùi Chấn changed his name to Trần Quý Hai. In February 1947, he was assigned commissar of Trần Cao Vân regiment (aka the 101st regiment).[1][4]
In 1949, the General Staff established Bình Trị Thiên front (later divided to B4 and B5 fronts), appointed Trần Quý Hai to commissar beside Hà Văn Lâu [vi] - the front commander. Two years later, he was assigned to commander cum commissar of the newly formed 325th Brigade.[3]
During the Vietnam War, Trần Quý Hai was promoted to Deputy Chief of the General Staff in 1955, major general in 1958, then Deputy Defence Minister of Vietnam in 1961.[3]
