More than 400 soldiers from several counties of Romania attended a ceremony in downtown Miercurea Ciuc, on the Mountain Troops Day on Friday.
The event, which took place before the monument of the Unknown Soldier, started with a memorial service of the heroes fallen on the battlefields, attended by Bishop Andrei Moldovan of Covasna and Harghita together with a group of priests. The service was followed by several speeches that mentioned the "Knights of the Edelweiss," the elite body of the Romanian Army established 101 years ago.
General Teodor Incicas, deputy chief of Romanian Army's staff, delivered a message from Defence Minister Mihai Fifor evoking the centuries-old history of mountain troops that began "in the tough times of the 1916 campaign, in a ravaged country overwhelmed by occupation troops, but that had not given up fighting and hope."
In his message, Fifor mentioned World War I battles, when mountain troops earned their glory, and also WWII battles, when 42 battalions of mountain troops were engaged in combat. He also mentioned the period 1945-1961, during which, under Soviet control, the mountain troops were completely abolished, and also the moment of their re-establishment and transformation into an elite body of the Romanian Armed Forces.
The event ended with a parade of mountain troops from Miercurea Ciuc, Sfantu Gheorghe, Vatra Dornei, Odorheiu Secuiesc and Lunca de Sus, joined by soldiers of the 6th Mihai Viteazu Special Operation Brigade of Targu Mures.
Mountain Troops Day events continued in downtown Miercurea Ciuc with an exhibition of military hardware, weapons and materials specific of mountain troops mounted by the 61st General Virgil Badulescu Mountain Troop Brigade.
AGERPRES .
Comentează