The Committee that honors Ethiopian heroes held its annual dinner in Washington, DC, honoring four Ethiopians who preformed selfless acts of sacrifice beyond the call of duty for their motherland. A welcoming speech was made by the committee chairman who asked the audience for a moment of silence to remember the hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians who gave the ultimate in line of duty in order to safeguard and preserve the unity of Ethiopia and well being of the Ethiopian people from foreign and internal treats alike throughout the ages.
The four honorees, Lt. Gen. Jagama Kelo, Cpt. Mamo Habtewold, Maj. Gen. Fanta Belay, and Maj. Gen. Amaha Desta, were selected for acts valor performed at times and places as varied as during the war against the Italian invasion, the Korean War, and the war against Somalia and the effort to free Ethiopia from the dictatorial regime of Col. Mengistu H/Mariam.
Lt. Gen. Jagama Kelo, who traveled from Ethiopia to attend the event, was only fifteen years old when he led a resistance army of some three thousand strong against the Italian position at Addis alem. Undeterred by the superior war machine of the Italian army, the young freedom fighter took the battle to the entrenched Italian army and decimated its position. Jagama and his army battled against the Italian army at various locations in the Shoa region until the total defeat of the Italian army in 1941. Recognizing his potential, King Haileselassie selected Jagama for advanced and modern military training at the Holeta Military Academy. He rose to the rank of Lt. General serving in various capacities in the Ethiopian army.
Capt. Mamo Habtewold was a young second lieutenant when he was assigned to lead a reconnaissance mission with thirteen other Ethiopian troops and one American signal officer. The group left at about 8:00PM headed to the no man’s land between the allied forces on one side and the North Korean and Chinese troops on the other. Half way through their mission, Capt. Mamo and his men found themselves surrounded by a Chinese red army detachment that had occupied the terrain. A brisk battle ensued in the peach dark valley. The outnumbered Ethiopians fought back with everything they got and beat back the first assault.
Unfortunately, however, the American signal officer who was manning radio transmission equipment was killed in the first encounter of the assault and the radio had sustained damage. A bullet also pierced the second radio they carried. They lost all communication with headquarters and could not call for reinforcement. In the mean time, the Chinese red army resumed its attack, reinforced and supported by rocket launchers and heavy machine guns.
After several minutes of fighting all of the Ethiopian troops had sustained bullet and shrapnel wounds, four had lost their lives. Capt. Mamo attempted to encourage those with light wounds to continue to fight. He jumped from one place to another shouting commands and giving aid. The battle continued with the red army closing in fast. In one instance, a Chinese soldier was able to grab one of the wounded Ethiopians and drag him some distance with a rope tied to his feet. Capt. Mamo jumped out and fired at the Chinese soldier before he got too far. He was able to retrieve his wounded colleague. Capt. Mamo then hid in the bush the bodies of those soldiers who lost their lives as well as the badly wounded ones. After several hours of battle, reinforcement arrived and the red army retreated. The American company that controlled the area counted 25 dead and 45 wounded Chinese soldiers. Based on the intelligence gathered, Capt. Mamo’s fourteen men fought against over three hundred soldiers of the red army.
For his valor beyond the call of duty, Capt. Mamo received the St. George Medal of honor with three olive branch stripes, the highest Medal of Honor for battle field valor at the time. He also received a Silver Star medal from the United States government, the highest order of medal for valor given to a non-American, the medals of Honor from the Korean and Belgium governments. In his book, Pork Chop Hill, the stories of war in Korea, dubbed as “ A distinguished contribution to the literature of war” by the New York Times, the renowned historian of War, S.L.A Marshal wrote about the Ethiopians that fought there wrote as follows: “… as a feat of arms by a small body of men, it was matchless. No other entry in the book of war more clearly attests that miracles are made when a leader whose coolness of head is balanced by his reckless daring becomes attended by a few steady men…” “.. Their capacities excelled also in one diversionary aspect of the soldierly arts…. Their unexampled skill might properly become a proper object for research by a top-level military mission…”
Maj. Gen. Fanta Belay was the head of the Ethiopian Air Force for several years. He was head of the Ethiopian Air Force group headquartered in Dire Dawa during the Somalian invasion of the late 1970s. Gen. Fanta oversaw and directed the air defenses and assaults that proved instrumental in securing victory over the Somalian Army. When the Somalian army encircled Dire Dawa, the strategic and second largest city in the region, Gen. Fanta refused to evacuate the air force and fought to the end to support the ground forces and chase the invading army out of the area. He fought as an Air Force commander as well as a single soldier during the battle.
