Practical actions taken to pay tribute to revolutionary contributors

Over the past 75 years, Wounded and Fallen Soldiers' Day (July 27) has always provided a great day for the country to pay tribute to those who sacrificed themselves for the national independence, peace and unification.

Officials visit and present gifts to Nguyen Thi Duyen, a fallen soldier’s wife in Ward 4, Da Lat City, Lam Dong Province.
Officials visit and present gifts to Nguyen Thi Duyen, a fallen soldier’s wife in Ward 4, Da Lat City, Lam Dong Province.

Since February 16, 1947, when President Ho Chi Minh signed Decree No. 20-SL on regulating disability and retirement pension and death gratuity for wounded and fallen soldiers, the basic principles of Ho Chi Minh's thoughts on the work related to wounded and fallen soldiers have been concretised by the Party and State into preferential policies and laws for revolutionary contributors and supplemented, amended, perfected and carried out throughout the country.

On that basis, since the beginning of the national renewal in 1986, the preferential policies and laws for wounded and fallen soldiers and revolutionary devotees have made important changes to suit the socio-economic situation, towards expansion in terms of subjects and coverage of most aspects of life.

In 2020, on the basis of reviewing the implementation of the Ordinances No. 26/2005/PL-UBTVQH11 and No.04/2012/UBTVQH13 on incentives for people with meritorious services to the revolution, the Government submitted Ordinance No.02/2020/UBTVQH14 on incentives for revolutionary contributors to the National Assembly Standing Committee. Having taken effect from July 1, 2021, the ordinance has many new points towards increasing the preferential regime and expanding the number of people enjoying preferential treatment for people with meritorious services. The ordinance has created a favourable conditions for agencies, organisations and individuals to participate more actively in activities to show gratitude to national contributors.

Specifically, Directive No. 14-CT/TW, dated July 19, 2017, was released by the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee (12th tenure) to continue strengthening the Party’s leadership in the work related to revolutionary contributors continues to standardise the conditions and criteria for considering and recognising people with meritorious service in accordance with strict principles. As a result, the preferential regime for people with meritorious services and their relatives has been uniformly and clearly defined with prompt implementation of subjects and the beneficiary regime for people with meritorious services and their relatives.

Defining the care for wounded soldiers, the families of fallen soldiers, and revolutionary contributors as a great responsibilityand honour in showing affection and gratitude to those who have made merits to the struggle for national independence and the cause of national construction and defence, the Party committees and authorities at all levels have actively and effectively implemented movements with many specific activities.

As of the end of 2021, the norm of households with people with meritorious services to the revolution having a standard of living equal to or higher than the average living standard of the population in their residence has reached 98.6%. The movement of taking care of heroic Vietnamese mothers has received great interest and enhanced. There are 3,736 of 139,882 heroic Vietnamese mothers receiving care from various units. The construction and renovation of cemeteries and memorial works for fallen soldiers were paid much attention.

More than 3,200 martyrs’ cemeteries and over 3,000 projects in tribute to fallen soldiers have been repaired and upgraded to ensure sustainability and solemnity and to meet the people’s demand of visiting and paying homage to fallen soldiers as well as contributing to strengthening education on patriotism and history.

The implementation of preferential policies for wounded and fallen soldiers and people with meritorious services to the revolution is the responsibility of the whole Party, people and political system.

In order to promote the results and achievements in the care for wounded and sick soldiers, families of fallen soldiers and people with meritorious services over the past 75 years, the Party committees, the authorities, the Fatherland Front committees and socio-political organisations at all levels should continue to propagate the guidelines and policies of the Party and State related to wounded, sick and fallen soldiers and revolutionary contributors. It is alo essential to raise public awareness of the implementation of preferential policies for people with meritorious services, contributing to consolidating the great national unity bloc and strengthening the people's confidence in the Party and State.