She was born in 1950 in a revolutionary family in Van To Village, Dac Ui Commune, Dac Ha District, Kon Tum Province.
Her father, A Tranh, followed the revolution from childhood. He was a brave soldier and fought successfully during the two wars against France and the US, a contribution that was marked by his award of the title "Hero of the Armed Forces" in 1995.
Y Veng recalls a rainy day, when despite local rivers and streams being in full flood, and traffic in the area ground to a standstill; her house had been packed with local residents.
"My father told everyone that they should unite to fight the invaders. Only following Uncle Ho, the Party and the revolution, we would be able to feed and cloth ourselves properly, and have liberty and happiness, he said," Veng recalls.
"At that time, I did not know who Uncle Ho was, who were the Party and the revolutionaries, but what my father said rang true. After that I asked my father to let me follow Uncle Ho and the Party."
Since Veng was seven, her father asked her to bring supplies to the revolutionaries living in the jungles.
"He told me to keep it secret," she recalls.
At the age of 10, Veng was admitted to an arts team to serve revolutionary cadres and soldiers. She performed the folk songs of Ba Na, Xo Dang, Jo Rai and Gie Trieng ethnic groups, as well as other revolutionary songs very well.
"I could sing these folk songs thanks to my mother who taught me. When I was a little girl, during moon-lit nights or rainy afternoons, beside her loom, my mum taught me both how to weave brocade and how to sing the folk songs," she says.
In early 1967 when Y Veng was 17 years old, she joined the local guerrilla force. She was taught how to lay bamboo spikes, fix traps, use grenades and shoot. Her military successes were widely known throughout the Tay Nguyen region.
At the age of 18 she was admitted as a Party member. In addition to fighting, she also educated other people in how to stabilise their lives, and encouraged them to follow revolutionary forces and join the guerrillas to protect their villages. This persuasive ability boosted her from an actress to woman militia member and a political cadre.
"My most memorable moments occurred during the fighting on the Tay Nguyen battlefield," Veng recalls.
In 1965, American troops increased their attacks in the Tay Nguyen region.
People in her village had to move 25 times to escape the enemy.
By the end of May, 1968, hearing news that US troops were coming to attack, she commanded three guerrillas A Nin, A Ne and A Xu to ambush the enemies at Mang La Mountain to protect the villagers in their retreat to the reristance base. The gun battle between the four guerrillas and a battalion of American and Sai Gon troops lasted the whole day. By the end, her three male comrades had died, and Veng tried to lure the enemy into the jungle.
She was as quick as a squirrel, hiding behind trees and sniping at the enemy troops pursuing her. Finally, she evaded them, and they retreated with their dead.
Tempered through battle, Veng became more mature. In 1970 she was elected chairwoman of Dac Ui Commune. After that she worked as chairwoman of the Women s Union of Dac Ha District, and became a member of the district Party Committee.
In October 1991, Kon Tum Province was separated from the former province of Gia Lai Kon Tum. At the province s 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th Party Congresses, she was elected to be head of the Provincial Party Committee s Examination Board, deputy secretary of the provincial Party Committee, chairwoman of the provincial People s Committee, and secretary of the Provincial Party Committee. She was also head of the provincial National Assembly delegation of the 10th and 11th National Assembly terms.
She attaches much importance to having confidence in others and bringing into play unity, and popular with her comrades and local people.
"A woman can take any position, but at home she must be responsible to her family. A happy family is the foundation for me to strive to fulfil the tasks given to me by the government," she says. VNS