WW1 Armistice Centenary: Red poppy is a symbol of respect for every war veteran who once lived through the bestiality of war, says P. Gajdoš
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- Date: 11.11.2018
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Today (11 November) Minister of Defence Peter Gajdoš attended the WW1 Armistice Centenary commemoration at the WW1 Cemetery in Bratislavaʼs Petržalka – Kopčany, paying tribute to all fallen soldiers and war veterans. Also in attendance at the event was Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Security Anton Hrnko. Following the act of commemoration, Minister Gajdoš took part in the 5th Run in Honour of War Veterans along with other runners.
Speaking before the gathered guests at the WW1 cemetery, Minister of Defence Peter Gajdoš said: “I am very pleased that we have gathered here again, to confirm with our presence that we do not forget and to pay homage to those who laid down their lives in the fight for peace and freedom. Ultimately, our gratitude must be expressed to every war veteran who once lived through the bestiality of war with the uncertainty of not knowing whether or not he would come back home to his close ones.” He emphasised that support to military ceremonial events is anchored in both the Slovak National Party (SNP) Party Manifesto and the SVK Government Manifesto.
Shifting from the historical context of Slovak soldiersʼengagement in WW1 to lessons learned for today, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Security Anton Hrnko said: “Today in the world there are various forces who believe that war can solve things among nations. However, it should be noted that any bad peace is better than the “best” war. Because in peace we have suffering and other phenomena, but in war people die. We must never allow this to happen again.”
On the occasion of International Veterans Day and the WW1 Armistice Centenary, Minister of Defence Peter Gajdoš awarded veterans with the SVK Armed Forces 25th Anniversary Commemorative Medal.
The 5th Run in Honour of War Veterans started symbolically at 11.11am. The more than 5km long track was run by servicemen and women, cadets of the General M. R. Štefánik Armed Forces Academy, and representatives of the Military Sports Club Dukla Banská Bystrica led by Matej Tóth.
As of today, the MOD registers over 7, 686 war veterans, of whom 127 are WW2 veterans and 7,559 are contemporary veterans. To provide better care for veterans, the MOD has amended the War Veterans Act. This enables the MOD to build a residential care home for veterans and provide them with a long-term accommodation solution and medical care services for affordable prices.
Also today, servicemen and women were “deployed” on the streets of Slovak cities handing out red poppies and leaflets on International Veterans Day.
Speaking before the gathered guests at the WW1 cemetery, Minister of Defence Peter Gajdoš said: “I am very pleased that we have gathered here again, to confirm with our presence that we do not forget and to pay homage to those who laid down their lives in the fight for peace and freedom. Ultimately, our gratitude must be expressed to every war veteran who once lived through the bestiality of war with the uncertainty of not knowing whether or not he would come back home to his close ones.” He emphasised that support to military ceremonial events is anchored in both the Slovak National Party (SNP) Party Manifesto and the SVK Government Manifesto.
Shifting from the historical context of Slovak soldiersʼengagement in WW1 to lessons learned for today, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Security Anton Hrnko said: “Today in the world there are various forces who believe that war can solve things among nations. However, it should be noted that any bad peace is better than the “best” war. Because in peace we have suffering and other phenomena, but in war people die. We must never allow this to happen again.”
On the occasion of International Veterans Day and the WW1 Armistice Centenary, Minister of Defence Peter Gajdoš awarded veterans with the SVK Armed Forces 25th Anniversary Commemorative Medal.
The 5th Run in Honour of War Veterans started symbolically at 11.11am. The more than 5km long track was run by servicemen and women, cadets of the General M. R. Štefánik Armed Forces Academy, and representatives of the Military Sports Club Dukla Banská Bystrica led by Matej Tóth.
As of today, the MOD registers over 7, 686 war veterans, of whom 127 are WW2 veterans and 7,559 are contemporary veterans. To provide better care for veterans, the MOD has amended the War Veterans Act. This enables the MOD to build a residential care home for veterans and provide them with a long-term accommodation solution and medical care services for affordable prices.
Also today, servicemen and women were “deployed” on the streets of Slovak cities handing out red poppies and leaflets on International Veterans Day.
