Caring for the lives of war invalids, sick soldiers, martyrs' families, and people with meritorious services according to Ho Chi Minh's ideology

President Ho Chi Minh always had special feelings for the families of war invalids, martyrs, and people with revolutionary contributions.

HO CHI MINH'S THOUGHT ON WOUNDED AND SICK SOLDIERS, MARTYRS' FAMILIES AND PEOPLE WITH REVOLUTIONARY MERITS

During his lifetime, President Ho Chi Minh emphasized:“When the foreign invasion came, it came like a great flood. It threatened to overwhelm the entire country. It threatened to sweep away lives and property, to drown our fathers, mothers, wives, children, and people. In the face of that danger, the majority of our beloved young people bravely rushed to the front. They were determined to use their blood and bones to build a bronze wall, a strong dike, to prevent the foreign invasion from flooding the country and harming our compatriots. They were determined to sacrifice their lives to protect the lives of their compatriots. They sacrificed their families and property to protect the families and property of their compatriots. They were determined to risk their lives to fight the enemy, to let the country and our compatriots live. They were our brave soldiers. Among them, some left a part of their body behind at the front. Some died on the battlefield. They were wounded soldiers, they were martyrs.”⁽¹⁾;“War invalids are those who have sacrificed their families and blood to protect the Fatherland and protect their compatriots. For the benefit of the Fatherland and their compatriots, you have suffered illness and crippling.”⁽²⁾. For martyrs“The blood of those martyrs has made the revolutionary flag shine redder. The heroic sacrifice of the martyrs has prepared our country for the blossoming of independence and the fruit of freedom.”⁽³⁾.

Inheriting the traditional morality of "When drinking water, remember its source" and "When eating fruit, remember the person who planted the tree" of the nation, especially understanding the sacrifices and contributions of heroic martyrs and war invalids to the country, according to Ho Chi Minh:"The Fatherland and compatriots must be grateful and help those brave sons."⁽⁴⁾This is the responsibility of the entire Party, the entire people, the entire political system from the central to local levels, and of the next generation for the great sacrifices of the previous generation.

President Ho Chi Minh presents flowers to Ms. Dao Thi Phan in Cao Bang (whose son joined the army) at the 5th National Heroes and Emulation Fighters Festival in 1966. Photo: VNA

The responsibility of the Party and Government for this work was specifically instructed by Ho Chi Minh in many speeches and writings, especially in his Testament left to the entire Party and people before his passing. He advised:“For those who have bravely sacrificed part of their blood and bones (cadres, soldiers, militia, guerrillas, youth volunteers...), the Party, the Government and the people must find every way to provide them with a stable place to live, and at the same time must open vocational training classes suitable for each person so that they can gradually become “self-reliant”.For martyrs, each locality (city, village) needs to build flower gardens and memorial stele recording the heroic sacrifices of martyrs, to forever educate the spirit of patriotism for our people.

For parents, wives and children (of war invalids and martyrs) who lack the ability to work and are in need, the local government (if in rural areas, the commune government and agricultural cooperatives) must help them find suitable jobs, and absolutely not let them go hungry or cold.⁽⁵⁾.

For local authorities, President Ho Chi Minh instructed that they should help and care for wounded soldiers, sick soldiers, and martyrs' families, depending on their specific conditions and circumstances, in order to achieve the most practical results both in the short and long term.

For each citizen, according to Ho Chi Minh, this should be considered a civic duty and responsibility. The next generation needs to be responsible for the previous generation, responsible for the great contributions and sacrifices of wounded and sick soldiers and families of martyrs. It is necessary to consistently hold the view that implementing the policy of gratitude and repayment to wounded and sick soldiers and families of martyrs is a responsibility, not a "good deed".

To the wounded and sick soldiers - those who directly benefited from the policy, President Ho Chi Minh advised them to continue the heroic tradition of revolutionary soldiers.“Must be in harmony with the people, respect the people, avoid disturbing the people. Avoid the mentality of "meritorious officials", disregarding labor, disregarding discipline. Do not be pessimistic and discouraged. Must always try hard.”⁽⁶⁾… They must try their best to increase production, gradually become self-reliant, move towards self-sufficiency, reduce difficulties for themselves, their families and society. Strive to become model citizens in the rear as they were model soldiers on the front. He always advised the wounded and sick soldiers to promote the spirit of soldiers, and to carry out the motto "disabled but not useless".