Gen. Fanta, who was known for his constant conflicts with Mengistu over his refusal to seek peaceful resolution for the on-going civil war, was later transferred to the head the Ministry of Industry. Despite his civilian position, he continued to engage with other similarly concerned military leaders to free Ethiopia from dictatorship and chokehold of the brutal dictator Lt.Col. Mengistu H/Mariam. Gen. Fanta took part in the effort to oust Mengistu, sacrificing his life when the effort failed.
Maj. Gen. Amaha Desta was a decorated fighter pilot and a squadron leader during the Somalian invasion of the 1970s. His daring mission inside enemy territory was instrumental in dismantling the fighting power and stores of supply of the enemy. He has received the second highest medal for battlefield valor, for the near suicidal missions he carried out on numerous occasions during the war. Gen. Amaha later replaced Gen. Fanta as head of the air force. Like Gen. Fanta and other high ranking officers of the army, Gen. Amaha was able to foresee the dangers the country was facing as a result of the stubborn and idiotic policies of Mengistu Hailemariam. Like Gen. Fanta, he too decided to sacrifice his life rather than sit on the sidelines as the country sunk further and further into disunity and chaos. Frustrated with the inability of the regime to seek alternative solutions to continued mobilization for war, Gen. Amaha joined the effort to remove Mengistu from power. When the effort failed, Gen. Amaha took the last selfless act, took responsibility for all actions taken by members of the air force, wrapped himself with the Ethiopian flag, and took his own life.
Artist Tamagne Beyene, who along with MC. Maj. Kassay Mazengiya hosted the event, showed short documentaries featuring the heroic deeds of Capt. Mamo, Maj. General Amaha and Maj. General Fanta Belay. The life histories and examplary deeds of the four honorees were read by Ato Esayas Lisanu of Nestanet Le Ethiopia Radio, Ato Abebe Belew of Addis Dimist, and Ato Ayalkibet Teshome of Abyssinia Radio.
The sold out event also featured Ethiopian traditional music and cultural show by an Ethiopian cultural dance group. Mr. Berhanu Woldselassie, chairman of the committee to Honor Ethiopian Heroes made a speech regarding the objectives of the committee and its past achievements. On Behalf of the committee, Mr. Berhanu presented special awards prepared for the occasion to Lt. General Jagama, Capt. Mamo, Mr. Belay Fanta, the son of Maj. General Fanta, Tigist Amaha, and the daughter of Maj. General Amaha.
During this special and colorful occasion, several distinguished guests present included Dereje Demissie, the son of the late Gen. Demissie Bulto and author of the book Abate Yachin Se’at, his mother Wro Aster Adamu, and elder sister Kidist Demisse, Wro Elisabeth Abdisa, the daughter of the hero Col. Abdissa Aga, Wrt. Meron, the daughter of Col Bezabeh Petros, Enatenesh Legesse, the daughter of the late Birg. General Legessse Abeje, Timar Negussie, the daughter of the late Birg. General Negussie Zergaw, Col Tsegaye Yimer, Birg. General Gezmu Bezawork, Birg. General Tsegaye Yabte Yimer, Ato Mulugeta Lule, Ato Gebreyes Begna, and many other invited guests were present.
The sacrifice of Ethiopia’s true sons, those who bled and died for her, will never be forgotten. Generations will continue to cherish their memory. Ethiopia’s sons and daughters shall preserve the past and continue to draw knowledge and strength from our heroes.
