Lebanon Bids Farewell to Martyrs Hajj, Hedwan

Source: Al-Manar TV, 14-12-2007
The Lebanese observed Thursday a day of mourning for slain army Major General Francois Hajj and his companion sergeant Kheirallah Hedwan. Even the weather in Lebanon was dim with rain adding weight to Lebanese flags already at half-mast.
The coffins of Hajj and Hedwan, wrapped in Lebanese flags, were transported from the central military hospital to begin a final journey to the towns of Rmeish in south Lebanon and Hizzeen in the Bekaa region. They were both given a state funeral with full military honors.
Hajj and Hedwan were killed Wednesday when a parked car packed with more than 30kg of TNT exploded in the heavily secured zone of Baabda east of Beirut.
Friends and family members along with military officials, soldiers and guards of honor, were present at the funeral ceremony.
Hajj's coffin was first taken to his home in Baabda from where he left for the last time Wednesday minutes before his assassination.
He was taken afterwards to the nearby explosion site before heading to the Notre Dame Church in the hilltop region of Harissa for a mass funeral. Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir led the prayers as political, religious and military figures attended the ceremony. The funeral procession then headed to his hometown Rmeish for the burial ceremony.
Hajj held the rank of Brigadier General as head of the military operations department but he was promoted to Major General after his martyrdom. He had led a three-month military campaign in north Lebanon and crushed the Fatah al-Islam militant group in the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp. Hajj topped the list of candidates to command the Lebanese army after current Army Chief and presidential candidate Michel Suleiman leaves office.
Martyr Kheirallah Ali Hedwan
In the meantime, the funeral procession of martyr Hedwan arrived to his hometown Hizzeen. His coffin wrapped in a Lebanese flag was carried as women were throwing rice and roses. The coffin was carried to the town's (Husseiniyah) where representatives of senior security officials political figures were present. Brigadier General Najeeb Khatib, representing Army Chief Michel Suleiman, awarded martyr Hedwan with a number of medals. The sergeant martyr was later put in his final resting place.