(VOVworld) - 65 years ago, in response to President Ho Chi Minh’s call for national resistance, people of Dai Tu district, Thai Nguyen province enthusiastically supported and looked after war invalids. Their support to families of war invalids and martyrs started a national campaign to implement policy for those who rendered great service to the nation. Let’s visit this land on 65^th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs’ Day, July 27^th.

Going along the National Highway 37 to the Northeast of the country, we get to Dai Tu, a mountainous district, 25 km from Thai Nguyen city, a safety zone during the resistance war against French colonists.

In response to the Government’s call for national resistance, people nationwide including the local in Dai Tu district supported the resistance war. The district actively responded to the movement to support wounded soldiers. A number of treatment centers for wounded soldiers were established in the  district. Many even housed wounded soldiers. 86-year-old Pham Thi Ve of Ky Linh hamlet, My Yen commune recalls: "Many soldiers were seriously wounded. Some lost their legs, some other lost their arms. My husband also joined the army. A wife with a wounded husband would be very hard. I helped look after those soldiers".

Local women considered assisting wounded soldiers great honor and responsibility. At that time, many got married to invalid soldiers and settled in Luc Ba commune. Many other women in My Yen commune also did the same. They didn’t care about difficulties and were willing to share with their invalid husbands. Ms. Ve shares about her love story: "Our marriage was simple without any cigarette and guests. The marriage took place with the witness of the Commune’s Chairman. I felt sympathetic with him, so I decided to get married to him".

People in Luc Ba commune still recall story of Ms. Nguyen Thi Dich who is affectionately called Ms. Ba Huy. By the end of 1947, the Department of War Invalids of the Ministry of Defence stationed at Ba Huy’s house with the number of soldiers reaching nearly 100. Ms. Ba Huy dedicated 3 hectares of rice fields, 3 tons of rice, one buffalo and encouraged other villagers to support materials to establish a treatment center for war invalids in the commune. Mr. Tran Dinh Tinh is the youngest son of Ms. Ba Huy: "My family had close relations with war invalids at that time. They considered my mother theirs. Senior leaders like Hoang Quoc Viet, Ton Duc Thang stayed here. Every day, after the dinner, they gathered around fire and talked happily".

Following Ba Huy’s example, many other large houses in the commune also housed war invalids. With the gratitude movements in My Yen, Luc Ba, President Ho Chi Minh decided to choose July 27^th War Invalids and Martyrs Day.  Those movements are continued in Dai Tu until present days. Since 2000, 100 percent of Dai Tu district have well implemented the “paying the debt of gratitude” movement. Pham Duy Hung is Vice Chairman of Dai Tu district’s people’s committee: "We assist policy beneficiary families in loans and vocational training to improve their life. We also ask agencies to look after heroic mothers, war invalids and build gratitude houses. We also have a gratitude fund which dedicates more than 1 billion VND to support policy beneficiary families".