I Don’t Know Who Sold the Homeland, But I Saw Who Paid the Price: A Fallen Soldier’s Post

“The war will end. The leaders will shake hands while the mother continues to wait for her fallen son, the young wife will wait for her beloved husband, and the children will wait for their hero father. I don’t know who sold the homeland. But I saw who paid the price.” This post was made by the fallen contract soldier, 33-year-old Hratch Manaseryan, who was killed by enemy fire today. He served in the Armed Forces of Armenia for about ten years and was a participant in the 44-day war.

The post was written in 2021. On January 28 of that year, the soldier celebrated the Day of the Armenian Army with the following message: “The year 1992 was a turning point for Armenia. After independence, the formation of the Armenian army, driven by the necessities of the time, must have been directed toward the crucial task of protecting the homeland's borders. Thanks to the devoted, the words became deeds, resulting in a structured army today. Since that day, our officers and heroic young men have honorably fulfilled their duties. Difficult paths are always filled with ascents and descents. Alongside victories, unfortunately, there are also downs. The year 2020 was one of the most devastating years in our history. I cannot use the word 'defeated' because our heroic boys won and preserved the homeland at the cost of their lives. Glory to the Armenian army, to the heroic soldier, to the brave mothers who gave birth to heroes, and to the Armenian people. Eternal memory to the fallen and my respects to their graves.”