Today, January 28, American Armenians and American friends of Armenia, along with Armenians around the world, celebrate the Day of the Armenian Army that came to life in order to protect the birthright of freedom-loving and Democracy-defending Armenian people.
In 1776, about 250 years ago, the valiant American patriots constituted the U.S. Army in order to protect their inalienable birthright for American Sovereignty, Independence, tranquil happiness, slavery-free society under the iron dome of military power.
In the same token, in 1991, in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet empire, then newly-independent and emerging Democracy, the Republic of Armenia emulated United States – its longtime ally of the WWI and WWII.
The Armenian people constituted their Army through innumerable sacrifices by selfless Armenian soldiers and of the martyred heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice. The martyred Armenian soldiers are now resting in Yerablur Armenian Military Cemetery just outside the capital Yerevan — as well as numerous cemeteries located in several regions of Armenia and Artsakh. (in September 2023 with Russia’s tacit support, the pro-Moscow despotic regime of Pres. Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan perpetrated genocide against indigenous Armenians of Artsakh/Nagorno Karabakh. Nagorno Karabakh is now illegally occupied by Azerbaijan.)
The Armenian Army should be the pride and obligation of Democracy defenders in America and elsewhere. Fellow Americans of all walks of life, led by AANSI’s Founding Chairman Mark MacCarley, are increasingly realizing that a strong Armenian Army is the sole guarantor of peace in the South Caucasus region where three autocratic regimes – Pres. Vladimir Putin’s Russian Federation, Pres. Ilham Aliyev’s Azerbaijan and Pres. Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Turkiye or Turkey are constantly plotting to jointly or separately overrun and forcibly occupy Armenia.
Thankfully, the collective West led by the United States, France and EU now realizes that a strong Armenian Army is a solid foundation for a peaceful and stable future for the South Caucasus.
In the same vein, the collective West has also come to realize that the Democracy Ring stretching from the Scandinavian states such as Finland, Sweden and Norway, running through Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, Ukraine, Poland, Moldova all the way to Georgia and Armenia, needs our wholehearted, sustainable bipartisan support.
The Armenians in the Homeland and Diaspora -especially American Armenians and EU-Armenians are obliged to play a proactive role in assisting Armenia to strengthen its Sovereignty, Independence, Democracy and Defence.
Strong Democracy in Armenia, Georgia, Ukraine and all of Eastern Europe can play a pivotal role in consolidating the Western Civilization by empowering the community of nations to end state-to-state bullying.
The Founding Fathers of America and American soldiers fought to free themselves from slavery under British rule. The victorious also freed its black slaves. As a result, America became a healthier and stronger nation. Now it’s the turn of several nations in East Europe/the former Soviet space such as Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Armenia to break free from Russian-imposed slavery.
Many American friends such as US Army Major General (retd.) Mark McCarley selflessly serves as the Director of AANSI The American Armenian National Security Institute (AANSI). AANSI continues to carry out multifaceted, multi-layered and multi-level educational activities in support of Armenia’s sovereignty.
It is thanks to dedicated All-American support base, AANSI is preparing to continue its work with renewed vigor for:
A) Strengthening the Sovereignty, Independence, Defense and Democracy of Armenia, and
B) Assist through educational activities the development of strategic relations between Armenia and the United States. AANSI is a non-partisan independent American organization. It was formed in the aftermath of the 44-day war in Fall 2020.
I bow before the heroic Armenian Army, which stands fearlessly day and night to protect a nascent Democracy – Armenia’s borders.
As the saying goes, “We have miles to go, promises to keep.”