Set an Example of Valor and Humanity, Give Self-Confidence and Courage!

On the national day of King Saint Stephen and the foundation of the Hungarian state, sixty-nine young servicemembers lined up in front of several state dignitaries and thousands of interested visitors attending the swearing-in ceremony. Reviving the traditions of the Ludovika Military Academy, the young officers swore allegiance to the homeland by drawing their swords.

‘For our homeland to the death!’– this was how the President of the Republic started his ceremonial speech. The words of the traditional creed of commitment were spoken again at the commissioning ceremony after six decades. ‘Hungary and we Hungarians will be strong again if we embrace these words with all our hearts as our creed and commitment. Let us do away with eyeing each other and let the spirit of envy go away from us, let each of us fulfill his own mission, developing his own talent while not craving the other’s possessions’, Dr. Pál Schmitt stressed. ‘You are the soldiers of our nation. You are to take orders from your superiors but it is the whole country that commissions you and places its trust in you’, the President of the Republic pointed out. ‘We, Hungarians have a mission, a kind of calling in the world. Our national days are about what is special in us, Hungarians and the ethnic minorities living in Hungary, and these days are of importance to us because they may provide us with the power we need, the power which gives us heart and enables us to meet tomorrow’s challenges. We should love what is special in us and must not do an about-face by breaking with our traditions’, Dr. Pál Schmitt noted while addressing those present. He pointed out that the destinies of nations depend on how flexible they are throughout history, and that the successful nations are those which are able to preserve their special characteristics and openness to others while keeping their self-respect as well.

In what followed, the President of the Republic addressed the young servicemembers to be commissioned as officers, saying that courage, valor and humanity are the cardinal virtues of any soldier because these are the personality traits which allow them to be held up as an example. The officers taking their oath at the event should have an attractive career path, since this is the key to ensuring that others will follow in their footsteps, the Head of State added.

While underscoring the importance of the career path, Dr. Pál Schmitt said the Hungarian Defence Forces needed a strong and supportive infrastructure based on modern traditions. He went on noting that ‘at the time of the foundation of the Hungarian state, King St. Stephen legislated and wrote his admonitions in order to maintain the rule of law and to strengthen security, to severely punish wrongdoers, to uphold faith and to promote good governance and administration of justice. To achieve these goals the king drew heavily on his valiant soldiers’ service’. The Head of State concluded his speech by turning to the young officers, saying ‘Our nation has been worn out during the 20th century. Please set an example to us, Hungarians of valor and humanity, give us self-confidence and courage in the coming years. For our homeland to the death!’

Following the swearing-in ceremony Minister of Defence of the Hungarian Republic Dr. Csaba Hende delivered a speech. ‘For our homeland to the death! What an ambitious goal, what an enormous task it is that you have devoted yourselves to! We are living in an age that fears such bold words, often fearing commitment and service as well. However, you have just uttered the words of the oath before a whole nation’ – this was how Dr. Csaba Hende started his ceremonial speech. ‘Today’s Hungarian officers serve solely Hungary, our homeland and her national interests, not those of any empire, ideology or business group’, the Defence Minister stated.

’The whole country and the whole nation stand together. Our desire for prosperity and our determination to do creative work can be the guarantees of success. Over the last two months I have visited those places where Hungarian troops are currently doing their tours of duty. I have seen a Hungarian military camp in the area of operations in Afghanistan. I have seen our soldiers serving in the Balkans, assisting war-torn nations to rebuild their countries in the wake of terrible fighting. During the flooding in Hungary I have seen our servicemembers working at full stretch on the dams under very adverse circumstances, rescuing the work of whole lives, the properties of entire villages. And I have seen Hungarian officers faithfully serving with the HDF units here in Hungary, striving to preserve the power of the armed forces in an impossible and intolerable situation.’

Speaking about the aims for the future, Dr. Csaba Hende stressed that ‘we are moving in the right direction again. We are ready to observe the Iron Law of the military profession, which was written in blood thousands of years ago and have been obeyed by all states and nations that bear responsibility for their citizens. We have a very long way to go before we achieve our aims, but we will go all the way, shoulder to shoulder. We will rebuild the Hungarian Defence Forces’, the Minister stated, asking the young second-lieutenants to devote their efforts to the accomplishment of this task while performing all their duties conscientiously and bravely.
In what followed, Defence Minister Dr. Csaba Hende thanked the officers’ relatives attending the event for their sacrifice, since they are also members of the community that surrounds and serves the Hungarian Defence Forces.