Hay Zinvor spoke to soldier, Sergeant Tigran Hakhverdyan. The soldier took the body of his dead friend from the battlefield. That’s all. Is that all? Is there a nobler deed in war? I don’t know. For me the noblest deed is not leaving your friend behind in the battlefield. That’s the main duty of a soldier.
Soldier, Sergeant Tigran Hakhverdyan received a medal “For Courage” for his heroism.
“Hello Tigran,” I say shaking the soldier’s hand. “Can we talk?”
He tries to look away.
“Do I have to tell you?”
“Yes. Why did you put your life in danger? You knew that he was dead.”
…Our friend, our Sasha had to return home…
He looks around without looking at me.
“The Commander returned. He talked to Deputy Commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Hayrapetyan for half an hour. We were waiting. The Senior Lieutenant Nalbandyan asked who would go with him, I came forward.”
“Did you understand the risk you were taking?”
“I wasn’t thinking about that. The wounded Commander was going for his soldier, and I was going for my friend.”
Tigran notices that I’m confused.
“During those days we were all ready for anything. I just was the first one to come forward.”
“Wasn’t the area targeted,” I ask a rhetorical question.
“We reached the viewing area by an open road, found a shelter in a hole dug for a tank, reached the zigzag road. Our friend was there. Sasha opened fire towards the adversary with his ‘Utyos’ (NSV 12.7mm Machine Gun)… Didn’t manage to load the machine gun… We knew he had died, but with the Commander we were going to save him. The soldier must be sure that his fellows will come for him, that he won’t be left alone…”
Tigran puts off his hat. Looks at the sky. I also look at the sky – clear and bright.
Source Panorama.am