President Ho Chi Minh visited war invalids with damaged eyes (1956). Photo: VNA

Not only directly leading the country, shaping the policy implementation for wounded soldiers, sick soldiers, families of martyrs, and people with meritorious services, President Ho Chi Minh also had many activities showing his direct concern for this work full of human values ​​and imbued with humanity. In 1946, right after the country had just gained independence, President Ho Chi Minh, on behalf of the Fatherland, all compatriots and the Government, thanked the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the Freedom, Independence and Unification of the country by issuing the "Announcement on the adoption of children of martyrs".⁽⁷⁾, which clearly shows affection, gratitude, and deep sharing for the sacrifices of the martyrs.

In particular, in 1947, President Ho Chi Minh directed to choose one day of the year as "War Invalids Day" to express deep gratitude to war invalids and martyrs. On July 27, 1947, a large rally to celebrate the National War Invalids Day took place in Dai Tu, Thai Nguyen, opening the annual War Invalids and Martyrs Day. From then on, the entire Party, the entire people and the entire army always considered July 27 as the day to remember, honor and express gratitude for the great contributions of heroic martyrs, war invalids and sick soldiers - those who contributed to the revolution and the families of the martyrs. Since then, every July, President Ho Chi Minh often sent letters to visit and encourage war invalids and families of martyrs, on the one hand affirming their contributions and on the other hand encouraging them to constantly strive and rise up. During 22 years (1947 - 1969), President Ho Chi Minh sent gifts and money 14 times on War Invalids and Martyrs Day to the National War Invalids Fund for war invalids nursing homes...

CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVE POLICIES TOWARDS WOUNDED, SICK SOLDIERS, MARTYRS AND PEOPLE WITH REVOLUTIONARY MERITS

Thoroughly imbuing Ho Chi Minh’s ideology and example, preferential policies for war invalids, sick soldiers, families of martyrs and people with meritorious services are not only the morality of “When drinking water, remember its source” of the nation, but have become a major policy system of the Party and State in the cause of innovation, contributing greatly to the stability and development of society. The documents of the 6th National Congress of Delegates affirmed:

“Implement well policies for war invalids, families of martyrs, families of cadres and soldiers fighting on the front lines, and families with meritorious services to the revolution”⁽⁸⁾. In the following congresses, the Communist Party of Vietnam has always been consistent with that policy and supplemented and improved it, aiming to mobilize all social resources, promote the role and responsibility of the entire political system and the whole society to care for the lives of war invalids, families of martyrs, and families with meritorious services to the revolution. The Party document clearly states: “Mobilize all social resources together with the State to better care for the material and spiritual lives of people and families with meritorious services. Resolutely resolve the backlog of policies for people with meritorious services, especially those participating in secret activities, armed forces, and youth volunteers during the revolutionary and resistance periods...”⁽⁹⁾.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited and presented gifts to wounded and sick soldiers at the Center for Nursing Seriously Wounded and Sick Soldiers and Nursing for Meritorious People in Ha Nam province (Photo: Hoang Thong Nhat)

At the 12th National Congress, the Communist Party of Vietnam continued to affirm: "Implement well the policy of caring for people with meritorious services on the basis of mobilizing all social resources in combination with State resources; ensure that people with meritorious services have an average or higher standard of living."⁽¹⁰⁾. That spirit is also continued to be emphasized in the Document of the 13th National Congress of the Party: “Implement well the preferential policy for people with meritorious services; promote activities to repay gratitude. Continue to improve the material and spiritual life of people with meritorious services; ensure preferential treatment for people and their families in line with the trend of economic growth, progress and social justice”⁽¹¹⁾.

