President Milanović at Swearing-In Ceremony of Members of 3rd Mechanized Battalion “Spiders”: “Croatia first, then all other alliances and loyalties”

The President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanović attended a ceremony marking the 31^st anniversary of the formation of the 4^th Guards Brigade “Spiders” and a swearing-in ceremony at which berets were handed out to members of the 3^rd Mechanized Battalion “Spiders” in the former barracks Dračevac in Split.

The 4^th Guards Brigade was formed on 28 April 1991. Its first combat mission was an operation to liberate Kruševo, and it was successfully carried out in July 1991. Subsequently, there were defensive and liberating operations from Zadar, Sinj, Drniš, Šibenik, Vodice to the liberation of Dubrovnik and its hinterland in operations codenamed “Tiger” and “Vlaštica”. The Brigade took part in operation Maslenica as well as in operations “Winter ‘94”, “Leap-1” and “Leap-2”, Summer ’95, Storm and Maestral. During the Homeland War, the 4^th Guards Brigade didn’t know the meaning of defeat or of losing a position. Four members are registered missing, 195 were killed and nearly 1,600 wounded.

The ceremony marking the 31^st anniversary of the formation of the 4^th Guards Brigade “Spiders” began with a tribute to all the killed, deceased and missing Croatian defenders by laying wreaths in Holy Cross Memorial Chapel. A ceremony followed in which red berets were handed out to 92 members of the 4^th Guards Brigade “Spiders” of the Croatian Ground Forces who took their solemn oath.

“This is the second oath you have sworn. In the first one, after completion of your training, you swore to protect Croatia, its constitutional and legal order, its borders – all what is sacred in a democratic state. Croatia and above all Croatia, then all the rest. Today you gave it a deeper and broader meaning, you swore to serve the Croatian people, to be more precise – the entire Croatian people. This is a profound and important promise. You will serve the people by following responsible, democratic and human politics, which first and foremost have Croatia’s interests in mind”, President Milanović told the members of the 3^rd Mechanized Battalion “Spiders”, congratulating them on their oath. “It’s short and clear, and remember each time – Croatia first, then all other alliances and loyalties”, the President stated.

In his address to the gathering President Milanović also remembered the famous Brigade’s commander Andrija Matijaš Pauk. “Your commander, famous Andrija Matijaš Pauk was killed in the final days and dying moments of the war. He was killed in the neighbouring state, in another independent state that isn’t Croatia, but where Croats live. He was killed because the politics wanted it, when the Croatian goals and ambitions in that war had already been achieved. He was killed along with a few others in the final moments, the last gasp of the war. You must never forget this, and I’m sure you won’t. This is a sacrifice whose weight and symbolism is special and different. Others were killed too, and every victim is worth the same, but there is some symbolism and a lesson in that loss”, President Milanović noted.

Red berets to members of 3^rd Mechanized Battalion “Spiders” were presented both by President Milanović and the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces Admiral Robert Hranj, the Commander of the Croatian Ground Forces Lieutenant General Boris Šerić, envoy and chief adviser to the Defense Minister Major general Željko Živanović, the Commander of the Mechanized Guards Brigade Brigadier General Dražen Ressler, Commander of the 3^rd Mechanized Battalion “Spiders” Lieutenant Colonel Ivica Armanda, president of the 4^th Guards Brigade “Spiders” Veterans Association Borislav Lapenda, member of the Presidency of the 4^th Guards Brigade “Spiders” Veterans Association retired Lieutenant Colonel Mirko Čondić, and the president of the Supervisory Board of the 4^th Guards Brigade “Spiders” Veterans Association Vesna Boban.

Alongside President Milanović at the ceremony marking the 31^st anniversary of the formation of the 4^th Guards Brigade “Spiders” were the Adviser to the President of the Republic for Defense and National Security Dragan Lozančić, and the Special Adviser to the President for Homeland War Veterans Marijan Mareković.

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Dario Andrišek