On the basis of the Secretariat’s Proposal, the Politburo of the Party Central Committee (VI tenure) decided to establish the National Association of Vietnamese Veterans (NAVV) on 6 December 1989. Since then, this date has become the Traditional Day of Vietnamese veterans and NAVV. The birth of NAVV is a milestone in the political, spiritual life, which meets the heartfelt, legitimate aspirations of Vietnamese veterans. Accordingly, the NAVV is organised and developed rapidly. It has attracted the participation of a large number of combat-experienced guerrillas, self-defenders, officers, and soldiers of Vietnam People's Army (VPA) in various revolutionary periods with a view to "… preserving and bringing into play the revolutionary combat tradition of the VPA's soldiers, solidarity and mutual assistance among veterans so as to educate young generations in traditions, and providing bodies of the Party and State with opinions, including those about policies on veterans, contributing to safeguarding revolutionary achievements and maintaining security, social order and safety."

Over the past 30 years, as a member of Vietnamese Fatherland Front, a political foundation of people's power, and an organisation of the political system led by the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) and operated along the Party's guidelines, State's policies, and NAVV's regulations, NAVV and its members have continued to leverage their nature and tradition of "Uncle Ho's Soldiers," actively taken part in building and protecting the Party, State and socialist regime, and defended the people and the great national unity. NAVV's various levels regularly educate and incentivise members to uphold political steadfastness, tap into the nature and tradition of "Uncle Ho's Soldiers," realise and encourage people to strictly comply with the Party's guidelines and the State's policies and law. Besides, they actively participate in the campaign of Party building and establishment of a pure and strong political system at grass-roots level, operationalise the regulation on grassroots level democracy, actively combat corruption, wastefulness, shortcomings, and social evils, take initiative in preventing and countering incorrect, reactionary standpoints, collaborate with agencies, industries, and unions to timely advise Party committees to respond to flashpoints and complex situations in a resolute, sensible and effective manner so as to defeat all plots and acts of "peaceful evolution" and sabotage of hostile forces, contributing to firmly maintaining political stability in localities.

Heightening self-reliance and resilience, veterans actively help each other in developing economy, improving their life, striving for sustainable poverty reduction, growing rich legally, and participating effectively in socio-economic development programmes of localities and the country. NAVV's various levels actively motivate their members to tap into the sense of self-reliance, resilience, venturesomeness, and creativeness, all resources, support of local party committees, authorities, branches, and unions as well as the State's preferential treatment policies for veterans to enhance mutual assistance in developing economy, improving life, reducing poverty quickly and sustainably, getting rich legally, contributing to the common development of the society and country.

NAVV has closely collaborated with agencies, branches, and unions to participate actively and effectively in national, local movements and campaigns. Realising the Joint Resolution "On coordinating activities between Viet Nam People's Army and National Association of Vietnamese Veterans," NAVV's organisations have signed with people's committees, departments, agencies, and unions at their own levels to implement cross-sector coordination programmes on the search and collection of martyrs' remains, expressing gratitude to companions, and performing the work of thanksgiving, etc., contributing to improving the effectiveness of propaganda and education about the tradition "When you drink water, remember its source" for young generations. "Vietnamese veterans participate in promoting traffic order and safety" and establishment of traffic culture have been put into practice by means of copious, creative content, forms, and models by NAVV's organisations, contributing to, together with the whole people, successfully preserving Homeland security, preventing and combating criminal offences, drug trafficking and consumption, and social evils.

