Despite the fact that she has already retired, Captain Melsida Harutyunyan volunteered to join the Red Berets battalion in the first days of the war.
This is Melsida’s third war. She has been in Artsakh since 1991. In 1992 and 1994, she was injured, and when she received treatment, she began to serve in the Defense Army. She currently lives in Martakert.
“When this war began, it was a Sunday and I was relaxing at home. My sister was also with me. She was working in the cafeteria. She went to the military base under rocket fire, but they didn’t let her inside the base. Four days later, we were under rocket fire in Martakert. It was impossible- all of Martakert was empty, but we didn’t want to leave. I wanted to go to the base, but since it wasn’t possible, the administrative staff saw that we left Martakert. We were in Martakert under rocket fire for five days at my house, which I had received from the army for my service,” Melsida said.
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According to her, this war is not like the ones in the past. “This was a sudden attack. Perhaps no state was waiting for this kind of attack from one state on another. They are using all kinds of weapons, including aircraft. If there weren’t any aircraft, if there weren’t UAVs, if there weren’t the planes that drop bombs, if there weren’t the Smerch… there are many ifs. If there weren’t those ifs, we could’ve reached Baku on foot. Many strong boys are fighting, especially the innocent children born in 2000, 2001, and 2002. We have already lost three generations. Our population growth continues to decrease. But, in any case, women still go to fight. As they say, where does an Armenian’s heart belong? In fearlessness. If we are separated from our land, then we will not have a state. I don’t think as much about Yerevan as I do about Artsakh because this is the third time that the people of Artsakh have to leave everything behind without knowing whether they should run away or live under bombs.”
She said that everyone is standing together united, and everyone knows why they are at the frontlines. “The Turks are trying to continue the bloodshed that took place in 1915 100 years later. It’s true that Armenians did not have weapons at the time, but now we are powerful. It’s true that we are losing many young people. My heart aches for all Armenian mothers. I hope all mothers are proud that their children gave their lives for them. I am also ready to give my life. I am not scared of death; I am scared that a decision will not be reached in Armenia that will prevent a genocide of this generation. We will win. The day will come where we will cry tears of joy, and not of the pain that we have casualties. But in any case, war is war. No one wants there to be war.”
Melsida left behind her home in Martakert and she has not yet returned. She does not even know what condition her home is in.
“We will rebuild everything that has been destroyed after the war. God willing, no one else will die. That is the worst part; everything else can be fixed. If it weren’t for those air raids, we would get to Azerbaijan and Western Armenia. All of our soldiers are eagles and lions- no one should have any doubt.”
Melsida is proud that she has a large family despite not having any children of her own. “I am here on my sister’s, parents’, and my unborn children’s behalf. I have been here on behalf of everyone for 29 years. They’re all my children; I’m a wealthy mother. Every mother would dream to be as wealthy as I am, and it doesn’t matter if you were the one to give birth to them. You witness everything, and your heart aches for everyone. Let them bomb my house- let them do what they want. No one takes anything with them when they die. What matters is leaving behind a good reputation, standing victoriously on your own soil, and doing something good for your people. Don’t have everything but leave behind nothing. When you do good for your country, you are already wealthy. Everyone knows me, and that’s how I am wealthy. Perhaps God gave me this destiny. I am not going to complain.”
Ami Chichakyan
