He participated in local revolutionary activities before the 1930s and was imprisoned many times by the French. After the Japanese coup d'etat, he participated in leading the Ba Tơ Uprising, and then the uprising to seize power in Quảng Ngãi province.

Photo: Ba Tơ guerrilla soldiers swore "Fight to death for the Motherland!"

Owning only some simple personal belongings such as "a yellow khaki suit given by Mr. Phạm Văn Đồng at the Tân Trào Conference, a pair of old sneakers, a black suit, a curtain and some neatly- folded notebooks”, he won the feats during the resistance war against the French. His feats were associated with the army and people in Bình-Trị-Thiên and with the position of Political Commissar, Front Commander, Deputy Secretary of Inter-zone 4.

Photo: Comrade Trần Quý Hại at the Bình-Trị-Thiên front (during the resistance war against the French)

During my years in prison, people used to call me Khế. When I was released, I still took the name Võ Văn Khế. But on the day when the list of the Military - People - Chinh Committee was announced, everyone gave me a new name, Trần Quý Hai. It was because in Intersection V there was a famous patriot named Trần Quý Cáp, so everyone wanted me to be of the lineage of that patriot. From then on, they called me Trần Quý Hai.

Photo: Comrade Trần Quý Hai

After the Geneva Agreement, he left for the North in a regrouping of and was appointed Head of the Airport Research Department which was under the General Staff (Precursor of the Vietnam People's Air Force). Later he held positions such as Deputy Chief of the General Staff (1955 - 1978), Head of the General Department of Army ordnance (1961), Commander of the Front of Trail 9 Khe Sanh; B5 – Trị Thiên Front (1972).

Photo: Comrade Trần Quý Hai (middle) discussed an attack plan at Khe Sanh front

General meeting of Khe Sanh Front Command (Lieutenant General Trần Quý Hai was pointing to the map)

Commander Trần Quý Hai at the B5 front (North Quảng Trị), October 20, 1972

Command of B5- Trị Thiên Front (Lieutenant General Trần Quý Hai-the fourth person in the front row)

Summation meeting of the Party Committee of the B5 – Trị Thiên Front, June 8, 1973

Although he held many positions, Mr. Hai had an excellent memory. Therefore, his subordinates still reminded each other to be careful when they had to present a report to Mr. Hai. One day, I had the opportunity to be an "assistant" going with Mr. Phùng Thế Tài to the General Staff to present the report on the organization of the national militia and self-defense force to Mr. Trần Quý Hai... Mr. Phùng presented his report for a while, I saw Mr. Tran Quy Hai mumbling as if he were reading a multiplication table. Suddenly, Mr. Trần Quý Hai Hai asked: - Hey, Mr. Tài, where did 120 guns go? Commander Phùng Thế Tài was at a loss for what to say, but he still couldn't find the number that matched the number of 120 guns… When I got on the car to return to our army, I had an indescribable feeling, and at that moment I realized the prestige of Mr.Trần Quý Hai. Before that, I still thought that Comrade Tài was a man of authority, but when he sat in front of Comrade Trần Quý Hai, he sat quietly. From then on I knew very well how prestigious Mr. Hai was. (Lieutenant General Trần Nhẫn, former Commander of the Air Defense Force)

Comrade Trần Quý Hai (on the right of General Văn Tiến Dũng) and the leaders of the General Staff held a meeting to discuss the plan and strategy for the Trail 9 - Southern Laos campaign.

General Võ Nguyên Giáp worked with officers of the Ministry of National Defense and the General Staff to discuss the plan to liberate the South, 1975.

Lieutenant General Trần Quý Hai (first person from the right) with cadres of the Command Center of the General Staff (Headquarters), the morning of May 1, 1975