President Milanović Presents Honorary Ranks and Decorations to Croatian Defenders: Honorary ranks are a debt of honour to those without whom Croatia would not have been defended
The President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanović presented honorary ranks and decorations to Croatian defenders at a ceremony held in the Office of the President. Seven Croatian Army officers received the honorary rank of Brigadier General and 22 Croatian defenders were decorated. One army unit, the Liaison Unit of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, was decorated as well.
“Croatian officers, Croatian warriors, it is my honour and pleasure to be with you today. Today, we are here to award decorations to a number of deserving people and honorary ranks to a small number of deserving people. I regret that we did not do the latter at least more than a year ago. I could not wait any longer and I decided, and I will continue to do so in the future, to fulfil my duty as Commander in Chief and to award honorary ranks to a small number of people – and this number is not final, there will be more. They are a debt of honour and recognition to the people who, above all, did important work for this country, for our Croatia, in the war and at its beginning. They were among that small number of the right kind of people without whom there would have been no defense of the country, and if there was no defense, there would have been no liberation either,” President Milanović said congratulating all those who received decorations and honorary ranks, and concluded with these words: “Thank you once again for everything you have done for our country, for our homeland, the one and only Croatia, when it was most needed. In fact, this generation could not wait any longer for this gesture, that’s why we had to get this done today, not tomorrow.”
For extraordinary services in the Homeland War, President Milanović awarded the honorary rank of brigadier general to Zdravko Andabak, Miljenko Balen, Marjan Biškić, Josip Černi, Đuro Matuzović, Ilija Nakić and Ivan Obrovac. According to the Law on Service in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia, the President of the Republic may award an honorary rank to Croatian nationals and nationals of foreign countries for extraordinary services in the Homeland War. The honorary rank confers the right to insignia and corresponding military honours without the right to command. It has no financial or material effects for the rank holders.
For valour demonstrated by its members in the Homeland War, the Order of Nikola Šubić Zrinski was bestowed upon the Liaison Unit of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces. Miodrag Demo was also decorated with the Order of Nikola Šubić Zrinski for a deed of valour in the Homeland War. For extraordinary successful command of units of the Croatian Armed Forces and for extraordinary military services in their organization, the Order of Ban Jelačić was bestowed upon Zdravko Kuzelj and (posthumously) Marko Perčinić. For participating and being seriously wounded in the Homeland War, Danijel Kadi and Zoran Keča were awarded the Order of the Croatian Cross.
For extraordinary services to the Republic of Croatia in a state of war, the Order of the Croatian Trefoil was conferred upon Damir Belaj, Vjeko Dogan, Perica Lubina, Jozo (Stjepan) Pintarić, Srećko (Mijo) Repušić, Miroslav Vrčković, Petar Žužul, Igor Čonč, Tihomir Čavec, Admir Kazaferović, Zdravko Ružak and Nedjeljko Frano Erceg. Ivan Butalja, Slavko Čuljak, Vilim Ivas, Marijo Juričan and Branko Šušnjar were awarded the Order of the Croatian Interlace for extraordinary contributions to the development and the reputation of the Republic of Croatia, as well as to the welfare of its citizens.
Honorary Brigadier General Marjan Biškić thanked the President of the Republic on behalf of those who were decorated and promoted. “It is an honour to be able to address you on behalf of my colleagues who were decorated today and promoted to the honorary rank of Brigadier General. Those of us who were promoted and decorated are extremely pleased and proud to be recognized on the eve of the observance of the 27th anniversary of Operation Storm, Victory and Homeland Gratitude Day and Croatian Defenders Day. Our pride will not be diminished by the fact that not all parties participated in the nomination process, and we are sad because of that. The symbolism of this ceremony is special because, through the selection of those promoted and decorated today, you clearly demonstrated that you do not divide the participants of the Homeland War into members of the Croatian Armed Forces and the Croatian Defense Council, and that you value the contribution of all members equally. You have shown this by awarding medals to the units of the Croatian Defense Council, and in this you have the defenders’ support. We were together in the war and most of us who were promoted and decorated participated in the defense of the Croatian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and we are proud of that. The unity and mutual assistance that the Croatian Armed Forces and the Croatian Defense Council had in the Homeland War should still be demonstrated today on all occasions, which you, Mr. President, are doing. Thank you for that,” said Honorary Brigadier General Biškić.
Attending the ceremony in the Office of the President were the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces Admiral Robert Hranj, Commander of the Operations Command of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces Brigadier General Ivan Turkalj, Deputy Commander of Support Command Brigadier General Ivan Raos, Assistant Police Chief and Head of the Directorate for Public Order and Security Dragan Tokić, Assistant Commander of Intervention Force Command Stjepan Milković and envoy of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Veterans’ Affairs, Director of the Directorate for Counselling, Psychosocial and Medical Assistance Dinko Tandara.
At the ceremony alongside President Milanović were the Head of the Cabinet of the President of the Republic Bartol Šimunić, Adviser to the President of the Republic for Defense and National Security Dragan Lozančić, Special Adviser to the President of the Republic for Homeland War Veterans Marijan Mareković and Head of the Military Office in the Cabinet for Defense and National Security Rear Admiral Predrag Stipanović.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia /Tomislav Bušljeta / Dario Andrišek