Honvéd Festival 2011: Opening Day with Re-enactors

In the opening ceremony the Mayor of Pákozd Mr. János Takács said: the village can take pride in three victorious battles: “One of them took place during the Turkish times, the second one, – as is generally known – in 1848, and our third winning battle of the latest age is that we created this Memorial Park." The Mayor told us: they hope that the Memorial Park would serve the purpose of patriotic education in the entire Carpathian Basin."

Col. Dr. István Görög, the Public Relations Desk Chief of the HDF Joint Forces Command (HDF JFC) emphasized in his greeting remarks that the re-enactors, participating in the program at their own charge, play a vital role in re-animating the history today. The contributors of the event recalling the past were: the Fehérvári Hussars Association, the Re-enactment Section of the Association of Hungarian Reservists, The Honvéd Re-enactment Society’s Sopron Section, the Archery Section of the Honvéd “Szondi György" Sports Association, the RC Tank Club, the Re-enactment Section of the 3rd Honvéd Royal Hungarian Infantry Regiment and the Knightly Order of King Andrew I.

Following the Saturday opening of the Honvéd Festival, the main day of the event was held on Sunday, September 25, in the MMP. The 163rd anniversary of the Pákozd-Sukoró sweeping triumph was commemorated with military honours, with the procession of military re-enactment organisations, and with a festive program. The celebrators arriving from all parts of our homeland were welcomed by Dr. István Görög, the Managing Director of the MMP. Then Ret. Brig. Gen. Dr. Pál Horváth delivered a speech in remembrance of Gen. Dr. Béla Gyuricza, the former Political State Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office, the President-for-life of the HDF and the Society Friendly Circle. At the Memorial Plaque of Béla Gyuricza wreaths were laid on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, by the Parliamentary State Secretary Dr. István Simicskó, and by the Commander of the HDF JFC Lt. Gen. József Kovács, representing the Székesfehérvár Garrison.

In what followed festive speeches were made praising the winning battle of Pákozd-Sukoró taking place on 29th September, 1848, and its heroes, among them Mr. János Móga. Then Mr. András Cser-Palkovics – also in his capacity as the President of the HDF and the Society Friendly Circle – recalled the memory of the heroes of 1848 and 1956, and of the almost one million Hungarian soldiers, who sacrificed their life for the Homeland in the two World Wars.

Dr. Róbert Hermann DsC, the Scientific Deputy of the Commander of the MoD Military History Institute and Museum – as the historian specialist of 1848/1849 era – presented the outstanding personality of Mr. János Móga, mostly because the figure of the Army Commander of Pákozd has been a bit eclipsed until recently.

After the speeches Tamás Varga, István Simicskó, András Cser-Palkovics and János Takács unveiled the bust of Mr. János Móga, which was sculpted by Lt. Col. Mr. János Árvai, the former Professor at the Zrínyi Miklós National Defence University.

Following the unveiling ceremony István Simicskó said that the Memorial Park has grown into a tradition-creating place, which allows us for the 13th time to come together from all parts of the country, and highlights such military values and events which reinforce our faith, our Hungarian identity and our patriotic feelings. The MoD Parliamentary State Secretary underlined: It is the historical merit of the brave Hungarian soldiers fighting at Pákozd, that the longest lasting Revolution and Freedom Fight of the era could be fought out. The 1848 Revolution and Freedom Fight was the event of the nation’s awakening, the moment when the nation was born, and at the same time it marks the birthday of the Hungarian Defence Forces. Freedom and Independence are important goals nowadays, too – added the State Secretary.

At the end of the ceremony the members of the celebrating audience laid the flowers and wreaths of commemoration at the Memorial Column. On behalf of the Ministry of Defence István Simicskó and Maj. Gen. István Juhász laid wreaths.

Photo: László Tóth and Gábor Kálmánfi

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