President Milanović at the Anniversary of the Founding of the 106th Brigade of the Croatian National Guard in Osijek: A Defender Is One who Risked His Life, There Weren’t Many of Them
The President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanović joined the 30th anniversary ceremony of the founding of the 106th Brigade of the Croatian National Guard in Osijek, the Day of Osijek Defenders and the Day of Croatian Volunteer Defenders of Osijek-Baranja County.
“Thirty years ago today it seemed that it will be dangerous and ugly, and a few months later something worse happened. Croatian cities began to fall and people began to perish. Three cities were particularly in danger: Osijek because of its size and the psychological effect because of its vicinity to Vukovar that had just before been razed, destroyed and captured, Zadar, also because of its size and roadway connectivity, and Dubrovnik. Three cities that were in an especially difficult state”, President Milanović said in his address, adding that all those who hadn’t taken part in the battle with arms in their hands could have supposed how people in Osijek felt the days after the capture and fall of Vukovar and the mass killings.
“The next step we expected was an attack on Osijek, not the fall of Osijek, but the fear that Osijek could fall”, President Milanović continued. He noted that the small number of people who remained in the city, who consciously felt the need to fight actively, and help directly or indirectly, deserve a perpetual Croatian gratitude memorial medal.
President Milanović said that there is no danger that the events of the Homeland War will be forgotten, not because only thirty years have passed, but because they are constantly talked about, debated and evaluated, and that there is no chance for such a topic to fall into oblivion.
“The truth may hurt, but no one has to be ashamed of it. Our truth hurts because it was painful, deadly, it has traumatized many people, has killed many, has caused regress, but we don’t have to be ashamed of it, and ultimately we should be proud of it”, the President continued. He added that the mistakes on that path happened due to negligence or human traits, they were disclosed, the punishments were handed out, and the debts were paid. “I think it is high time to stop talking about those things or keep questioning ourselves. What’s done, is done, what’s been judged, is judged, and that in particular refers to the fantasies and illusions, misconceptions, crimes and other faults of our grandfathers and great-grandfathers, eighty or one hundred years ago”, the President stated.
He told the defenders that their status is exclusive and that not everyone can be a defender. “A defender is one who risked his life. There weren’t many of them. MInd your status. Not everyone can be a Croatian defender. The one who spent the entire war in an office isn’t a defender, he can be a Croatian patriot, a loyal, well-meaning citizen of this country. But your value is that there aren’t many of you. Everything that is beautiful and shiny is rare –in order for it to continue to shine, keep it jealously and selfishly, it can’t belong to everyone, it is the merit of a small number of good people. In honour of that small number of people, I thank you”, President Milanović concluded his address.
On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the founding of the 106th Brigade of the Croatian National Guard, the President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces presented decorations to the members of the 106th Brigade of the Croatian National Guard. For a deed of valour in the Homeland War, the Order of Nikola Šubić Zrinski was presented to Eduard Bakarec. For extraordinary successful command of units of the Croatian Armed Forces and for extraordinary military services in their organization and development, the Order of Ban Jelačić was awarded to Dubravko Pancić.
For having been seriously wounded in the Homeland War, the Order of the Croatian Cross Croatian was awarded to Zorislav Samardžija and Antun Slivka. The Order of the Croatian Trefoil Croatian for extraordinary services to the Republic of Croatia in a state of war and in special circumstances in peace was awarded to Branko Džanko and Ante Gelo, and posthumously to Zoran Bušić.
Speaking at the ceremony in addition to President Milanović were the war commander of the 106th Brigade of the Croatian National Guard and member of the Presidency of the Association of the 106th Brigade of the Croatian National Guard retired colonel Franjo Koržinek, the Mayor of Osijek Ivan Radić, the Osijek-Baranja Deputy County Prefect Mato Lukić, the State Secretary in the Ministry of Croatian Defenders and envoy of the Prime Minister Špiro Janović and the Member of the Croatian Parliament and envoy of the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament Goran Ivanović.
Accompanying President Milanović was the Special Adviser to the President of the Republic for Homeland War Veterans Marijan Mareković.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Tomislav Bušljeta