Vietnam News Agency honours war martyrs, invalids

VNA General Director Nguyen Duc Loi pays tribute to martyr Do Van Dat (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) - The State-run Vietnam News Agency (VNA) organised a range of activities to pay tribute to war martyrs and invalids, including those of the agency, on the occasion of the 71st Day of War Invalids and Martyrs (July 27). 

Delegations of the agency paid visits to martyrs’ cemeteries and families of war invalids and sick soldiers in Hanoi.

Meanwhile, heads of VNA’s representative offices in the southern and Central – Central Highland regions handed over gifts to families of war martyrs and visited war veterans and revolutionary contributors in the localities.

The agency has upgraded the stele at its memorial house of war correspondents for their family members and former staff to pay tribute on the occasion.

Since its establishment on September 15, 1945, the VNA has always been loyal to the Party and people’s revolutionary cause. During the wars for national independence, the agency’s correspondents and technicians were present at all battlefields to report on the victories of the army and people across the country and expose crimes and plots by enemies. 

More than 260 VNA journalists and martyrs were killed on duty during the war, which was a great loss but also a pride of the VNA - the first press agency awarded the titles of the hero of the people’s armed forces and the labour hero during the renewal period. 

Since 1995, the VNA has built 10 gratitude houses, granted 600 saving books worth 1.5 billion VND (650,000 USD) to martyrs’ families, and assisted them in home repair and construction. 

The news agency’s “For Agent Orange Pains” Fund presented thousands of gifts and 110 wheelchairs, and built 50 gratitude houses costing more than 5 billion VND (217,000 USD) for martyrs’ families. Since 1995, the VNA has contributed over 2 billion VND to the State’s gratitude fund.-VNA