A heartfelt expression of gratitude.

In his appeal on "National War Invalids Day" (July 27, 1948), President Ho Chi Minh emphasized: "...War invalids and fallen soldiers have sacrificed for the Fatherland, have sacrificed for their compatriots. To repay that debt of gratitude, the Government must find every way to help war invalids and the families of fallen soldiers. I also earnestly hope that our compatriots will be ready to help them both materially and spiritually..."

Fulfilling the cherished wishes of President Ho Chi Minh, over the years, the Party, the State, and the people of Vietnam in general, and Phu Tho province in particular, have wholeheartedly assisted wounded soldiers, families of martyrs, and those who have contributed to the revolution with profound gratitude. This has fostered pride in today's generation, becoming a driving force to help them continue to uphold the patriotic tradition and build an increasingly prosperous and beautiful homeland.

Lieutenant General Hoang Khanh Hung - Chairman of the Vietnam Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs and Heroic Vietnamese Mothers - presented Certificates of Commendation to individuals who are members of the Phu Tho Provincial Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs and Heroic Vietnamese Mothers for their outstanding achievements in building the Association's organization and paying tribute to martyrs and Heroic Vietnamese Mothers.

Proud of the heroic traditions of our homeland.

According to statistics from the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, Phu Tho province has more than 256,000 people who have rendered meritorious services to the revolution, including 1,251 Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, 121 veteran revolutionary cadres, 462 pre-revolution cadres, more than 11,300 wounded and sick soldiers, more than 18,300 martyrs, and 7,346 people who directly participated in the resistance war and their children affected by chemical toxins.

Upholding the fine traditions and moral principles of "Drinking water, remember the source" and "Showing gratitude and repaying kindness," for the past 77 years, the Party Committee and people of Phu Tho province have always paid attention to resolving preferential policies for meritorious people and the relatives and families of martyrs quickly and promptly.

Monthly allowances are paid to nearly 23,000 people with an annual budget exceeding 500 billion VND, in a complete, timely, and transparent manner. Programs for caring for war veterans and their families are implemented promptly. 99.98% of families receiving preferential treatment in the province have a living standard equal to or higher than the average living standard of the people in their residential area. 100% of surviving Vietnamese Heroic Mothers are cared for by organizations and individuals inside and outside the province.

The fundraising efforts for the "Gratitude and Repayment" Fund raise nearly 4 billion VND annually. Programs such as building "Houses of Gratitude," donating "Savings Accounts of Gratitude," caring for elderly and lonely parents of martyrs, orphaned children of martyrs, and supporting Heroic Vietnamese Mothers have created a widespread impact, contributing to the stability and improvement of the material and spiritual lives of wounded soldiers, sick soldiers, relatives of martyrs, and those who have rendered meritorious service.

The organization of visits and gift-giving to families of war heroes and martyrs on the occasion of War Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27th), annual holidays and Tet (Lunar New Year), as well as the work of caring for graves and martyrs' cemeteries, is given special attention by departments and localities in the province.

The Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee have directed departments, agencies, mass organizations, and units to effectively implement preferential policies on housing and education for children of war invalids and martyrs; healthcare; prioritize loans from the national employment fund for production development; support production and business establishments of war invalids, sick soldiers, and war invalids and martyrs, creating conditions for war invalids and their relatives to have jobs, increase income, and stabilize their lives.

In addition, the work of resolving outstanding post-war policy issues, especially the search for and collection of the remains of fallen soldiers and the construction of martyrs' cemeteries, has been given attention by all levels and sectors.

Party committees and local authorities have always closely coordinated with the Provincial Military Command to seriously carry out the search and collection of the remains of martyrs; meticulously organizing the reception of the remains of martyrs who sacrificed their lives throughout the country and those who served on international missions for burial in their hometowns.

The Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs has always been proactive in coordinating with the Provincial Military Command and relevant agencies in verifying the remaining martyrs and war invalids from various periods, implementing policies for former youth volunteers, and providing benefits for those who participated in the resistance war and their children exposed to chemical toxins.

Over more than 12 years of development and growth, the Phu Tho Provincial Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs (HTGĐLS) now has over 1,000 members operating in 9 district-level branches and 15 affiliated branches. The Association has corrected and provided information on martyrs for 7,114 cases; assisted in relocating 158 remains of martyrs back to their hometowns; searched for and identified martyrs using empirical methods and DNA testing for 172 cases; donated 16 houses of gratitude and 68 savings accounts; and provided 2,518 gifts to relatives of martyrs' families.

