vstars Chapter 587 Never Forget
Chapter 587 Never Forget
The Helmingen Martyrs' Cemetery is located in the eastern suburbs of Helmingen, on a sunny slope.
This was originally a barren mountain area with overgrown weeds and jagged rocks, but in the thrilling anti-Yuda Empire invasion campaign from 1452 to 1453, countless Helderlan soldiers watered this land with their blood.
After the war, in order to commemorate the heroes who sacrificed their lives for the country, the Kingdom of Helderland began to build a cemetery here in 1453, and it was finally completed this year.
The entire cemetery is built against the mountain and is distributed in a stepped manner. In addition to the many soldier sculptures standing in an orderly manner, the most eye-catching thing is the tall monument in the central square.
The monument is carved entirely from white marble and glows with a warm luster under the soft autumn sunlight.
The monument is thirty meters high, and on top of it stands a bronze statue of a Helderlan warrior: he is kneeling on one knee, holding a spear in his right hand and a flag in his left hand, his resolute face facing the wind, as if he is still guarding the land behind him. The front of the monument is engraved with large gold-plated characters: "Dedicated to the warriors who died in the battle against the invasion of the Yuda Empire in 1452-1453."
With the sound of neat and powerful leather boots stepping on the ground, a team of soldiers in dark blue honor guard uniforms marched in standard step.
They carried ceremonial guns decorated with golden tassels on their shoulders, the barrels flashing coldly in the sun, and each step they took was precisely placed on the cracks in the cobblestone road, making a "tapping" sound.
At the front of the guard of honor, eight soldiers carried a huge wreath woven with fresh pine branches and white lilies. The pine branches symbolized the soldiers' perseverance, while the lilies represented peace and eternity.
A crimson ribbon was tied in the center of the wreath, with the words "Helderland will never be forgotten" written in gold letters.
At the commander's calm command, the guard of honor slowly walked to the bottom of the monument and placed the wreath firmly on the white marble base.
King John, dressed in military uniform, walked forward with steady steps, followed by a group of senior Helderland officials.
John walked to the monument, raised his head slightly and gazed at the statue of the warrior on the top of the monument. After a moment, he led everyone in bowing deeply to the monument.
At the same time, the outer perimeter of the square was also surrounded by citizens from Helmingen, outstanding veterans who had participated in the invasion against the Yoda Empire, international friends who had provided support during the battle, and ambassadors from various countries in Helderland.
After saluting the monument, John turned and walked to the podium in front of the monument.
The podium is made of black marble and surrounded by golden railings, looking solemn and dignified.
John's face was solemn and serious. His eyes swept over every face in the audience, and he spoke to the crowd in a low and powerful voice:
"Dear people of Helderland, brave warriors, and friends from afar! Today, we gather here, standing in the central square of the Helmingen Martyrs' Cemetery, to commemorate the victory of the great battle against the invasion of the Yoda Empire."
"Standing here, I seem to recall the tragic war a few years ago. The iron hoofs of the Yoda Empire trampled through our borders, their artillery fire destroyed our towns, countless families were displaced, and countless lives were lost in the flames of war."
"But the sons and daughters of Helderland never surrendered! From cities to villages, from soldiers to civilians, we united as one, using our flesh and blood to build a line of defense against the invasion!"
"And to those in the rear who silently supported the front lines. They pushed carts, carried food on their backs, and crossed the enemy's blockade, just to bring hope of life to the soldiers on the front lines! It is these ordinary yet great heroes who, with their courage and sacrifice, have brought us the peace we have today!"
"This cemetery holds the remains of 23,471 fallen soldiers, their average age under 25. Some came from prosperous cities, others from remote villages, but in their time of need, they bravely rushed to the battlefield. Their names are engraved on the walls of the square, and their spirits are woven into every inch of Helderland!"
"Today, we stand here not only to remember them, but also to carry on their spirit: the courage to face powerful enemies and sacrifice, the faith to unite as one, and the willingness to sacrifice everything for our country and our people!"
