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| Ba Beta Kristiyan Haile Selassie I |
| Selected Speeches |
| Haile Selassie the First - May 18, 1959 |
our armed services -- land, air and naval forces -- We say now as we have
said then, the national flag is the symbol of a nation's independence. Our
national flag was nvever cancelled not even during the five years of the
partial occupation of Ethiopia, because our valiant patriots, under our
orders, courageously resisted the enemy. Many countries refused to
recognize the occupation and there the Ethiopian flag continued as an
emblem of Ethiopia's freedom. The faithful people of Gojjam fought
bravely against the enemy during the invasion, they resisted the
occupation, and rather than submitting to the enemy, many of them
preferred to live as refugees.
Presenting this flag to the Second Battalion which under Our command
marched into the capital, symbolizes Our triumpant entry into Addis
Ababa, which does not limit its significance to the battalion, but is of
meaning to the whole of the Empire. This flag you receive now is the
symbol not only of the resistance and the sacrifices endured during the
exile; it is witness of the historic moment when we raised the Ethiopian
flag at Omedla. During that time this battalion was a guard of honour to
Ourselves, and We know better than anyone the services rendered by each
one of you when this battalion served as Our guard of honour.
The faithful people of Gojjam who fought relentlessly during the five years
against the enemy, never surrendering, were chosen to be the first among
those to liberate the country and lead the campaign to victory. The value
of a flag springs from the sacrifices made to defend it as the symbol of
independence, otherwise there is no difference between a flag and any
other piece of cloth. That is why the flag is an eternal source of
inspiration, of loyalty and the symbol of the sacred duty and obligation of a
soldier; to him it is a moral sentinel.
We entrust this flag to you -- this testimony to those who have served Us
by their sacrifices made during the exile and the campaign of liberation;
moreover, this symbol of the sacrifices made by the patriots. We hope the
Almighty will guide you to fulfil this trust.
said then, the national flag is the symbol of a nation's independence. Our
national flag was nvever cancelled not even during the five years of the
partial occupation of Ethiopia, because our valiant patriots, under our
orders, courageously resisted the enemy. Many countries refused to
recognize the occupation and there the Ethiopian flag continued as an
emblem of Ethiopia's freedom. The faithful people of Gojjam fought
bravely against the enemy during the invasion, they resisted the
occupation, and rather than submitting to the enemy, many of them
preferred to live as refugees.
Presenting this flag to the Second Battalion which under Our command
marched into the capital, symbolizes Our triumpant entry into Addis
Ababa, which does not limit its significance to the battalion, but is of
meaning to the whole of the Empire. This flag you receive now is the
symbol not only of the resistance and the sacrifices endured during the
exile; it is witness of the historic moment when we raised the Ethiopian
flag at Omedla. During that time this battalion was a guard of honour to
Ourselves, and We know better than anyone the services rendered by each
one of you when this battalion served as Our guard of honour.
The faithful people of Gojjam who fought relentlessly during the five years
against the enemy, never surrendering, were chosen to be the first among
those to liberate the country and lead the campaign to victory. The value
of a flag springs from the sacrifices made to defend it as the symbol of
independence, otherwise there is no difference between a flag and any
other piece of cloth. That is why the flag is an eternal source of
inspiration, of loyalty and the symbol of the sacred duty and obligation of a
soldier; to him it is a moral sentinel.
We entrust this flag to you -- this testimony to those who have served Us
by their sacrifices made during the exile and the campaign of liberation;
moreover, this symbol of the sacrifices made by the patriots. We hope the
Almighty will guide you to fulfil this trust.
| Chapter XIV |
| Presenting Colours May 18, 1959 |
| Security |