Sixty years ago, July 27, 1947 was selected by late President Ho Chi Minh as National Invalids and Martyrs Day. Since then, the national tradition of “Drinking waters, remember its source” has been amply demonstrated by launching a significant movement “Paying debts of gratitude” in which the sacrifices of heroic invalids and martyrs as well as those who have rendered great services to the nation.

Among the 8.2 million recipients, there are 46,770 heroic mothers, 665,000 sick solders, nearly 500,000 martyrs’ relatives, 8,800 revolutionary war veterans and more than 15,000 others involved in revolutionary services.

Apart from the allowance policy, the State has issued many other incentive policies on education and training, tax exemption and reduction, allocation of production land, housing, healthcare and vocational training and job creation for the children of social beneficiaries. The State has made efforts to resolve issues related to the verification and recognition of those being entitled to enjoy the incentive policies while continuing to search for and gather martyrs’ remains, restore martyrs’ cemeteries and report sections of the martyrs; graves to their families.

During the past years, the “Paying debts of gratitude” movement has received an active response from all sections of the population, testifying to the responsibility and sentiment of the entire society towards those who sacrificed their lives for the cause of national independence and defence. The movement has mobilized social strength and effectively helped the State implement its policies for people credited with revolutionary services. Providing support and care for those credited with great services to the nation has become a regular activity launched by more than 10 residential quarters throughout the country through different movements such as building “Paying debts of gratitude” funds and compassionate houses, caring for martyrs’ old and sick parents and orphans, and donating savings books to martyr’s families.

Such activities have significantly contributed to improving the material and spiritual life of people credited with revolutionary services.

So far, the “Paying debts of gratitude” movement has raised a total VND2,398 billion to help build and repair 347,537 houses, build 15,000 “compassionate” orchards, provide stable accommodation for 300,000 social beneficiaries and offer more than 604,000 savings books to martyrs’ families.

Notably, nearly 9,700 communes and districts across the country have been recognised by the Municipal and Provincial People’s Committees as having well implemented the incentive policies for those who have rendered great services to the nation.

Currently, 85 percent of the country’s social beneficiary families have their living standards equal to or higher than the average living standards of local residents.

There is no denying that the incentive policies for invalids and martyrs have recorded tremendous achievements during the past 60 years. However, they still expose weaknesses in dealing with issues related to the lives of a segment of social beneficiary families living in the former revolutionary bases and remote and mountainous areas inhabited by ethnic minority people. On the other hand, petitions and complaints from those credited with revolutionary services in some localities have not been handled properly and in a timely manner.