Expressing gratitude through these documents.
In July, while many activities honoring war veterans and those who have contributed to the nation take place across the country, in Lam Thanh commune, administrative documents hold a very different meaning. Instead of requiring elderly and frail war veterans, former civilian workers on the front lines, and relatives of martyrs to go to the Public Administrative Service Center to complete procedures, the Center's staff proactively bring the documents directly to their homes.
Thanh Phuc - Hoai Thu |Design:Huu Quan• July 9, 2026
In July, while many activities honoring war veterans and those who have contributed to the nation take place across the country, in Lam Thanh commune, administrative documents hold a very different meaning. Instead of requiring elderly and frail war veterans, former civilian workers on the front lines, and relatives of martyrs to go to the Public Administrative Service Center to complete procedures, the Center's staff proactively bring the documents directly to their homes.
On a July afternoon, after many days of intense heat, the weather in Lam Thanh became much milder. A vehicle from the Commune's Public Administrative Service Center stopped in front of the small house at the end of the village belonging to Mr. Nguyen Van Nghia in Hung Nhan 1 hamlet. Hearing the car outside, Ms. Nguyen Thi Van, Mr. Nghia's daughter-in-law, hurried out to greet the delegation and warmly invited them inside. In their hands were the completed documents for the division of inheritance from the property of their deceased son, Mr. Nguyen Van Sinh. Three days after receiving the documents at home, they returned to deliver the results to the family.
In the small house, Mr. Nguyen Van Nghia sat leaning back in his familiar wooden chair. Now 95 years old, the former civilian worker who served in both the French and American wars is now slow and unsteady due to age. Beside him is Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thien, also of advanced age, the sister of a fallen soldier. He suffers from leg pain, and she has failing eyesight; neither of them has the strength to go to the Public Administrative Service Center to complete the required procedures. With a small family, completing the paperwork related to their son's inheritance has been a long-standing concern for Mrs. Nguyen Thi Van.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Van, Mr. Nghia's daughter-in-law, shared: "After my husband passed away, our family wanted to complete the inheritance division procedures, but the file included information related to my husband's parents. Both of them are 95 years old; my father has leg pain, and my mother has poor eyesight and difficulty walking. With guidance from the village officials, I contacted the Commune's Public Administrative Service Center. Unexpectedly, the very next day, the staff came to our house to guide us and receive the documents. Just three days later, they brought the results to our house. My parents didn't have to go anywhere; everything was handled very thoughtfully. For my family, this is very practical support, especially for elderly people like them."
As the officials carefully opened each page of the file, Mr. Nguyen Van Nghia sat quietly beside them, watching. The former frontline worker said almost nothing, only attentively listening to each explanation before nodding slightly. He picked up the file he had just received and carefully handed it back to his daughter-in-law for safekeeping. For someone who has lived almost a century and contributed to the war effort of the past, the joy today was not only about saving himself the distance to the commune's administrative office, but also about resolving his family's problems thanks to the dedicated officials.
Leaving Mr. Nguyen Van Nghia's house, the task force's vehicle continued along the dike bordering the Lam River to Hung Phu 1 hamlet. This time, their stop was the house of war veteran Ho Van Dao, 76 years old. In the house shaded by green trees, Mr. Dao lay motionless on his bed. Severe asthma had left him bedridden for nearly five years, relying entirely on his wife, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Nham, for all his daily activities. The couple has four children, their only son, Ho Ngoc Sang, currently serving in the army in Da Nang.
Mrs. Nham recounted that for many years, she and her husband had hoped to complete the procedures to transfer the land use rights to their son. However, that wish had to be put on hold because Mr. Dao no longer had the strength to go to the Public Administrative Service Center to carry out the required procedures. It wasn't until this time, when Mr. Sang took leave to visit his parents, that the whole family decided to fulfill their wish.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Nham emotionally shared: "My husband has been bedridden for four or five years now, unable to walk or even sit up. Many times my husband and I considered transferring the land ownership to our son, but we had to put it off because we didn't know how to take him to complete the procedures. This time, my daughter came home on leave and went to the Lam Thanh Commune Public Administrative Service Center to inquire about the procedures. After learning about our family's situation, the officials sent a team to our house to guide us and receive the documents. Today, they even brought the results directly to us. Everything was resolved according to regulations, and my husband didn't have to go anywhere. Our family is truly grateful for the care and attention of the officials."
Accompanying the task force on a July afternoon, we realized that the names of Mr. Nguyen Van Nghia and Mr. Ho Van Dao were just two of many addresses prioritized for support by the Lam Thanh Commune Public Administrative Service Center on the occasion of the War Invalids and Martyrs Day on July 27th. Each family has a different situation, but they all share the same concerns: old age, frail health, or illness. When the officials proactively bring the documents to their homes and personally deliver the results, what is given is not just completed paperwork, but also a sense of sharing and respect for those who have dedicated a part of their youth to serving the country.
It's no coincidence that the vehicles of the Lam Thanh Commune Public Administrative Service Center regularly roll to every house during the month of July. This is part of a plan to support disadvantaged people in carrying out administrative procedures at home, while also giving special priority to those who have rendered meritorious service to the revolution and their relatives, as the whole country commemorates the War Invalids and Martyrs Day on July 27th.
According to Nguyen Quang Hung, Director of the Lam Thanh Commune Public Administrative Service Center, in addition to maintaining a rate of approximately 99% for processing applications on time and ahead of schedule, the unit always prioritizes serving those who have rendered meritorious services to the revolution, the elderly, people with disabilities, and those who are no longer able to travel.
In July alone, officials proactively reviewed cases of war invalids, sick soldiers, civilian workers on the front lines, and relatives of martyrs to personally visit their homes to receive or return the results of their applications. "Gratitude doesn't just stop at visits or offering incense. For us, serving those who have rendered meritorious service more quickly and conveniently is also a way of expressing our gratitude. There are working sessions that extend beyond regular office hours, but everyone is willing because we don't want them to have to wait any longer just because their health doesn't allow them to come to the Center," Mr. Hung shared.
As one of the officers directly involved in the task forces, Ms. Phan Thi Huyen said that this was the peak period for implementing the "Saturday for the People" plan, but what she remembers most is not the number of applications processed. "Going to each house to meet war invalids, civilian workers on the front lines, or relatives of those who have contributed to the nation, some of them had poor eyesight and found it difficult to sign. Some just clasped the officer's hand and expressed their gratitude. Each time, we felt both moved and proud that our work today could contribute a small part to showing gratitude to those who have dedicated themselves to the country," Ms. Huyen shared.
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Those heartfelt words brought back memories of the scene in Mr. Nguyen Van Nghia's house that early afternoon: the trembling hands of the former frontline worker lifting the newly handed-over file; the relieved look in Mrs. Nguyen Thi Nham's eyes when a matter that had weighed on her mind for many years was finally resolved right in her home. These moments aren't included in administrative reform statistics, nor can they be measured by the percentage of files processed on time, but they are what linger longest after each trip. Because each file seems to carry a story and a joy that was just delivered to those who dedicated their youth to the country.
