Remembering a War Hero Comrade

Ten years ago, on June 17, 2004, CPL Richárd Nagy lost his life in the line of duty in Iraq. After his death, the enlisted soldier of the HDF 25/88 Airmobile Battalion was promoted to lieutenant, and his former comrades remember his heroism every year.

On the tenth anniversary of that tragic day, the commemorators lit the candles of remembrance at two places, by the memorial plaque erected outside a building named after him and by his grave in the Zagyvarékas cemetery. “The former comrades and commander of the company of the mission are here with us. On that tragic day, they were deployed with him. Here are those soldiers too who did not know him but soon learned that his name and memory are closely connected with the unit." – Capt. Gabriella Kocsis Vargáné welcomed the participants of the commemoration with these words, and recited a poem entitled “Lieutenant, Sir" written by Pál Gyulai, to pay tribute to the courage of his comrade who had been killed at the age of 27.

Having recalled the events of that tragic day ten years ago, the participants laid a wreath by Richárd Nagy’s memorial plaque and then the commemoration continued in the cemetery of Zagyvarékas. Here, Col. Zsolt Molnár – who is the former commander of the transportation company which had served in Iraq at that time and the present commander of the HDF Ludovika Battalion – and Sergeant First Class Zsolt Karaszi praised Lieutenant Nagy’s heroism, determination and camaraderie.

Three of the members of the then Iraqi mission arrived from Tata to attend the event. Also present were WO (Ret.) Péter Molnár, the former senior NCO of the transportation company, and Maj. János Molnár, the head of the recruitment section at the HDF Augmentation and Central Registry Command 1st Military Administrative and ADP Center.

Photos by the author