Throughout our history, the life of the Armenian soldier has been one of difficulty and resilience. From Avarayr to Sardarabad to Shushi, our heroes have fought and defended our very existence. They have fought with the ideal that no Armenian should be oppressed and no Armenian land should be occupied. Warriors defended our culture and religion for centuries, fedayis rescued countless lives and organized resistance during the genocide, volunteers fought for liberation in Artsakh, and throughout all the struggles have proven that no force, no matter how great or malevolent, can defeat principle and determination.

Today, with socio-economic troubles compounded by physical injuries, the state of our freedom fighters from yesteryear is in need of change. Many have been left without the healthcare they desperately need while the government looks away. They are often times kept jobless because the injuries they sustained in the Artsakh war have left them handicapped. All while a government who was founded on their sacrifice offers little to nothing in terms of the care they need. The current struggle of our servicemen and women has left a deep stain among the Armenian nation. Today, more than ever, we must stand with our soldiers.

We must make sure that the Armenia they struggled to defend is governed by the ideals that have existed for millennia. Those who served are the embodiment of freedom, honor, and sacrifice.

Our nation cannot survive and thrive when the most honorable among us have been cast aside into the shadows, neglected and even killed. Stories of injured veterans of the Artsakh liberation movement, to stories of crimes against current servicemen, to the tragic murder of Vahe Avetyan at the hands of an oligarch’s henchmen paint a worrisome picture of the treatment of our nation’s brave men and women.

With Azerbaijan hinting at war on a regular basis, glorifying an ax-murderer and continually violating the ceasefire, there is no better time than now to loudly proclaim that we stand with our freedom fighters.

We must be soldiers for our soldiers. We must be soldiers for our cause and our nation. Yet our fights are not confined to a battle field but rather against those who try to tarnish everything our heroes have fought to defend. There is no question that the new generation stands ready to defeat any of our nation’s enemies, both external and internal.