“I am Hungarian, my Homeland is the Most Beautiful Country”

Following the parade of the historic colors, the reception of the Parliamentary State Secretary and the national anthem, Dr. István Simicskó delivered a speech. In it, he underlined the abiding significance of the national holiday which is closest to our hearts. He emphasized that March 15 is the celebration of national unity, as the Hungarian people were able to put their differences aside and stand up as one for the defence and independence of the homeland. This shows that in difficult situations, the nation can overcome oft-experienced divisions, so that Hungarians are able to cooperate with each other hand in hand. Today we also need to reach back to an era in our history that we can be proud of any time, so that we can gain strength from it to meet contemporary challenges.

István Simicskó pointed to the Youth of March’s spirit and patriotism, their desire for justice, the conviction which enabled them to fight and struggle for the freedom and independence of our homeland. He said that patriotic feeling and a sense of the significance of national defence should be important to everybody because the future of the nation depends on these values. He reasserted that the Ministry of Defence is aware that the HDF servicemembers do a lot more than just practicing a profession  what they do is a vocation which the nation must hold in high esteem, as it has some very important features. The State Secretary referred to the skill that only a select few have  the capability of defending the homeland under arms , to the responsibility of the HDF personnel in safeguarding security, the most important core value of our nation, and to the esprit de corps that is typical only of the military vocation. That’s what the Ministry of Defence would like to introduce to the public at large.

The Parliamentary State Secretary also underlined that joint commemoration means that we belong together, which shows everyone that we are responsible for each other and the nation. If we are strong in faith and spirit while performing our duties, our efforts will show results and we will be able to gather strength in reviving.

After delivering his ceremonial address, István Simicskó handed over decorations on behalf of the President of the Republic of Hungary and the Minister of Defence. The State Secretary presented Brig-Gen. János Huszár and Col. (Med.) Dr. László Rókusz with the Knight Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (military division); Prof. Dr. János Banai and Prof. Dr. György Papp with the Knight Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (civil division); Brig-Gen. (Eng.) József Négyesi, Col. (Eng.) Tamás Kestler, and Col. (Eng.) János Pristyák with the Gold Cross of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (military division); Lt.-Col. (Eng.) László Korcsog, Lt-Col. (Eng.) Miklós Szittya and Lt.-Col. András Tóth with the Silver Cross of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (military division); and Mr. Ferenc Hozák with the Bronze Cross of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (civil division).

The Parliamentary State Secretary also awarded Service Medals, Service Medals with Laurel and ‘For National Defence’ titles, and a soldier was promoted ahead of schedule. The ceremony ended with the Szózat (second national anthem), after which Gen. Tibor Benkő made a toast at the reception.

 

Photo: Tünde Rácz