General Secretary To Lam: Remember the source of the water you drink.

We respectfully present to our readers the full text of General Secretary To Lam's article:

Every year in July, our people dedicate their most sacred and profound feelings to remembering and expressing gratitude to those who sacrificed for the nation, the heroic martyrs, wounded soldiers, and sick soldiers - those who spared no blood, sweat, or lives for the independence, freedom, and peace of the Fatherland.

July 27th each year is also an occasion for the entire Party, the entire people, and the entire army to express their profound gratitude to the families of those who have rendered meritorious services to the revolution. The beautiful tradition of "Drinking water, remembering the source" has become a sacred thread connecting generations of Vietnamese people, a great source of spiritual strength for the entire nation to unite, overcome all difficulties, and build a country that is increasingly prosperous and civilized, worthy of the great sacrifices and contributions of generations of our ancestors.

The more than 4,000-year history of the Vietnamese nation is an immortal epic of patriotism, indomitable will, and unwavering fighting spirit; it is a tribute from the living to those who dedicated their lives to the country. Throughout the arduous and sacrificial wars of national defense, from the Hung Kings era to the difficult resistance wars against foreign invaders, our nation has never submitted to tyranny, never retreated in the face of invasion.

In particular, during more than 95 years under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam and 80 years of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, millions of outstanding sons and daughters of the nation have fallen for the Fatherland to rise up, for the country to achieve independence, peace, and unity, and for the people to live in freedom, prosperity, and happiness, moving towards prosperity, strength, and power.

We could not have what we have today, a renewed, developed, and deeply integrated Vietnam, without the sweat, blood, and sacrifices of countless generations of revolutionary soldiers, troops, youth volunteers, frontline workers, and mothers and fathers who readily encouraged their children and grandchildren to go to war, taking on the hardships, suffering, and losses themselves with the spirit of "Fighting to the death for the Fatherland," and "All for the front lines."

Along with their forefathers, over 1.2 million martyrs, 9.2 million people who rendered meritorious services to the revolution, and their relatives nationwide today, all of them are the immortal souls of the nation, the most beautiful symbols of Vietnamese revolutionary heroism. Over 3,000 martyrs' cemeteries and over 4,000 memorials to martyrs across the country are torches that always illuminate the victories and commemorate the heroic martyrs. Over 100 million Vietnamese hearts are a source of overflowing affection, imbued with the moral principles of "Drinking water, remember the source," and "Eating fruit, remember the tree planter," for those who have contributed to the nation.

President Ho Chi Minh once instructed: "For those who have bravely sacrificed a part of their blood and bones..., the Party, the Government, and the people must find every way to ensure they have stable housing and living conditions, and at the same time, open vocational training classes suitable for each person so that they can gradually become self-reliant. For the martyrs in each locality, it is necessary to build flower gardens and memorial plaques commemorating the heroic sacrifices of the martyrs, to forever educate our people about patriotism. For the parents, wives, and children of wounded soldiers and martyrs who lack the ability to work and are in need, the local authorities must help them find suitable jobs, and absolutely not let them suffer from hunger and cold."

Following President Ho Chi Minh's teachings, many preferential policies have been issued, and numerous houses of gratitude and gifts on July 27th have been given to wounded soldiers, families of martyrs, and meritorious individuals throughout the country. Directive No. 14/CT-TW dated July 17, 2017, of the Party Central Committee on continuing to strengthen the Party's leadership over the work related to those who have rendered meritorious services to the Revolution; Resolution No. 42 NQ/TW dated November 24, 2023, of the Party Central Committee on continuing to innovate and improve social policies to meet the requirements of national construction and defense in the new period; the Ordinance on preferential treatment for those who have rendered meritorious services to the Revolution... are the duty, responsibility, morality, affection, and gratitude of the people, the Party, and the State towards those who have been "loyal to the country, devoted to the people," wholeheartedly serving the nation and the people.

To continue upholding national traditions, following Uncle Ho's teachings, and implementing the Party and State's policies regarding wounded soldiers, families of martyrs, policy beneficiaries, and those who have contributed to the revolution, we need to continue focusing on the following tasks:

The first,Strengthen the leadership and guidance role of Party committees, government agencies, the Fatherland Front, and social organizations at all levels in caring for and protecting the legitimate rights of people with meritorious services; ensure the full and timely implementation of preferential policies for wounded soldiers, martyrs, sick soldiers, people with meritorious services, their relatives, and policy beneficiary families, without errors, delays, or formalism.

Monday,Review and improve policies and laws on meritorious individuals in a fair, transparent, and targeted manner, while expanding the scope of policies to include those who have made genuine contributions but have not been adequately recognized; prioritize administrative procedure reform in verifying and resolving entitlements for those who have contributed to the cause of national liberation, reunification, and the building and development of socialism.

Tuesday,Focus resources on improving the material and spiritual lives of policy beneficiary families and people with meritorious services, especially in difficult areas, remote areas, border regions, islands, areas inhabited by ethnic minorities, revolutionary base areas, and former resistance areas; promote gratitude programs such as building and repairing houses of gratitude, providing medical support, rehabilitation, vocational training, and creating sustainable jobs for the children of people with meritorious services.

Wednesday, pStrongly promote the role of inspection, supervision, and creation by the Fatherland Front, political and social organizations, and the people in implementing policies for wounded soldiers, martyrs, and meritorious people; at the same time, detect and promptly and strictly handle acts of profiteering and fraud in declaring documents to receive preferential treatment in social policies.

Thursday,Promote the dissemination and education of patriotic traditions and gratitude towards those who have made contributions throughout society, especially among the younger generation; effectively integrate these into political and ideological education programs and extracurricular activities in schools, agencies, and units; and raise awareness and civic responsibility in practicing the principles of "Remembering the source when drinking water" and "Showing gratitude and repaying kindness."

Friday,Applying digital technology to build a digitized data system on people who have rendered meritorious services to the revolution, in order to manage, monitor, and evaluate policies accurately, synchronously, and transparently; connecting agencies from the central to local levels to serve the people more conveniently and effectively; applying scientific and technological advancements in the search for and collection of the remains of martyrs, and identifying martyrs whose identities are still unknown.

Saturday,Organize well-planned and practical activities to express gratitude, commemorate, visit, and honor those who have contributed to the revolution, avoiding formality and waste. Launch movements such as "Paying gratitude and repaying kindness" and "All citizens caring for those who have contributed to the revolution," linking them with the construction of new rural areas, civilized urban areas, national defense and security, and sustainable social welfare.

The aforementioned tasks need to be concretized into action programs for each locality, village, neighborhood, sector, and organization, with the highest sense of responsibility, deeply expressing the gratitude of the Party, the State, and the people for the great sacrifices of wounded soldiers, martyrs, and those who have contributed to the revolution.