The northern province of Hai Duong on September 23 bestowed the State title “Vietnamese heroic mother” on 148 local women, whose husbands and children sacrificed their lives for the national independence.

The award reflects the Party, State and people’s recognition of the mothers’ sacrifices and dedication, said Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Bui Thanh Quyen at the ceremony.

On this occasion, the provincial People’s Committee also donated a total of nearly 22 billion VND (1.05 million USD) to the title holders.

During the wars against France and the US, more than 300,000 people from Hai Duong joined the army and acted as youth volunteers. Of them, over 38,900 people lost their lives while tens of thousands of others were hurt by Agent Orange/dioxin.

So far, 2,878 women in the province have been awarded this title.-VNA