Edmond Hovakimyan was 16 years old when the Four-Day April War began. The young man, brought up in the fighting spirit of the Union of Yerkrapah Volunteers, tried his best and joined the volunteer detachment and left for Artsakh.
In the framework of the “Second Artsakh War։ Those Who live and help to live” series Iravaban.net talked to Edmond about his participation in the wars and its consequences.
Edmond recalls that their Last Bell ceremony was postponed so he could attend as well.
He also, participated in the 44-day Artsakh war as a volunteer.
“I went to the conscription center several times, but they sent me back, then the prime minister called out, ‘We need the guys who have just been drafted to the army and know very well what to do there.’ We moved on 5 October, we were in Sanasar on 6 October,” Edmond says.
He remembers his commander, Lieutenant Colonel Ashot Chobanyan, who was killed during a combat mission.
“The day before he died and I was injured, we had a conversation, they had to go for reconnaissance and I asked him to take me, he said no, you are the only person here that I can leave these guys with in case we go and not return. I shall not take you,” Edmond recalls.
He was injured on 11 October, his brother’s birthday.
I “asked” those “freak”, I said, do not hit me today, it is my brother’s birthday, wait for it to pass, do whatever you want tomorrow. But they hit just on that day, I called my brother and said, “Happy birthday, my hand was cut off come to me,” the war participant said with humor and a smiled.
His left hand is prosthetized. He humorously mentions that now the disabled hand is in its turn disabled, one of the fingers was sent for repair. Even this did not prevent the young man from playing duduk and piano.
When we asked him how he accepted the 9 November ceasefire statement, he said he just dreamed of being dead. “After losing a lot of guys, when you see that it all happened and the guys are gone and the land is given, the easiest salvation at that moment is to die.”
The young man also shares love adventures. “After the operation, I open my eyes and someone looks at me with beautiful eyes, I fall in love,” Edmond says. But that love did not last long, because the girl was afraid of having a disabled friend.
“I am grateful to her because she gave me such a ‘principle’ of life that I have to fight and achieve that a physically full person dreams of achieving half of it,” he says. The boy has a new love now, his girlfriend understands him and supports him.
Through social media, Edmond tries to motivate the boys who participated in the war to be able to fight and overcome the war. He presents motivational videos through TikTok.
“If you were not afraid to die on the battlefield, you have no right to be afraid of living, Edmond says.
Details in the video
