Road 9 National Cemetery in Quang Tri province is lit by candles (Photo: nhanda.vn)

Since 1947, the Vietnamese Party and State have paid special attention to the work of paying gratitude, adopting several programs and policies to help war invalids, martyrs’ families, and national devotees, considering this an important, regular political task.

Paying gratitude with practical activities

On the occasion of War Invalids and Martyrs’ Day, localities nationwide have organized incense burning ceremonies, laid wreaths, and visited martyrs’ cemeteries and temples worshipping national heroes.

Tran Thi Le, a resident of My Tho city, attended a ceremony to show gratitude to martyrs who laid down their lives for national independence and freedom in Tien Giang province.

She said: "Our society today is paying more attention to paying gratitude to heroes and martyrs who sacrificed for the nation. Our peace and happiness today is thanks to their sacrifices. I hope that the tradition of showing gratitude will be further promoted."

Bac Kan province is home to more than 33,000 war invalids, families of martyrs, and social policy beneficiaries of whom 3,000 receive a regular state allowance.

On the occasion of War Invalids and Martyrs’ Day, thousands of Youth Union members participated in repairing memorial houses, steles, and martyrs’ graves. They visited and presented gifts to war invalids, sick soldiers, people contaminated with toxic chemicals, and families of martyrs.

In Cao Bang province, authorities and social organizations presented gifts to social policy beneficiaries and national devotees. 

Hoang Thi My Hao, Director of the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs of Cao Bang province, said there are 48,000 national devotees and social policy beneficiaries in the province.

"Though we have several difficulties, we spend 422,000 USD annually to present gifts to social policy beneficiaries. We try to ensure them living conditions equal to other local residents.' said Ms Hao.

Youth Union members in Nghien Loan commune, Pac Nam district, Bac Kan province help social policy beneficiaries in the farming work (Photo: VOV)

Preferential policies for national devotees are special policies of Vietnam

Preferences for national devotees are special policies, reflecting the Vietnamese tradition of “Drinking water, remember its source”. So far, Vietnam has identified 9.2 million national devotees, of whom 1.3 million receive a monthly allowance. Each year, the Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs sector pays lump-sum allowances to 8,000 people and provides health care for more than 580,000 national devotees. The monthly allowance is adjusted regularly based on the rise of the base salary.

On July 21 the government adopted Decree 55, raising the standard level for allowances for national devotees to 87 USD a month. During the 2012-2022 period, the Party and State spent 15.4 billion USD to implement policies for national devotees and families of national devotees. More than 560 million USD was raised to build 84,000 houses and repair 69,000 houses for families of national devotees. More than 126,000 savings books worth 43 million USD have been presented to social policy beneficiaries.

3,000 heroic Vietnamese mothers have been given life-long care by organizations and individuals.

99% of households of national devotees enjoy living conditions equal to or higher than the local average. 99% of communes and wards have implemented the policies for war invalids and martyrs.

Youth Union members of the People's Police of Cao Bang province clean graves at the martyrs' cemetery (Photo: VOV)

Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Ba Hoan said: "We have effectively mobilized social resources to care for and nurture national devotees. Social organizations and individual donors have engaged in caring for the lives of heroic Vietnamese mothers and people with meritorious service, taking care of the graves of heroes and martyrs, and building martyrs' temples. On this occasion, authorities at all levels have spent hundreds of billions of dong from the central budget, local budgets and other sources mobilized through the Vietnam Fatherland Front, associations, and entrepreneurs to take care of people with meritorious service."

Policies for national devotees have been implemented nationwide in Vietnam for years, reflecting the Party and State’s special consideration of people with meritorious service and contributing greatly to ensuring social security and sustainable national development.