Vietnamese incumbent and former leaders offered incense and laid wreathsat the Monument to War Heroes and Martyrs on July 27 - the National WarInvalid and Martyrs Day.

The delegation included PartyGeneral Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, former Party General Secretary NongDuc Manh, President Truong Tan Sang, former President Tran Duc Luong,Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen SinhHung, and former NA Chairman Nguyen Van An.

The leaders then paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his Mausoleum.

The same day, delegations from the Ministries of Defence, PublicSecurity, and Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, and the HanoiPeople’s Committee and Party Committee, among others, also paid tributeto the heroic martyrs and President Ho Chi Minh on the occasion.

The National War Invalid and Martyrs Day is a chance for the wholenation to express gratitude to millions of people who sacrificed theiryouth and even their lives for the nation.

In 1947, justtwo years after President Ho Chi Minh delivered the declaration ofindependence, the first decree on preferential policies for war invalidsand fallen soldiers was issued.

The same year, July 27was designated as the national war invalids day, which was later renamedthe National War Invalids and Martyrs Day, to call on the entirecommunity to support war invalids and martyrs’ families inacknowledgement of their contributions to the nation.

Overthe past 68 years, the Party and State have made great efforts to carefor martyrs’ families, war invalids and revolution contributors throughdesigning and completing preferential policies for them.

The search, gathering and repatriation of martyr remains have beenenthusiastically implemented, together with the building and upgrade ofmartyrs’ cemeteries and monuments.-VNA