"Today, we live in a peaceful era, but peace can never be taken for granted. It was won with the sacrifices of countless heroes, and it needs to be protected by each and every one of us! We must remember history, not to perpetuate hatred, but to draw strength from it, to make our country stronger and our people happier!"
"Let us follow the heroes' example, work hard in our respective positions, and contribute our own strength to the prosperity of Helderland and to world peace and justice!"
In the audience, citizens silently wiped tears from their eyes, veterans straightened their hunched bodies, and international friends and ambassadors gave warm applause, paying the highest respects to the heroes of Helderland.
After the speeches, a grand military parade began. As the military band began playing, the first to appear were the flintlock infantrymen, clad in traditional armor. Wearing plumed helmets, heavy breastplates, and greaves, the soldiers, armed with flintlock rifles, marched in unison. Their rifle barrels gleamed coldly in the sunlight, and each step was a resolute rhythm.
Then, a phalanx of cavalry came roaring in. The cavalrymen wore shiny breastplates and feathered helmets, rode on tall horses, and the long swords in their hands gleamed coldly in the sun.
The war horses galloped, the sound of their hooves shook the earth like thunder, raising a cloud of dust and showing a powerful impact.
Then, the artillery formation rumbled in, its massive bronze cannons slowly pulled forward by horses, their barrels tied with red ribbons, a symbol of victory and glory. The artillerymen, dressed in dark blue uniforms and fur caps, expertly operated their guns, demonstrating the formidable firepower of the Helderland artillery.
At this moment, the hot air balloon rising into the sky outside attracted everyone's attention.
Several huge hot air balloons slowly rose up. They were colorful and painted with the national flag and military flag of Helderland.
The hot air balloons rose higher and higher, and against the backdrop of the blue sky, they looked like blooming flowers, bringing the atmosphere of the memorial ceremony to a climax.
"Oh my, I didn't expect that our country's weapons research and development has reached this level."
An old soldier standing nearby couldn't help but exclaimed.
Finally, with the sound of a melodious trumpet, a group of white doves of peace were released from the pigeon cage behind the monument.
They flapped their wings and flew high into the blue sky, circling and dancing over the cemetery, scattering pieces of pure white feathers. The sunlight sprinkled on them, as if they were coated with a layer of golden glory.
The cries of peace doves and the rustling of pines and cypresses in the breeze intertwined to form a harmonious melody, bringing this solemn and sacred memorial ceremony to a perfect end.
After the ceremony, the people on the scene evacuated in an orderly manner. John also left after communicating with some citizens. Matilda, who was traveling with him, also prepared to leave with Princess Catherine.
"Mom, look, there are flowers."
Twelve-year-old Catherine skipped to Matilda's side, holding a bunch of wild flowers that she had just picked from nearby. The flowers were still covered with crystal dewdrops, and looked particularly bright under the sunlight.
"Catherine, go and present the flowers to the veterans who participated in the Great Patriotic War."
Matilda squatted down and spoke gently to her daughter.
Catherine nodded excitedly and skipped back to the monument.
At this time, the crowd in the square had gradually dispersed, leaving only a few scattered staff members cleaning up the scene.
Catherine looked for the veterans around the monument, however, most of them had left.
At this moment, she suddenly discovered that a soldier wearing Helderlan standard armor was standing in the middle of the road. He seemed to want to talk to the people around him, but the people around him walked away from both sides as if they didn't see him.
The soldier stood quietly, looking somewhat lonely and desolate, his armor was dirty, as if he had just returned from a battle.
"Uncle, here are some flowers for you."
Catherine ran over innocently and handed the flowers in her hand to the soldier.
The soldier didn't say anything. He just smiled at Catherine, then slowly half-knelt down and prepared to reach out to take the bouquet of flowers.
"Catherine, go home!"
Matilda's voice called from a distance.
Catherine looked back, but when she looked back again, the soldier uncle who was in front of her had disappeared, leaving only the bouquet of flowers that fell on the ground.
A gust of wind blew, and the bouquet of flowers flew gently into the air like a dancing butterfly.
As if being pulled by an invisible force, it then landed in front of a grave.