Ho Chi Minh City authorities held a meeting on July 26 to mark the 66th anniversary of Vietnam’s War Invalids and Martyrs Day, which falls on July 27.

Prominent attendees included Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan, Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Le Thanh Hai and Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Thi Hai Chuyen.

Since early 2012, HCM City has built nearly 200 houses and repaired more than 650 others for policy beneficiary families at a total cost of over 16 billion VND while presenting 631 million VND to them. The city has gathered the remains of 75 fallen soldiers.

HCM City will continue to hold vocational training, provide financial support and create jobs for invalids and children of martyrs.

The same day, a requiem to commemorate war martyrs who laid down their lives to protect the ancient Quang Tri citadel was held in the central province of the same name.

At the event, which aims to mark Vietnam’s War Invalids and Martyrs Day, participants offered incense and released birds into the sky to wish for the martyrs’ peace. On this occasion, lanterns will also be released on Thach Han River in memory of the fallen soldiers.

Quang Tri ancient citadel, built in 1824, was strongly defended by Vietnamese soldiers in the war against the US in 1972. For 81 days from June 29, the soldiers tried their best to protect it from 328,000 tonnes of bombs.

Also on July 26, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee held a festival to remember people who rendered services to the country in Dien Ban district, the central province of Quang Nam.

Quang Nam is home to thousands of Vietnamese Heroic Mothers and hundreds of thousands of war invalids, martyrs and those with contributions to the national revolution.

On the occasion, the committee handed over 30 scholarships worth 500,000 VND each to children of policy beneficiary families in the province. It also provided free check-ups and medicines for 500 local people.-VNA