In the past, the family of invalid Cam Van Lanh in Bo La hamlet, Muong Hung commune, always lived in anxiety during the rainy season, as their old stilt house had seriously deteriorated. In May 2025, his family received 60 million VND (2,300 USD) in support. With their savings and additional help from relatives and fellow villagers, they were able to build a new, solid house.

Delighted to move into his new house, Lanh shared: "I am a war veteran who fought on the battlefield in Laos. I left the army in 1970 with over 61% disability. Every year, I receive visits, encouragement, and support from provincial delegations, local authorities, and various organisations. This year, I was provided with State assistance to build a solid house, which brings me peace of mind as the rainy season has arrived. I am deeply grateful to the Party, the State, and the local authorities."

In Binh Thuan commune, on these days, the local Party Committee, authorities, and organisations are actively organising programmes and activities to express gratitude to those who devoted and sacrificed their lives for national independence and the people's happiness.

Lo Viet Dung, Vice Chairman of the communal People’s Committee, said that the commune has 52 people who rendered service to the nation. Among them, 35 receive monthly preferential allowances. Since the beginning of the year, the commune has disbursed over 600 million VND in support payments; organised visits and presented gifts to their families with a total amount of over 30 million VND; and mobilised officials and residents to contribute nearly 40 million VND to the 'Gratitude Fund.'

In July this year, the commune has set up delegations to visit and present gifts to families of individuals with meritorious services, assisted them with home repairs, and donated essential goods to support those facing difficulties.

To date, there are no longer any policy beneficiaries or people with meritorious services in the commune living in temporary housing.

The entire province is currently home to over 35,600 individuals recognised for their contributions to the revolution, of whom more than 2,700 receive monthly allowances. In recent years, the care for policy beneficiary families and people with meritorious services has been actively directed by the provincial People’s Committee, and seen the engagement of the entire political system and the broader society.

Alongside this, activities such as the search and repatriation of martyrs' remains; the organisation of requiems, and memorial and reburial ceremonies; as well as the restoration and upgrading of martyrs’ cemeteries, monuments, and steles honouring martyrs, have received strong attention from authorities at all levels and sectors, with many meaningful and practical initiatives.

Caring for and improving the material and spiritual lives of individuals and families with meritorious service to the revolution has become a regular and ongoing effort across all levels and sectors in the province. Since the beginning of this year, provincial agencies have provided monthly allowances for 15,231 individuals, with a total disbursement exceeding 51.4 billion VND. Additionally, 422 benefit claims for people with meritorious service and their relatives have been processed, totalling over 8.2 billion VND. A total of 8,902 gift sets from the State President and local authorities, valued at over 3.4 billion VND, were distributed to them during the Lunar New Year 2025.

Moreover, the province has promoted non-cash social security payments for this group. To date, monthly allowances have been paid via bank accounts to 2,421 individuals, achieving a rate of 94.9%. Two sets of remains of martyrs that were recently collected have been sent to the Department of National Devotees for DNA identification as prescribed.

Son La province has also completed the task of eliminating temporary and dilapidated housing for 180 devotees to the nation.

Alongside State support policies, wounded and sick soldiers, as well as people with meritorious service to the revolution in the province, have upheld the revolutionary spirit and become exemplary role models in economic development. Many of them have shown strong determination and resilience, living up to late President Ho Chi Minh’s teaching: “Wounded soldiers may be physically impaired, but they are not useless.”

Now the province has 54 businesses, 91 cooperatives, 781 service households, and 1,832 family-run farms owned by war veterans, creating jobs for over 8,500 workers. The poverty rate among veteran association members has fallen to below 7%, while more than 57% of members are now classified as having a good or well-off living standard.

On the occasion of the 78^th War Invalids and Martyrs’ Day (July 27), the province has implemented numerous practical activities to care for people with meritorious services to the revolution. The provincial Party Committee’s Standing Board has organised delegations to visit and present gifts to policy beneficiaries in various communes. Party committees, local authorities, mass organisations, and the broader community have presented thousands of heartfelt gifts to them, while candle lighting ceremonies have been held by youth unions at martyrs’ cemeteries and memorial sites.

These practical and heartfelt efforts have further encouraged and helped improve the material and spiritual lives of policy beneficiaries and revolutionary contributors. They serve as sincere acts of gratitude, reflecting the Vietnamese tradition of “When drinking water, remember its source,” in honour of those who sacrificed themselves for national liberation, construction, and defence.