Feel the solemnity in the air at the Eroilor militari Romani cazuti la datorie. This is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It is a monument located in Bucharest. Dedicated to the soldiers who died fighting for Romania, it stands as one of many national tombs around the world.
The Eroilor militari Romani cazuti la datorie was built in 1923. It commemorates Romanian soldiers who died during World War I. In that year, it was decided to choose one fallen soldier. This soldier would represent all who sacrificed their lives during the war.
Order no. 567 was issued on May 1, 1923, by the Ministry of War. It decreed that a war orphan in the first grade of a military school would choose the coffin of the Unknown Soldier. Military schools in Iași, Craiova, Chișinău, and Dealu Monastery submitted their best students. They had to meet specific criteria.
Amilcar Săndulescu, a 12-year-old war orphan, was selected. He studied at the Dimitrie Sturdza Military High School in Craiova. His father had died on the front in 1917.
Ten unidentified soldiers were exhumed. They had died at Mărășești, Mărăști, Oituz, Târgu Ocna, Jiu, Prahova, Bucharest, Dobruja, Transylvania, and Bessarabia. Their remains were placed in oak coffins lined with zinc. This occurred inside the Assumption of Mary Church in Mărășești.
On May 14, 1923, a solemn ceremony was held at Mărășești. Amilcar Săndulescu knelt before the fourth coffin. He said these poignant words “This is my father”. The other nine coffins were buried with military honors. This took place in the Heroes’ Cemetery in Mărășești.
On May 15, 1923, the Unknown Soldier’s coffin was draped in the Romanian Tricolor. It was transported to Bucharest by special train. King Ferdinand, state officials, and an honor guard awaited its arrival. The coffin was placed on a cannon carriage. Eight horses pulled it in a long procession to the Mihai Vodă Church. It remained there for two days allowing people to pay their respects.
On May 17, 1923, Heroes’ Day, the coffin was buried in a crypt in Carol Park. Full military honors were given in the presence of the royal family, government, and public. The stone slab read, “Here lies at rest happily unto the Lord the Unknown Soldier, who sacrificed his life for the unity of the Romanian people. On his bones lies the land of united Romania. 1916–1919.”
The United States War Department announced an honor on June 6, 1923. The Congressional Medal of Honor would be awarded to the Romanian Unknown Soldier. This is one of only five U.S. Medals of Honor. It was given to soldiers of foreign armies allied with the United States during World War I.
The monument was dismantled. It was secretly moved to the Mărășești Mausoleum on the night of December 22 and 23, 1958. The Communist regime made room for the Mausoleum of the Communist Heroes.
In 1991, after the fall of the regime, the Tomb was moved back to Carol Park. It was placed closer to its original location. In 2007, the Tomb was moved even closer to its 1923 location. This put it right next to the Communist mausoleum.
The Eroilor militari Romani cazuti la datorie stands as a symbol of remembrance. It honors the ultimate sacrifice made by countless soldiers. It ensures that their bravery and dedication will never be forgotten.