Dong Nai youth keep gratitude alive

Throughout July, alongside youth nationwide, Dong Nai City’s youth have organized a wide range of activities in the lead-up to the 79th War Invalids and Martyrs’ Day (July 27) to express gratitude and pay tribute to heroic martyrs, Heroic Vietnamese Mothers, those who have rendered meritorious services to the revolution, and policy beneficiary families.

Cadres, Youth Union members and young people clean and maintain the area surrounding the Long Binh Victory Monument in Tam Hiep Ward.

These activities help promote the nation's tradition of "When drinking water, remember its source" while reaffirming the responsibility of the younger generation to preserve and carry forward the noble values forged through the sacrifices of previous generations.

Maintaining tribute activities

A few days ago, Tran Ngoc Bich, a student in Class 12A10 at Tran Bien High School in Tam Hiep Ward, joined fellow students in cleaning and maintaining the Long Binh Victory Monument. Together, they carefully cleaned every detail and inscription on the monument to express their gratitude to the heroic martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the nation's independence and freedom.

"I feel fortunate to have been born and raised in peacetime. Millions of outstanding sons and daughters of the S-shaped country sacrificed their lives heroically, and millions of wounded and sick soldiers made immense sacrifices for the independence we enjoy today. I believe gratitude should not stop at remembrance but must be demonstrated through concrete actions. As a student, and soon a university student, I must strive to study hard, improve myself, live a meaningful life, and know how to share and contribute so that I am worthy of the sacrifices made by previous generations," said Bich.

Nguyen Hieu Trung, Deputy Secretary of the Dong Nai City Youth Union, said that ahead of the 79th War Invalids and Martyrs’ Day (July 27, 1947–2026), the Standing Board of the City Youth Union began implementing plans in June 2026, directing Youth Unions, Students’ Associations, and Young Pioneers’ organizations across the city to organize tribute activities.

Since the beginning of July, in addition to promoting propaganda and education on revolutionary traditions and the noble tradition of “When drinking water, remember its source” and “Repaying debts of gratitude,” the Youth Unions, Students’ Associations, and Young Pioneers’ organizations at all levels have organized a variety of activities, including decorating memorial sites; offering incense; lighting candles at cemeteries and martyrs' memorials; visiting and presenting gifts to Heroic Vietnamese Mothers, individuals with meritorious services to the revolution, and policy beneficiary families; organizing gratitude meals; and caring for the material and spiritual well-being of revolutionary contributors. These activities have helped foster patriotism, gratitude, and a sense of responsibility among young people toward those who devoted and sacrificed themselves for the Fatherland.

Digitizing tribute activities

Alongside maintaining traditional tribute activities, the City Youth Union has introduced several new initiatives and models this year associated with technology and digital transformation. One of the new models is the Digital Gratitude Map for Heroic Vietnamese Mothers (https://bandotrian.thanhdoandongnai.com/).

Pham Thi Thu Thao, Deputy Head of the Youth Union and Children's Work Committee under the City Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee, said the city currently has 23 living Heroic Vietnamese Mothers, most of whom are elderly. As a result, it has become increasingly difficult for young people to meet them in person, listen to their stories, and learn from their experiences directly. Digitizing and publishing information on an online platform enables young people to access, better understand, and more widely share information about the Heroic Vietnamese Mothers. Through this platform, messages of gratitude can be received, shared, and spread throughout the community by young people.

To achieve this objective, the City Youth Union has coordinated with specialized units to develop the Digital Gratitude Map for Heroic Vietnamese Mothers to preserve information, photographs, and stories about the heroic Vietnamese mothers. Each mother is represented by a star on the digital map. By clicking on a star, cadres, Youth Union members, and young people can access information and photographs of the Heroic Vietnamese Mother, as well as information about the martyrs who were her husband or children.

"Through the Digital Gratitude Map for Heroic Vietnamese Mothers, we hope to help Youth Union members and young people gain a deeper understanding of the sacrifices and contributions made by these mothers, thereby fostering gratitude, a sense of responsibility, and the aspiration to contribute. After completing the digitization of information on the Heroic Vietnamese Mothers, we plan to continue digitizing red addresses and historical sites across the city, contributing to educating the younger generation about revolutionary traditions and local history," said Thao.

Nguyen Hieu Trung, Deputy Secretary of the Dong Nai City Youth Union, added that, in addition to the Digital Gratitude Map for Heroic Vietnamese Mothers, before July 27 the City Youth Union is collaborating with FPT Polytechnic College in Dong Nai to restore photographs of heroic martyrs in the city. This is the first time the activity has been implemented in Dong Nai. It provides the martyrs’ relatives and families with more meaningful photographs of their loved ones who made the ultimate sacrifice for the nation, while expressing the younger generation's gratitude and respect on this anniversary.

The Digital Gratitude Map for Heroic Vietnamese Mothers and the restoration of photographs of heroic martyrs reflect the pioneering role of the city's youth in applying technology and digital transformation to express gratitude to those who sacrificed for the nation while promoting the country's noble traditional values throughout the community.

By Nga Son – Translated by Minh Hong, Thu Ha