The Ministry of Home Affairs and other agencies organized the gathering to commemorate the 78th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs' Day. 250 attendees, including historical witnesses, wounded veterans, former prisoners of war, and relatives of martyrs, represented over 9.2 million people with meritorious services to the nation. The oldest attendee was 102 and joined the revolution in 4/1945, while the youngest was a 32-year-old wounded veteran.

Among the attendees was wounded veteran Le Xuan Chinh, who had the opportunity to revisit a documentary photo of himself taken 53 years ago while defending the Quang Tri Citadel during the fierce summer of 1972. The photo, taken by journalist Doan Cong Tinh on the morning of 15/8/1972, captures young soldiers in pith helmets, rifles slung over their shoulders, laughing and talking during a rare ceasefire between battles. Published in the Nhan Dan newspaper on 2/9/1972, the photo was titled "Smile of Victory at Quang Tri Citadel".

Mr. Chinh, then 19 and one year into his service, had been deployed to defend the Citadel. 20 days after the photo was taken, he was injured in a battle and transferred north in 1973. He was surprised to see the photo in Nhan Dan while recovering from his wounds.

"So many comrades sacrificed their lives. Those who remained couldn’t give up. We held our weapons firmly to defend the Citadel, confident in the army's leadership and believing in our eventual victory," he said, recalling the smiles amidst the smoke and fire 53 years ago.

Every July, the 72-year-old veteran and his comrades return to Quang Tri to offer incense and food to their fallen comrades. Five of the 10 men from his hometown died in the war – a lingering sorrow he has carried for years.

Veteran Le Xuan Chinh, the soldier in the photo "Smile of Victory at Quang Tri Citadel", taken by journalist Doan Cong Tinh in 8/1972. *Photo: Viet Trung*

Also present was wounded veteran Le Duc Luan, a former anti-aircraft artillery soldier of the 367th Air Defense Division. He vividly remembers the near-death experiences he endured from severe fevers after being seriously wounded. Mr. Luan enlisted in 1971 and served in the Quang-Da battlefield, stationed at Kham Duc Airport after its liberation.

In early 1973, his unit received orders to march further south, potentially to participate in the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign. The journey was arduous; the heavy anti-aircraft guns were difficult to transport, making progress slow. American reconnaissance planes flew overhead, and the threat of encountering enemy commandos loomed. When their truck was bombed, Mr. Luan was severely injured and unable to continue fighting. During his journey back north, he experienced three near-fatal fevers, transferring from truck to stretcher, taking almost six months to reach his destination.

"When I joined the army, I was 1.7 meters tall and weighed 65 kg. By the time I arrived at Military Hospital 111, I was down to 37 kg due to injuries and malaria. The doctor, looking at my hair and beard, said I looked like a wild man," the silver-haired veteran recounted.

With a 92% disability rating, Mr. Luan spent years undergoing treatment at the Thuan Thanh Center (Bac Ninh). His fellow patients found ways to cope with their pain and earn extra income: some wrote poetry or articles for newspapers, while others learned to repair machinery.

"Peace came at the cost of millions of lives and the happiness of countless families. I hope that today's young generation, regardless of their position, will strive and contribute tirelessly as Vietnamese citizens," he urged.

Many attendees were moved to tears as they listened to the veterans' wartime memories. *Photo: Viet Trung*

'The country's strong development is a profound tribute to those with meritorious services'

Speaking at the gathering, General Secretary To Lam emphasized that expressing gratitude is not only an important political activity but also a deep manifestation of the tradition of remembering the source of the water we drink. He expressed gratitude to the nearly 1.2 million martyrs – young people who put aside their dreams and studies to go to war; to the millions who remain forever along the country from north to south; to those who returned but left parts of their bodies on the battlefield; and to the children born with the legacy of war.

"We deeply share the etched pain, the aching wounds, and the longing eyes of relatives who have yet to receive information or locate the graves of their loved ones," he said.

Continuing the 78-year journey of repaying gratitude, the General Secretary reiterated the Party and State's consistent view that those with meritorious services are invaluable assets of the nation. Based on this principle, many policies and preferential treatments have been expanded and improved. In addition to allowances and subsidies, they receive healthcare and housing improvements. Efforts to search for and gather the remains of martyrs are being accelerated with strong determination. Initial positive results have been achieved in identifying the remains of martyrs with missing information thanks to DNA technology.

"Just yesterday, we received news that five more martyrs were identified and returned to their families through modern technology," he said.

General Secretary To Lam speaks at the meeting with people with meritorious services on 24/7. *Photo: Viet Trung*

The General Secretary requested all levels and localities to review and improve preferential policies for people with meritorious services, addressing their proposals, wishes, and legitimate rights with empathy and reason. He urged prompt administrative procedures for recognizing their contributions, ensuring uninterrupted disbursement of allowances, even during administrative restructuring.

Furthermore, agencies need to intensify the search for and repatriation of martyrs' remains, apply technology to identify the remains of martyrs with missing information, combine increased state budget allocation with social resources to implement policies for people with meritorious services, and improve the quality of support policies for the families of soldiers and police officers.

"The country's powerful development is the most practical and meaningful tribute, because those who fell and generations of people with meritorious services always carried within them the burning desire for independence, freedom, prosperity, and happiness for the nation," he emphasized.

Reporting to the 250 delegates, Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra stated that since 2024, over 7,000 backlogged cases have been resolved, including over 2,400 martyrs and over 2,700 wounded veterans and beneficiaries recognized by the Prime Minister.

In the past two years, the country has built and repaired over 41,800 houses for people with meritorious services, with 1,970 billion VND from the state budget and social contributions. The 2025 preferential allowance standard has increased by over 70% compared to 2021, significantly improving the lives of millions. Over 96% of households with meritorious services have a living standard equal to or higher than the average in their communities.

"In the coming time, the Ministry of Home Affairs will continue to advise the Party and State leaders on increasing the preferential allowance and subsidy standards to be the highest among social policies," Ms. Tra said, adding that the Home Affairs sector will strive harder in the search and identification of martyrs' remains, as over 200,000 martyrs have not yet been repatriated and nearly 300,000 have not yet been identified.

The country has over 9.2 million people with meritorious services to the revolution, including over 1.2 million martyrs, nearly 140,000 Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, over 600,000 wounded and sick soldiers, and millions of relatives of martyrs, revolutionaries, resistance fighters, former prisoners of war, and Agent Orange victims.

Hoang Phuong