Vietnam's 'Gratitude Campaign' for Fallen Soldiers Raises Over 11 Billion VND

A campaign in Vietnam to honor fallen soldiers, titled 'Calling the Names of the Nation's Stars,' has successfully raised over 11 billion VND (approximately $460,000 USD) in just 90 days, significantly exceeding its initial target. The initiative, led by the Vietnam Association for Supporting Fallen Soldiers' Families and in collaboration with Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MB), ran from June 11 to September 10, 2026. The campaign aligns with the government's '500-Day Campaign to Accelerate the Search, Collection, and Identification of Martyrs' Remains' and commemorates the 79th anniversary of the Day for Martyrs and Wounded Soldiers (July 27). This marks the third consecutive year the association has launched such a gratitude campaign through MB's donation platform. During the 90-day intensive period, the campaign received 69,634 donations totaling more than 11.038 billion VND. The momentum built steadily, reaching 3 billion VND on the Day for Martyrs and Wounded Soldiers, 5 billion VND by August 11, and surging by over 6 billion VND in the final 30 days. Notably, a significant portion of over 1.671 billion VND was contributed in the last three days alone (September 8-10). The campaign saw broad participation from various entities, including armed forces agencies, provincial border guards, military units, naval forces, and provincial chapters of the Association for Supporting Fallen Soldiers' Families and Veterans' Associations across the country. Lieutenant General Hoang Khanh Hung, Chairman of the Association for Supporting Fallen Soldiers' Families, expressed his emotion, stating, "The over 11 billion VND raised in the past three months is a testament to society's constant concern and solidarity with the Association for Supporting Fallen Soldiers' Families in the journey of honoring martyrs. This represents a warm bowl of porridge for heroic mothers, bricks to repair martyrs' resting places, and the journey to find their names and welcome them back to the beloved motherland." Of the collected funds, approximately 9 billion VND will be allocated by Tet (Lunar New Year) in 2027 for building and repairing gratitude houses, relocating martyrs' remains, providing gifts to heroic mothers and relatives of fallen soldiers, and supporting DNA identification of remains. The remaining funds will be reserved for national-level activities commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Day for Martyrs and Wounded Soldiers in 2027. The Association for Supporting Fallen Soldiers' Families urged organizations, businesses, youth, and international organizations to continue their support to ensure the continuity of this act of gratitude. The event also recognized 36 collectives and 27 individuals for their significant contributions to the campaign's success. Source: Nhan Dan