"Hacer patria"?

Question

I was reading an article about a helicopter explosion in Venezuela. The commanding officer was talking about the casualties, saying they were killed in the line of duty. What exactly does "hacer patria" mean? I assume it has something to do with being patriotic.

"Tengan presente que murieron en cumplimiento de su deber, haciendo patria", dijo Motta, que desconoce aún los nombres completos de los fallecidos.

Answer 1

I would say, "serving their country"

Answer 2

I found this WordRef thread on it. It's not terribly informative, but it may be worth a read. Another option would be "making his nation greater". It doesn't seem right, but I thought of it after reading the second answer to the question to which I posted the link.

based on the original context I think that might be "making *their* nation greater." - Izanoni1, Aug 28, 2010

De acuerdo. - MacFadden, Aug 28, 2010

Answer 3

Well I have always thought "hacer patria" meant to "fly the flag".