There are many facets to freedom and all of them must be given their due significance, commander of the Estonian defense forces Maj. Gen. Riho Terras said in his speech at the Independence Day military parade on Sunday.
All facets of freedom are equally important - Estonian defense chief
25th February 2013, 00:03
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"Independence Day is a time for reflecting upon freedom and independence. What does it mean to us, and how high price are we prepared to pay for it?" the defense chief said in his speech before troops, dignitaries and members of the public at Vabaduse (Freedom) Square as forces had lined up for the parade at noon.
"Today, everything that seemed new and exciting a quarter century ago seems self-evident. An entire generation has come of age in a free Estonia – free to make their own choices, to become who they want to be," he said.
"There are many facets of freedom and all of them are equally important. Today we enjoy the opportunity to engage in a free and unfettered discussion about our people's history and the present day. But it is important to realize that this does not exempt us from remembering the past," said Maj. Gen. Terras.
He said that the men and women who went to the front lines in the War of Independence are no longer among us. But their memory is not gone, and it must be kept alive and passed on from generation to generation.
"We stand as one on Freedom Square today in a reaffirmation of the fact that the War of Independence was not just a ripple of the First World War somewhere on the periphery of Europe, but a real war. It was a sore fight, an ultimately victorious struggle that vindicated the right of the Estonian nation to independence. Witnesses to this feat included our friends and allies – the British, Finns, Swedes, Danes, French and Americans who gave us material aid and stood with us as comrades-in-arms," the defense chief said.
In the War of Independence, the Estonian defense forces were a people's army, meaning that the nation's sons and daughters took part in defending their country; the defense forces are of and for the people. The primary function of the defense forces and Kaitseliit (Defense League) is to defend and protect the Estonian state, in cooperation with our allies, he said.
The commander of the defense forces in this connection highlighted the growing role of the Kaitseliit volunteer corps.
"In the coming years, Kaitseliit will take on a greater responsibility in fulfilling the function of territorial defense. This is an important step toward the home guard becoming a more influential force in our national defense. Being responsible for Estonian territorial defense will mean that Kaitseliit will receive more effective training and add more personnel to its ranks. It is also a clear token of the trust the Estonian state places in its people and their free will," he said.