Honourable Minister!
Honourable Commander of the National Armed Forces!
Leaders of Jelgava City and Municipality!
Soldiers, National Guard, Young Guard, Scouts and Guides!
Distinguished guests!
Each year, we gather here at Ložmetējkalns to honour those who fought and those who fell on this battlefield – the men we now know as the Latvian Riflemen. It was here that they found the resolve and the strength that would later carry them through the War of Independence as they fought for our Latvia, so that our nation might become free and independent.
This is the moment when, standing here together, we recognise that whatever challenges we may face in our lives pale in comparison to the hardships endured by the riflemen at Ložmetējkalns, in the Tīrelpurvs, on Death Island during the battles for independence. This is a moment when we draw strength and confidence in ourselves, in our future, and in the future of our country.
I am convinced that if we ever are called upon to defend our country, we would do so with the same resolve and fortitude as the Riflemen who stood here against the Germans and who later fought for Latvia. But I am equally convinced that it is our duty and our responsibility to ensure that such a moment never comes.
I have full confidence in our Armed Forces. I have full confidence in our people and our society as a whole. Today, let us pay tribute to those who fought and fell here, and let us remain steadfast in our commitment to our country – to our Latvia.
Long live Latvia!
