On the occasion of the 77th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs' Day (July 27, 1947 - July 27, 2024), the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs and related agencies hosted a ceremony to honor revolutionary contributors and launch the DNA database for unidentified soldiers and their relatives.

In his speech at the ceremony, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, on behalf of the Party and State leadership, expressed deep gratitude to the families of those who have contributed to the revolution.

The Prime Minister noted that the ceremony was held in profound sorrow following the passing of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, a distinguished leader of the Party and State who always paid special attention to the care and recognition of war invalids, martyrs, and revolutionary contributors.

July 27 each year has become a sacred and humanitarian day for the entire nation, an occasion to remember, honor, and appreciate the immense contributions of heroes, war invalids, martyrs, and families of those who have contributed to the revolution.

The Prime Minister stated that, with the country's development, the nation must remember its heroic past and continually honor those who have sacrificed their blood and lives for the country.

He emphasized that over the past 77 years, policies for those who have contributed to the revolution have been continually researched, revised, and implemented meticulously. The living standards of these individuals and their families have consistently improved, both materially and spiritually.

Currently, 99% of families of those who have contributed to the revolution live at or above the average standard of their local areas. This reflects the implementation of the policy that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong frequently highlighted: "We should not sacrifice the environment, society, or social equity for mere economic development."

The activation of the DNA database aims to achieve the goal of completing the identification of over 20,000 fallen soldier remains and striving to identify 60% of soldiers in cemeteries.

Currently, there are approximately 180,000 fallen soldiers whose remains have not been found, and 300,000 soldier remains in cemeteries whose identities have not been confirmed. The formation of the DNA database, with approximately 600,000 samples for both fallen soldiers and their relatives, is intended to identify the remains of soldiers whose identities are still unknown.

Earlier in the ceremony, Minister of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung stated that the Decree on preferential treatment for revolutionary contributors and related documents have timely institutionalized the Party's policies on honoring these individuals.

The scope of those receiving benefits has expanded, and preferential policies have improved, ensuring fairness and societal consensus.

In July, the President has presented gifts to nearly 1.4 million individuals who have contributed to the revolution and their families.

The government has also issued Decree No. 77, which increases the standard subsidy for revolutionary contributors from 2.05 million VND to 2.789 million VND (a 35.7% increase).

This is the highest increase in the subsidy level for revolutionary contributors in recent decades, welcomed and supported by public opinion and those concerned.

Regarding housing support for revolutionary contributors from 2013 to 2020, with more than 10,000 billion VND from central budget sources, new and repaired homes have been provided to 393,707 households.

The new housing support program for revolutionary contributors is set to continue until 2025, with a projected 162,000 households and a budget of over 7,000 billion VND.

In the past two years, standardized information on tombstones for fallen soldiers has been updated, with 20,000 tombstones previously marked as "unknown soldier" now standardized as "soldier’s grave with unidentified information" according to regulations.

Over the past six years, the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs has processed over 7,000 files, with more than 2,400 fallen soldiers and over 2,700 war invalids recognized and honored.

The 2024 ceremony to honor revolutionary contributors was attended by over 400 delegates from across the country, including 13 revolutionary elders, 6 Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, 36 Heroes of the People's Armed Forces, Heroes of Labor during the resistance period, and over 200 war invalids.

Among the delegates was Mr. Le Quang A, who turned 100 this year, having 80 years in the Party, from Ha Tinh province, and Vietnamese Heroic Mothers Le Thi Thanh (born 1932, from Binh Dinh province), who lost her husband, son, and sister during the two resistance wars.

Vu Diep