On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification Day, reporters of the People's Army Newspaper had an interview with Senior Lieutenant General Be Xuan Truong, Chairman of the Vietnam Veterans Association to clarify the above content.

Senior Lieutenant General Be Xuan Truong, Chairman of the Vietnam Veterans Association.

  Reporter (PV):

Senior Lieutenant General Be Xuan Truong: With the spirit of "Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom", "Vietnam is one, the Vietnamese people are one, rivers may dry up, mountains may wear away, but that truth will never change", in the resistance war against the US, to save the country, under the leadership of the Party and President Ho Chi Minh, our entire nation went to battle, the core being the cadres and soldiers of the Army, smashed all plots and tricks of the US imperialists and their lackeys, liberated the South, and reunified the country.

During 21 years of arduous and fierce fighting, our Army deeply remembered Uncle Ho's teachings: "No matter how great the sacrifice, even if we have to burn down the entire Truong Son range, we must resolutely gain independence." Generations of Uncle Ho's soldiers "The previous generation, the next generation / Have become comrades in the same march" overcame all hardships and sacrifices, dared to fight, determined to fight and win, became the backbone for the entire people to defeat the American invaders, creating the Spring of 1975, the country was reunited, North and South were reunited.

During the arduous and fierce war, millions of "barefoot, steel-willed" cadres and soldiers sacrificed or left part of their flesh and blood on all battlefields so that our country could "bloom with independence, bear fruit of freedom", become unified, have a rich people, a strong country, and further embellish the title of Uncle Ho's Soldiers that the people had bestowed upon us.

Veterans and forces participating in the resistance war against the US to save the country offer flowers at the Monument to Heroes and Martyrs on Bac Son Street (Hanoi).

PV:

Senior Lieutenant General Be Xuan Truong: After 1975, the country was unified and the whole country embarked on the cause of building and defending the Fatherland in a new era. Following Uncle Ho's teaching, "Demobilized soldiers have fought the enemy for so many years, so they have gone through a glorious history. Now, you guys can participate in production according to your ability, but with the glorious tradition of the Army, wherever you go and whatever you do, you must be exemplary", generations of veterans continued to embark on the new front.

In 1989, the Vietnam Veterans Association was established, mobilizing cadres and members to effectively carry out the patriotic emulation movement "Exemplary Veterans", creating a strong motivation to excellently complete all tasks. With the exemplary spirit, cadres and members of the veteran association always uphold and promote the qualities of Uncle Ho's soldiers, wherever they are, whatever they do, they are exemplary in implementing and mobilizing people to strictly comply with the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies and laws; actively participating in building and rectifying the Party and a clean and strong political system; implementing the democratic regulations at the grassroots level, fighting against corruption, waste, negative phenomena and social evils.

At the same time, cadres and members of the veteran association proactively prevent and combat wrong and reactionary viewpoints; coordinate to resolutely, cleverly and effectively handle "hot spots" and complicated situations, defeat all plots and tricks of "peaceful evolution" and violent overthrow by hostile forces, contributing to maintaining political stability in the locality; actively participate in social activities, building the great national unity bloc.

Veterans always uphold the spirit of self-reliance, self-improvement, helping each other to do business, improve their lives, reduce poverty sustainably, and get rich legally; effectively participate in local and national socio-economic development programs, with many specific, practical, and effective forms, jobs, and models. In 2024, the entire Association will promote the development of capital and support funds; have many creative and effective ways of doing things, mobilize many resources, and eliminate 4,195 temporary and dilapidated houses for veteran members and former soldiers, exceeding the plan by 18.7%.

Along with that, the Association at all levels coordinated and mobilized cadres and members nationwide to donate tens of millions ^{of square} meters of land, contribute hundreds of billions of VND and millions of working days to build, repair and upgrade thousands of kilometers of roads, thousands of kilometers of intra-field canals, bridges, culverts and plant millions of trees of all kinds, and protect tens of thousands of hectares of forests.

Veterans of the Huong Xua Veterans Art Troupe perform for their comrades at the Air Defense - Air Force Museum.

  PV:

Senior Lieutenant General Be Xuan Truong: Promoting the precious tradition of "Loyalty - Solidarity - Exemplary - Innovation", the Vietnam Veterans Association is always loyal and united with the Party, the State and the people, taking the lead in performing assigned tasks and innovating in activities to meet the requirements of the new situation. In particular, the Association focuses on building a complete organizational system from the Central to the grassroots level. The whole Association has 110 organizations directly under the Central Government with nearly 3 million veteran members and nearly 1.6 million military veterans. This is a large force, actively contributing efforts and intelligence to the Association's tasks in particular and local activities in general.

Currently, the country has entered a new era, promoting the qualities of Uncle Ho's soldiers and the spirit of the Great Victory of Spring 1975. The Vietnam Veterans Association continues to innovate its methods of operation, ensuring practical effectiveness. Each Association organization and each veteran continues to uphold the qualities of Uncle Ho's soldiers, actively study and follow Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and style, be exemplary in life and work, and truly be a reliable political force of the Party, a solid bridge between the Party, the State and the people.

  PV:

DUY SON