Families of four fallen soldiers and volunteers from Syunik received assistance through the “With Our Soldiers” Campaign.

SYUNIK, Armenia—The Armenian Youth Federation’s ‘With Our Soldiers’ campaign is continuing to report on its efforts related to providing financial relief to the families of the fallen soldiers and volunteers of the Four Day War as well as featuring the stories of our heroes. This press release is focused on the next 4 of the 13 soldiers and volunteers from Syunik, who lost their lives in April. The first report on Syunik, featuring 4 other fallen heroes, was published earlier and can be accessed here. The video report enclosed shows the visits made to the families of Karo Hambartzumyan, Armen Beglaryan, Davit Sargsyan, and Armen Hovhannisyan.

Ten of the fallen soldiers from Syunik – members of the Sisakan Volunteer Unit – were killed near Martakert (Artsakh) as a result of a drone strike on April 4th, which destroyed the bus transporting them to the front lines. As in the past, the ‘With Our Soldiers’ campaign allocated $1,000 to the family of each fallen soldier, with an extra $250 payment for each child. 4 of the fallen 13 fallen heroes had children, and a total of $14,250 was distributed to the families. As in the past, receipts were obtained from the family members who have received the financial assistance in order to ensure transparency and accountability to our supporters and the community.

Below you will find a brief biography of the first four fallen soldiers/volunteers from Syunik, with respective video reports and individual video clips/articles about them and their families. The remaining 5 individuals will be featured in a press release at a future date.

Volunteers:

Armen Beglaryan, fallen soldier

Armen Beglaryan (b. 1973) was a native of the village of Akhlatyan (near Sisian) which he also headed in recent years. In 1992, the 19-year old Armen dropped out of the History Department of the Yerevan State University and went to participate in the Artsakh Liberation Movement as a volunteer. After the end of the war, Beglaryan joined the Armenian Armed Forces and served a commandant of one of the units while also becoming a member of the Yerkrapah Veteran’s Union. Armen was killed on April 4th drone attack near Martakert along with other members of the Sisakan Volunteer Unit. He was not married and had no children. Armen’s father passed away in his adolescent years. Armen left behind his 87-year old mother and his younger brother, Artsrun. His family was given $1,000 by the With Our Soldiers campaign. Learn more about Armen Beglaryan.

Karo Hambardzumyan, fallen soldier

Karo Hambardzumyan (b. 1960) was a veteran of the Artsakh Liberation Movement, and fought from 1992 and until the end of the war, earning multiple awards and medals for his service. Born in the village of Vaghatin (near Sisian), Karo Hambardzumyan was one of his family’s nine children. He graduated from the Sisian Professional Technical School, and soon returned to his native village, where spent the rest of his adult life. His friends described Karo as a quiet, modest, and fiercely patriotic individual. Karo was among those wounded by a drone strike on April 4th near Martakert. After 15 days of struggle in the hospital, Karo Hambardzumyan died in Astghik Medical Center in Sisian on April 19th. He was buried in Sisian on April 20th, on his 56th birthday, leaving behind his wife, five adult children, and eight grandchildren. His family was given $1,000 by the With Our Soldiers campaign. Learn more about Karo Hambardzumyan.

Armen Hovhanisyan, fallen soldier

Armen Hovhannisyan (b. 1978) was among those who were wounded during the bus attack on April 4th and later died in the hospital after a week-long struggle for his life. Armen was the youngest son in the family and had been conscripted into the Army in 1996, where he was injured as a result of a mine explosion and lost the palm of the left hand and the finger on his right hand. This condition did not stop Armen from joining his friends and volunteering to go to the front lines during the Four Day War, where he sacrificed his life in defense of Artsakh. Armen left behind his wife Arpine, and son, Areg, born in 2011. Armen’s family was given $1,250 by the With Our Soldiers campaign. Learn more about Armen Hovhannisyan.

Davit Sargsyan, fallen soldier

Davit Sargsyan (b. 1956) was a veteran of the First Artsakh War, and did not hesitate to join the volunteers from Syunik in defending Artsakh during the Four Day War. In fact, he left the house on the morning of April 3rd without warning his wife Hamest or the rest of his family members; Davit did not even take his phone. A native of the village of Shaghat, Davit Sargsyan was killed in a drone strike against the bus transporting the volunteers near Martakert on April 4th. Davit Sargsyan was posthumously awarded a medal ‘For the Defense of the Homeland.’ He was to turn 60 on July 13, 2016. Davit’s family was given $1,000 by the With Our Soldiers campaign. Learn more about Davit Sargsyan.

The AYF’s ‘With Our Soldiers’ campaign, originally launched in 2012, was restarted in the aftermath of the Four Day War with the aim of providing assistance to the families of the fallen soldiers. To learn more about the campaign or to make a donation today, visit withoursoldiers.com.

Founded in 1933, the Armenian Youth Federation is the largest and most influential Armenian American youth organization in the world, working to advance the social, political, educational and cultural awareness of Armenian youth.