Based on the Party's policies and guidelines, the State has continuously built, revised, supplemented, and perfected the system of policies for war invalids, martyrs, and people with meritorious services to the revolution. These policies have been gradually legalized into two ordinances: the Ordinance on conferring and posthumously conferring the State Honorary Title "Heroic Vietnamese Mother" and the Ordinance on preferential treatment for revolutionary activists, martyrs, and families of martyrs, war invalids, sick soldiers, resistance fighters, and people with meritorious services to the revolution (now the Ordinance on preferential treatment for people with meritorious services to the revolution). The promulgation of the two ordinances on people with meritorious services, war invalids, sick soldiers, and families of martyrs is an important basis for the State and people to constantly strive to improve the quality and effectiveness of caring for families of war invalids, martyrs, and people with meritorious services to the revolution, helping them to gradually improve and enhance their material and spiritual lives.

President Ho Chi Minh with representatives of families with revolutionary contributions at the Presidential Palace (1962). Photo: VNA

CARING MORE ABOUT THE LIFE OF FAMILIES OF WOUNDED, SICK SOLDIERS, MARTYRS, AND PEOPLE WITH REVOLUTIONARY MERITS

With the right guidelines, policies, and guidelines, in line with national traditions and the aspirations of the entire population, the regime and policies for people with meritorious services have been gradually expanded in terms of beneficiaries with the subsidy level being raised annually. As of 2021, the whole country has confirmed over 9.2 million people with meritorious services, of which nearly 1.4 million people with meritorious services are receiving monthly preferential treatment; over 500,000 relatives of people with meritorious services are receiving monthly pensions. The movement of "Repaying gratitude" is increasingly being socialized. Many career and health care facilities have been built to serve policy beneficiaries. Many martyrs' cemeteries and martyrs' memorials have been built, of which many cemeteries have become cultural and historical works of the country, such as: Truong Son Martyrs' Cemetery, Dien Bien Phu Martyrs' Cemetery...

In addition to the achievements, the implementation of policies for war invalids, martyrs and people with revolutionary contributions still has some limitations that need to be overcome and resolved. The situation of wrong subjects in the implementation of support policies still occurs in some localities. The work of gratitude in some places is not yet associated with traditional education, propaganda of the purpose and meaning of the movement, honoring good people and good deeds. Preferential subsidies are generally low. Although the living standards of policy families have improved, they are still low, and the education and employment of their children are not guaranteed. Errors, mistakes and negativity in policy implementation occur in some places, causing a lot of trouble for policy beneficiaries and causing bad public opinion in society.

To better carry out the work of caring for the lives of families of war invalids, martyrs, and people with revolutionary contributions according to Ho Chi Minh's ideology in the new conditions, it is necessary to continue to focus on implementing well the following main solutions:

The first,Continue to widely propagate the Party and State's policies and guidelines for war invalids, families of martyrs and people with meritorious services to the revolution. This is a task that needs to take place regularly and continuously, directly led and carried out by Party committees and authorities from the central to local levels, to make all cadres, party members and people deeply aware of the purpose, significance and great value of implementing social policy work in general, work for war invalids, martyrs and people with meritorious services in particular and the movement "Repaying gratitude".

Monday,Continuously research, supplement and improve preferential policies for war invalids, families of martyrs, and people with meritorious services, increase subsidy levels in accordance with the country's economic conditions to ensure that people with meritorious services and their families have a standard of living from average to above average in their residential area.

Tuesday,Resolutely handle the backlog of confirmation and recognition of meritorious people, avoid disadvantages for wounded and sick soldiers, martyrs' families, and avoid unnecessary frustrations in society. Continue to do better in the work of renovating and embellishing martyrs' cemeteries and works honoring martyrs; step up the search and identification of martyrs, collect martyrs' remains, promptly notify and create favorable conditions for martyrs' relatives to visit.

Wednesday,It is necessary to continue to promote the movement of "Repaying gratitude". Mobilize all people, coordinate many resources with the motto "The State, the people and those who enjoy preferential policies strive together", along with various measures, to further improve the quality and effectiveness of care for wounded soldiers, sick soldiers, families of martyrs and people with meritorious services to the revolution.