In response to the campaigns "The whole people make joint effort to build new-style countryside and civilised urban areas," "Vietnamese people give priority to the use of Vietnamese goods," etc., local associations of Vietnamese veterans have collaborated with veteran-owned cooperatives and businesses as well as local authorities to hold many exhibitions and fairs to advertise and introduce products, and bring goods to rural and mountainous areas to serve people's needs. Additionally, they have actively taken part in the movements of environmental protection and food hygiene and safety, contributing to the effective implementation of the national target programme on new-style rural area building. The local associations of Vietnamese veterans have also donated hundreds of billion of Vietnamese Dong to affection and gratitude funds (Natural Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Fund, Fund for the Poor, Fund for Agent Orange/Dioxin, Study Encouragement Fund, and so on), and collaborated with the Businessperson Association of the National Association of Vietnamese Veterans to propagandise, mobilise, and use affection and gratitude funds and social funds effectively, thereby contributing to stabilising the members' material, spiritual life, deepening their comradeship, and strengthening solidarity among members themselves as well as between members and NAVV and people from different walks of life.

Actively participating in educating young generations in patriotism, love of socialism, and revolutionary heroism. Matching words with deeds is the motto of millions of veterans. Many veterans are shining examples to all people. Veteran associations at all echelons have collaborated with the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU) to actively educate young generations in patriotism, love of socialism, and pride in revolutionary heroism, discover, monitor and cultivate excellent members of the HCYU for admission to the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV), motivate members of the HCYU and young people to join the armed forces, support and create jobs for those who have fulfilled military service and are in difficult situations. In addition, they have coordinated effective implementation of the "four togethers with young people starting their life and careers" movement, contributing to creating favourable conditions for the youth to study, work, improve their physical and spiritual health, and develop social skills. Veteran associations have also effectively carried out "The youth join hands to build new-style rural areas" campaign, motivated economically successful businesspeople and veterans to share experience, assist members of the HCYU and young people in starting their life and careers, and create jobs for military personnel completing their military service.

Promoting people's diplomacy to contribute to the success of guidelines and foreign policies of the Party and State. NAVV attaches special importance to and actively strengthens the friendly and cooperative relations with the National Association of Lao veterans and the National Association of Cambodian veterans in an increasingly deep, expedient, and effective direction. Province- and district-level associations of veterans take initiative in stepping up exchange and cooperation activities with their counterparts of these two neighbouring countries, especially the associations of the border provinces and districts. It is also necessary to maintain information exchange and close relations with veteran organisations of Russia, the United States, South Korea, Marroc, Germany, Poland, Bulgaria, Cuba, etc., contributing to strengthening the friendly relations among peoples, introducing other countries' veterans to foreign policies of our Party and State, and addressing the aftermath of wars. Associations of veterans keep in regular contact with clubs and liaison committees of overseas Vietnamese veterans to motivate them to preserve and bring into play fine dignity of "Uncle Ho's Soldiers," contributing to community mobilisation work and veteran movements at home. Furthermore, they advocate active and responsible participation in international veteran organisations such as the Veterans Confederation of ASEAN Countries (VECONAC), World Veterans Federation (WVF), and the Standing Committee for Asia and the Pacific (SCAP), thereby contributing to operationalising the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation, and mutual development of the Party and State as well as heightening Viet Nam's prestige in the international arena.

In recognition of NAVV's contributions in the past 30 years to the renovation process of the Party and country, it has been awarded the Ho Chi Minh Order (in 2012), two first-class Independence Orders (in 2002 and 2009), a first-class Labour Order (in 2017), and a third-class Labour Order (in 2005) by the State of Viet Nam. The Democratic Republic of Laos has also presented the Freedom Order (Issara), first class, to NAVV. Additionally, 21 individuals have been honoured with the title of Labour Hero in the Renovation Period. Hundreds of units and thousands of individuals have been praised and honoured with other noble titles. These can be seen as the catalysts for generations of Vietnamese veterans to continue to bring into play the nature of "Uncle Ho's Soldiers" and NAVV's glorious tradition of "faithfulness, solidarity, exemplariness, innovation" and heighten the sense of responsibility, unity, self-reliance, resilience, dynamics, and creativeness to build a pure, robust association, which is on a par with  missions and position of a sociopolitical union and deserves the trust of the Party, State and people, making vital contribution to national construction and defence in the new era.

Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Duoc,

Chairman of the National Association of Vietnamese Veterans