Golden Jubilee Celebrated in Székesfehérvár

The 5th Military Command, the legal predecessor organization of the HDF Land Force Command was formed on August 3, 1961, and after the first year’s stationing in Budapest, it moved to Székesfehérvár. Its establishment meant the beginning of a new era in the history of Hungarian national defence: the new military organization had to have even in time of peace an operational staff capable of leading, which organized and controlled the activities and training of major subordinate units. After the adverse circumstances that had prevailed at the time of its establishment, in the first two decades the division saw a great development and controlled the deployment of a vast number of highly important military equipment that brought a quality change.

"Anniversaries are important events in our lives, for they give us an opportunity to break away from the daily routine, stand still for a moment, and make an inventory" – Maj-Gen. József Kovács (see picture) began his speech, adding: the fifty years that have passed may not be a long time in a historical perspective, but the events that happened meanwhile were determining in the lives and professional careers of the attendees.

"A celebration calls together generations and makes them into one. It creates an occasion for personal meetings, recalling the past, exchanging experiences. It is my honour and pleasure that on this day we can also greet several founding members of the 5th Military Command, our former fellow soldiers, commanders, comrades, who share this event with us. It is good to see you again! We owe you deep gratitude for the hard work, perseverance and commitment felt and undertaken for the armed service of the homeland that you have shown for many years and for setting an example for the new generation of soldiers" – said Maj. Gen. Kovács.

The Major General expressed his thanks to former comrades in arms for their professional support and for following the work and tasks of the Command. "The professional knowledge and self-sacrificing work of the predecessors and of today’s troops are reflected by their achievements, of which we can be proud of despite the difficulties, and we should feel proud indeed. The knowledge that guides professional development is priceless and indispensable. And with that, we are shaping the present and the future together" – said József Kovács.

As he pointed out, the organization, operation, and scope of authorities of today’s Hungarian Defence Forces are very different from what they used to be, but military generations of earlier days have left behind reliable spiritual and intellectual foundations without which the defence forces could not function.

Following the Major General’s speech, the guests recalled the past and the present with the help of a short feature made by the film studio of Zrínyi Media, and then Ret. Col. Antal Jobbágy shared his thoughts with the audience related to the jubilee. He talked about the initial stage, when officers had been working at the command until late at night, consulting secret and top secret booklets; and during the years, they always had time for each other at reunions and other meetings.

He thanked the town of Székesfehérvár and its citizens for their assistance given during the decades, and said that it meant the retired personnel a lot that the Ministry of Defence cared for them, and the HDF JFC keeps them updated on events in the life of the defence forces, and invited them to training exercises.

At the standing reception that followed the performance of the Honvéd Bakony Dance Ensemble, Lajos Fodor and Gen. Dr. Tibor Benkő cut the cake baked on the occasion of the 50th birthday.

Photo: Veronika Dévényi

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