These results clearly affirm the role and position of the Association and have been recognized by the Party Committee, the government, and the people of the province. The Provincial Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs has been assigned by the Provincial People's Committee to be a member of the Provincial Steering Committee for searching, gathering, and identifying martyrs, the Provincial Steering Committee for recognizing meritorious individuals, and a member of the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee...

Youth union members lay flowers to commemorate and pay tribute to the heroic martyrs at the Provincial Martyrs' Memorial on Ca Chuoi Hill, Chu Hoa commune, Viet Tri city.

An effort to "restore his name"

Throughout the wars of resistance against France and the United States, and the border wars in the North and Southwest, our country suffered the deaths of over 4 million civilians due to bombs, bullets, and enemy killings; over 127,000 Heroic Vietnamese Mothers lost their husbands and sons in the wars to defend the Fatherland, with only about 3,000 still alive; 1,146,250 martyrs, of which nearly 180,000 have yet to be found, their remains still lying on the battlefields of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and the northern border. More than 300,000 remains of martyrs have been brought back and interred in martyrs' cemeteries, but their names, hometowns, and units have not yet been identified.

The issuance of Directive No. 24, dated March 15, 2013, by the Politburo on "Continuing to promote the search and collection of remains of martyrs from now until 2020 and beyond" has identified the search and collection of remains of martyrs as an important political task, a responsibility of the entire Party, the entire people, the entire army, and with the assistance of international friends; profoundly reflecting the moral principles and traditions of "Drinking water, remembering the source," and "Showing gratitude and repaying kindness" of our nation.

Looking back over the past nearly 14 years, the Vietnam Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs and its affiliated organizations nationwide, including the Phu Tho Provincial Association for Supporting Families of Martyrs, has become an "extended arm" connecting the Party, the State, and the families of martyrs. It has been a reliable resource for relatives of martyrs in providing and connecting information to search for the remains of martyrs and implementing the policies and regulations of the Party and Government regarding martyrs and their families.

Accordingly, the Association has received and processed information on more than 200,000 martyrs, collected samples from more than 1,000 relatives of martyrs for DNA testing, of which nearly 500 martyrs have been identified through this method.

The association has provided advice and support to 33,000 families in their search for remains; over 200 families have identified the remains of fallen soldiers through empirical methods. The activities supporting DNA testing to identify fallen soldiers have brought faith and hope to the families of fallen soldiers, contributing to reducing the practice of searching for remains through superstitious means.

The Association's organizations have coordinated with relevant agencies and localities to support families of martyrs in searching cemeteries, helping to correct information on tombstones, and excavating and relocating over 1,200 remains of martyrs back to their hometowns.

Along with supporting the search for the remains of fallen soldiers, the Association has submitted numerous written recommendations to the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs and other relevant agencies to supplement and amend some preferential policies for the relatives of fallen soldiers. These recommendations include a proposal for the State to establish a gene bank for fallen soldiers to help families who wish to identify the remains of fallen soldiers with incomplete information through DNA testing.

However, in reality, the work of searching for, collecting information on, and gathering the remains of fallen soldiers throughout the country in general and in Phu Tho province in particular is becoming increasingly difficult. Currently, there are still more than 300,000 fallen soldiers whose remains have been collected and interred in cemeteries but whose identities remain unknown, and nearly 180,000 remains of fallen soldiers that have yet to be collected. The original burial places of these soldiers have changed over time, and information about them is increasingly fading due to the dwindling number of witnesses.

The remains of fallen soldiers are often decomposed, making DNA testing difficult... while the desire to bring the remains of loved ones back to their homeland is growing. Therefore, it is necessary to continue promoting the socialization of the work of honoring fallen soldiers, and connecting information from members of the Vietnam Association for Supporting Families of Fallen Soldiers across the country to the relatives and families of fallen soldiers in each locality.

Continuing the search for information about fallen soldiers, collecting and receiving their remains back to their homeland is an extremely arduous task that is receiving special attention from the Party, the State, and all levels and sectors. Through the efforts of the Party Committee, the government, and the people of Phu Tho province, and the support of the Provincial Association for Supporting Families of Fallen Soldiers, the Association has made a positive contribution to the overall results of the Vietnam Association for Supporting Families of Fallen Soldiers in its journey of honoring the families of fallen soldiers and those who have contributed to the revolution.

The achievements of the Vietnam Association of Families of Martyrs in general and the Phu Tho Provincial Association of Families of Martyrs in particular have inspired today's generation to continue expressing gratitude and contributing, together with the entire Party, army, and people, to "restore the names" of the heroic martyrs and alleviate the pain left behind by the war.

Lieutenant General Hoang Khanh Hung

Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Families of Martyrs

Source: https://baophutho.vn/tron-nghia-tri-an-216159.htm