The Ministry of Defence held a get-together in Hanoi on July 4 to mark the 60^th War Invalids and Martyrs’ Day (July 27).

Speaking at the meeting, the Minister of Defence Senior Lieutenant-General Phung Quang Thanh expressed his deep thanks to the families of war invalids and martyrs, as well as those who rendered great service to the nation during the war. To uphold the nation’s tradition of paying debts and gratitude, he said the Ministry of Defence will boost the implementation of policies on social-beneficiary families and promote the search for remains of soldiers missing in action during the war.

Since 1994, the Ministry has raised VND149 billion for the Gratitude Fund, taken care of 1,400 heroic mothers, brought up more than 1,000 children of war invalids and martyrs and generated jobs for more than 6,000 children of war invalids and martyrs. Military units have donated more than 24,000 savings books worth over VND30 billion and built 7,400 houses worth VND63 billion for social-beneficiary families.

The Defence Ministry has launched a movement to build an additional 1,000 compassionate houses this year. In addition, military units have found and reburied the remains of more than 61,000 soldiers.

Meanwhile, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Pham The Duyet, Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Hang and Secretary of the Thai Nguyen provincial Party Committee Nguyen Bac Son visited and presented gifts to several families of war invalids and martyrs, including the family of heroic Vietnamese mother Tran Thi Ninh, 98 years old.

The delegation also visited a memorial site in Hung Son commune, Dai Tu district where the national day of war invalids and martyrs (July 27) was announced.

To mark the event, Thai Nguyen province is set to allocate VND2 billion for the Gratitude Fund, build 160 compassionate houses, upgrade martyrs’ cemeteries and monuments and preserve revolutionary and historical relic sites.