In Gorna Oryahovitsa, the memory of officer candidate Dimitar Dimitrov, who died in the performance of his military duty in Iraq, was honored

April 23, 2024

Residents of Gorna Oryahovitsa, the leadership of the Municipality and the military honored the memory of officer candidate Dimitar Dimitrov. April 23, 2024 marked the 20th anniversary of his death in the line of duty in Karbala, as part of an overseas post-war reconstruction mission in Iraq.
An honor guard from the Vasil Levski National Military University and the Military Brass Band took part in the commemorative ceremony on the occasion of the anniversary. In the ritual, which took place in front of the memorial plaque of Dimitar Dimitrov in Gorna Oryahovitsa, the head of the National University Brigadier General Ivan Malamov also took part, who accepted the order.
The ceremony began with the speech of the mayor of Gorna Oryahovitsa Municipality Nikolay Rashkov. “Officer candidate Dimitar Dimitrov died as a hero in the performance of his official duty, in honor and glory of the Bulgarian arms. The loss is a tragedy for the family, but when a Bulgarian soldier dies, it is also a loss for the Motherland,” the mayor told the audience.
Addresses of condolence were sent by the President of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev, and the Commander of the Ground Forces, Major General Deyan Deshkov.
Flowers were presented by the Chairman of the Municipal Council Ognyan Stoyanov, Deputy Regional Governor Valentin Mihailov, servicemen from the Second Infantry Battalion, from the Joint Forces Command, from the Military Division in Gorna Oryahovitsa, the Chairman of the Management Board of the Union of Officers of the “Atlantic” Reserve, as well as many civilians. Wreaths were also presented on behalf of the Minister of Defense Atanas Zapryanov and the Chief of Defense of the Republic of Bulgaria, Admiral Emil Eftimov.
By order of the Minister of Defense, officer candidate Dimitar Dimitrov was awarded posthumously with the Badge for those injured in a military conflict, mission and operation. The same distinction was received by o.z. Lieutenant Ivan Dyulgerov, translator in the Second Infantry Battalion in Iraq.
After the ritual, the film “Our Foreign War” directed by Rosen Elezov was shown in the Youth House – a documentary about the Bulgarian heroes of Karbala.
Officer candidate Dimitar Dimitrov was born on April 25, 1978 in the town of Polski Trumbesh. He studied at “Georgi Izmirliev” school. He is a graduate of the Center for the Training of Staff Sergeants in Veliko Tarnovo, majoring in “Communication Troops”. He served in the military unit in Gorna Oryahovitsa as a sapper. In 2004, he went to Karbala as part of the Second Infantry Battalion. He died on April 23, just two days before his 26th birthday, while performing tasks assigned by the Karbala City Hall Security Command. On his return from duty, his group was ambushed and in the ensuing firefight, officer candidate Dimitrov was killed.
The commemorative events were organized by the Union of Reserve Officers “Atlantic” and the Initiative Committee of the 2nd Infantry Battalion, with the support of the Municipality of Gorna Oryahovitsa and the National Military University “Vasil Levski”.