Implementing the teachings of President Ho Chi Minh that “War invalids, and martyr’s families are entitled people of the country and people. For this reason, our duty is to appreciate, take care and assist them”, over the past years, under the leadership of the Party, our people have upheld the tradition of “Gratitude is a sign of noble souls”. We are always respectful, grateful and highly appreciate the devotion to the revolution of the invalids, and martyrs families. Besides, we have always taken care of their spiritual and material lives so that they can overcome hardships and ensure that their living standards are at least as good as the average level of their community.

Originated from the people, during its establishment, fighting and development, the Army has always been closely linked with people; and together with the whole country, it has paid appropriate compensations to war invalids and myrtyr families and considered it our responsibility and a political mission of special importance. The military policy sector has actively directed, proposed and guided the identification and payment for policy beneficiaries. Accordingly, since 2010, it has filed, and exactly and timely proposed the recognition of martyr for nearly 600 cases; invalid for nearly 5,000 cases; sick soldiers for 1,300 cases, Vietnam’s heroic mother for nearly 73,000.

Sr. Col Nguyen Xuan Yem, Deputy Director of the Department of Policies, met with the delagation of revolutionary contributors of Quang Ngai province

Since the implementation of the Project 1237 in 2013, units and localities throughout the country have searched, collected and reburried nearly 9,200 martyrs’ remains (including 1,500 ones in Laos and 3,100 ones in Cambodia). The “Repaying gratitude” movement has developed profoundly, mobilizing various resources, bringing about concrete effectiveness and attracting the participation of people at all levels. Since 2010, the Army has contributed more than 443 billion VND to the “Repaying gratitude” fund; taken care of 1,776 Vietnam heroic mothers; employed 321 people who are wives and children of martyrs and invalids; built and repaired over 7,200 houses of gratitude, over 7,660 houses of social policy benificiary; granted over 5,000 ceritficates of savings deposit with total amount of over 7.3 billion VND for policy beneficiaries; provided vehicles and equipment for Sanatoriums with total value of nearly 70 billion VND; conducted health examination and treatment for more than 900,000 policy benificiaries and ordinary people; made brotherhood with Sanatoriums and the Friendship Village, etc.

In recent years, as entitled by the Prime Minister, the Army has actively proposed and implemented policies for people who took part in the resistance war and Homeland protection war and people serving international obligations. Implementing the Decision 142/2008/QĐ-TTg dated 27 October 2008 of the Prime Minister, there have been 12,700 people getting monthly subsidy; nearly 967,000 people getting once-paid subsidy with total value of over 4,200 billion VND. Respectively, under the Decision 62/2011/QĐ-TTg of the Prime Minister, the numbers of people getting the above-mentioned subsidies are nearly 1,300 and over 1 million.

However, war consequences are serious, and backlogs on policies in the aftermath of war is still tremendous and complicated. To overcome the shortcomings and further improving the care for the invalids, martyrs’ families and revolutionary contributors, in the coming time, it is necessary to focus on the following solutions:

First, promote propagation about the Party and State’s guidelines and policies, and directives and resolutions of upper levels on the invalids, martyrs’ families and revolution contributors. Party committees, commanders of units should focus on leading and strengthening propagation and education to make their cadres and troops deeply aware of the aims and significance of the policy work in general and of the policies for the invalids, martyrs’ families and revolution contributors in particular. Besides, it is necessary to grasp and enhance awareness of the contents, requirements of directives, guidances regarding policy work; keep close to grass roots to understand the desires and matters relating to policies.

Second, it is necessary to update the  the country and the Army situation to actively propose to the Party and State solutions to perfect the system of legal documents in favourable to revolution contributors. Attach importance to studying, prioritizing, supplementing regulations on subjects, criteria, procedure, file for implementation of the Order for favourable treatment to revolution contributors; adjust and supplement the Decree 56/2013/NĐ-CP of the Prime Minister on details and guidance for implementation of some articles of the Order on criterias to be awarded the State title of “Vietnam heroic mother”; perfect the Project on mechanism and policy for people who contributed to the resistance wars but now are living abroad; actively discover and propose guidelines, solutions for matters emerging during the implementation of policies for revolutionary contributors, and for whom taking part in resistance wars, Homeland proctection wars and  international obligations.

Third, timely and thoroughly implementing mechanisms, policies for military personnel who are invalids, martyrs’ family members and revolutionary contributors. Actively dealing with situations and carefully conducting policies to support servicemen who were wounded or killed in mission. Regularly  reviewing the leadership, direction and implementation of the policies; screening, assessing the procedure of filing and settling backlogs in post-war policies; timely solving the shortcomings in certifying invalids when discovered; spreading good methods, creative ideas; promoting democracy, equaility, publicity and transparency.

Fourth, promoting profoundly the “Repaying gratitude” movement. Levels should have synchronous implementation of solutions to make the movement grow more robustly through out the whole armed forces and nationwide. Mobilizing and coordinating social resources with a number of models and methods to improve living standard of policy beneficiaries.

To enhance the effectiveness of the “Repaying gratitude” movement and of  the policies for invalids, martyrs’ families and revolution contributors, units should coordinate closely with party committees and authorities of localities where they are stationed to lead, direct, implement thoroughly policies on beneficiaries, and avoid wrongdoings during the implementation.

Fifth, strengthening the leadership and fully implementing the directives of the Politburo and decisions of the Prime Minister on searching, collecting of martyrs’ remains and paying attention to implementing policies on army personnel who belong to revolutionary contributors’ families. Units and localities should foster the Project on searching and collecting of martyrs’ remains; speed up the work in Laos and Cambodia. Paying attention to education and vocational training, job creation for the policy beneficiaries and their children. Taking good care of and improving material and spiritual lives of the invalids, martyrs’s families, and people who contributed to the revolutionary cause, particularly those who are in difficulities.

Further improving the policies for the invalids, martyrs’ families, revolution contributors in the coming time is a concrete work reflecting the tradition of “Gratitude is the sign of noble souls” and “Gratefullness and kindness” of Vietnamese people. Fully implementing the work will help us honor and pay gratitude to the numerous contribution of martyrs, invalids and revolution contributors who sacrificed part of or their whole lives for the cause of national liberation, construction and protection.

Major General , Doctor. Tran Van Minh

Director of the Department of Policies