Current and former leaders of the Party, State, National Assembly, Government and the Việt Nam Fatherland Front Central Committee offered flowers and incense at the Martyrs’ Monument in Hà Nội yesterday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Current and former leaders of the Party, State, National Assembly, Government and the Việt Nam Fatherland Front Central Committee offered flowers and incense at the Martyrs’ Monument in Hà Nội yesterday ahead of the 72nd Day of War Invalids and Martyrs (July 27).

The delegation included Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân, former Party General Secretary Nông Đức Mạnh, former President Trần Đức Lương, former NA Chairmen Nguyễn Văn An and Nguyễn Sinh Hùng and President of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front Central Committee Trần Thanh Mẫn.

They then paid tribute to President Hồ Chí Minh at his mausoleum.

The same day, delegations from the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Public Security, the Government Office, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, and the city of Hà Nội also laid wreaths in memory of martyrs and paid homage to President Hồ Chí Minh.

Invalids and Martyrs Day is a special chance for the entire country to commemorate the millions of martyrs and war invalids who sacrificed their lives and health during times of war.

In 1947, just two years after President Hồ Chí Minh delivered the declaration of independence, the first decree on preferential policies for war invalids and fallen soldiers was issued.

The same year, July 27 was designated as the national war invalids day, which was later renamed the War Invalids and Martyrs Day, to call on the entire community to support veterans and martyrs’ families in acknowledgement of their contributions to the nation.

Also yesterday, an incense offering ceremony was held in commemoration of heroes and martyrs at the Laos-Việt Nam Combative Alliance monument in Keun Village, Thoulakhom District of Vientiane, Laos.

The ceremony was attended by representatives from the Vietnamese Embassy, the co-ordinating board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) and the Vietnamese community in Laos, as well as the Laos War Veterans' Association.

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos Nguyễn Bá Hùng said it was intended to commemorate and pay tribute to both Vietnamese and Lao heroes and martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the independence and freedom of the two countries.
It also provides a chance to look back on the long history of fighting shoulder-to-shoulder against the common enemy and the modern-day efforts to work together to build and safeguard the two nations, Hùng added. — VNS