When the drums of war beat and the homeland calls, the greatest men are always found in the front lines—heroes who wrote living legends in an unforgettable history with their blood. Among them was the martyr Mohamed Zard, who sacrificed his life so that Egypt may live with dignity and victory.

Mohamed Zard was born on October 31, 1943, in the Gharbia Governorate. He joined the Military Academy, excelled in his skills, and graduated in 1966. He then joined the Egyptian units in Yemen, stayed there for a year, and returned to Egypt after sustaining a leg injury. Due to this injury, a medical committee decided to remove him from the armed forces formations. He then moved to teaching at the Infantry School and performed his role excellently. However, his strong desire to be on the front lines of the battlefield made him seriously seek treatment for his leg. Through willpower, determination, and persistence, he achieved his dream and petitioned to return to combat formations. Indeed, he returned and joined the infantry units of the Third Field Army on the front directly on the Suez Canal edge facing Israeli Strongpoint 149.

On October 6, 1973, the Egyptian command tasked Mohamed Zard’s battalion with the mission to destroy and storm the fortified Strongpoint 149, which had been a primary target during the War of Attrition operations.

The battle began, and the battalion started picking off enemy tanks, continuing fierce fighting for three days. Afterwards, Zard insisted to his commanders to storm the fortress alone. Indeed, Zard advanced with two grenades and a 9mm pistol and succeeded in reaching and throwing the grenades inside the enemy bunkers. However, he was hit by a full burst from a machine gun that caused a large hole in his abdominal wall, forcing him to press his intestines back with his hand in an attempt to hold them in place. Despite everything, the hero called out with all his remaining strength to his soldiers: “Pass over me, go up, continue your work, cleanse the strongpoint.” His soldiers then fought bravely and took control of Strongpoint 149, and the Egyptian flag was raised freely thanks to its heroic sons.

The hero martyr Mohamed Zard was transferred to Suez Hospital, where doctors tried their best to save him, but God’s will prevailed and his noble soul departed to its Creator.

The hero Mohamed Zard left his body but the echo of his heroism still resonates in the homeland’s skies. He left after teaching us that the land is protected by the blood of its loyal men, and his name will remain engraved in the hearts of Egyptians as a symbol of sacrifice and a voice whispering to future generations to protect the homeland.

Mohamed Zard lives in Egypt’s consciousness as a flame, a beacon, and a flag fluttering in the sky of heroism and dignity.