On the 15^th of August 1922 it is inaugurated in Strehaia the Monument of the Romanian Heroes dedicated to the commemoration of the heroes involved in the events of the First World War.

The First World War meant for Romania, the execution of the national ideal, the unification of the people. This challenge was executed on the battle field, when the Romanian army demonstrated a high patriotism. The Participation of Romania at the First World War comprises the totality of the measures and of the actions of political and military order developed by the Romanian state, single or with the help of the allays, between the 28^th of July 1914 and the 11^th of November 1918, in order to accomplish the principal political objective of the participation of the war – executing the Romanian unitary national state.

From the point of view of the status as belligerent, Romania was once a time: neutral country in the period 28^th of July 1914 – the 27^th of August 1916, belligerent country on the side of Antanta in the period the 27^th of August 1916 – the 27^th of November 1917, in the state of truce in the period the 27^th of November 1917 – the 7^th of May 1918, non-combatant country in the period the 7^th of May 1918 – the 9^th of November 1918, belligerent country on the side of Antanta in the period the 9^th of November – the 11^th of November 1918.

In the year 1916, before Romania entering into war in the First World War on the side of the Allays, the general Ion Drăgălina was named commander of the Division I Infantry, situated at Turnu Severin. The division troops covered a big distance of the western frontier of Romania, from the rivers of Argeș until Calafat. His division fought with fearlessness, in August 1916, at Orșova and on the valley of the Cerna River. After he attacked in the morning of the day of the 15^th of August 1916 at Porțile de Fier, the Romanian troops situated under the command of general Drăgălina managed, on the 19^th of August 1916, to occupy the mountain heights Alion, Ozoina and Dranic, freeing in the following days the city Orșova. The German – Austrian – Hungarian offensive was stopped by the beginning of the month of October, the Division I managing to maintain its positions.

Within the offensive plan of the Great General District, the Division I, situated under the command of the general Ion Drăgălina and which had its commandment at Turnu Severin, was going to execute a local operation on the Danube Valley and of cerna with the mission of occupying Orșova, on the defiles of Cerna at north from Mehadia and on the heights which dominate Valea Cernei to the west, it is shown in the volume of annex – documents “Romania during the First World War 1916 – 1919 “ – Bucharest (1934).

In front of this situation, the commandment of the division decides to attack the enemy position defended by the Brigade 145 mixed, from the crest of the Rooster until the Danube in order to occupy Valea Cernei.

The events are precipitated, on the occasion on which the general Drăgălina is named on the position of Commander of the Army I – and only after a few days he will fall heroically on the battle field without being able to participate at the grand event for which he militated so much.