President Milanović Attends Ceremony in Split Marking Formation of BATT Special Police Unit
The President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanović visited Split, where he presented decorations to the members of the BATT Split Special Police Unit at a ceremony marking the 31st anniversary of the unit’s formation.
In his address at the event, President Milanović said that today the Special Police is a an elite and large unit of the Croatian Police that was small thirty-one years ago, while reiterating that the country’s fate depended on a small number of the right and brave people. “That is the case in all wars and in this war in Ukraine, whose outcome depends on defenders and courageous fighters for the defence of Kiev. I say these things with caution and restraint because I do not want Croatia to interfere in these things more than it should and more than is good and safe for it,” said the Croatian President.
“Thirty-one years ago you were among the first. Croatia did not have an army, it did not have weapons, it did not have recognition nor the sympathy or affection of a good part of the Western world. It was helped tacitly and very often insincerely,” said President Milanović, recalling that in the beginning of the Homeland War Croatia was first defended by the police, since there was no army. “The Croatian Army was formed from that police. Those who first gathered on the first day of August 1990 in Svetošimunska Street in Zagreb and in the Police College, and responded to the invitation of the then Croatian President to join the ranks of the Croatian Police were mostly Dalmatians, Slavonians and our brothers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, ordinary people who set off for an uncertain defence,” the President of the Republic pointed out.
President Milanović wished the members of the Special Police all the best in professionally performing their tasks, telling them not to expose themselves to unnecessary risk. “Also, exercise, be ready and in good physical shape. This is very important and I know you are taking this into account, in order to show what you know should the need arise. On this anniversary, which is not round, many of you have gathered to show how important these days of risk, danger, pride and glory are for the Croatian nation, which was not created in this last war. It is older than that, but in this last war it was definitely iron-clad, hammered fast and unchained at the same time,” President Milanović concluded in his address.
On the occasion of marking the 31st anniversary of the unit’s formation, the President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanović presented decorations to the members of the BATT Split Special Police Unit. For bravery and heroism displayed in the Homeland War, Marijan Šćurla was decorated with the Order of Duke Domagoj with Ribbon.
Bernard Majić and Oliver Marić were posthumously awarded the Order of the Croatian Trefoil for extraordinary services to the Republic of Croatia in a state of war and under special circumstances in peace. The Order of the Croatian Trefoil was bestowed upon Tadija Barišić, Damir Buzov, Ivan Gilić, Dean Grubišić, Dalibor Janković, Željko Jelavić, Lujo Matić, Goran Perkušić, Mario Radan, Nikša Rakušić, Mladen Šerić, Mladen Todorić and Ante Vugdelija.
Marijo Mihaljević was decorated with 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. The Homeland War Memorial Medal was posthumously awarded to Bernard Majić and Oliver Marić for their participation in the Homeland War. The Homeland War Memorial Medal was bestowed upon Dalibor Ajnviler, Dean Grubišić, Dalibor Janković, Bože Mihaljević, Mario Mihaljević, Nikša Rakušić, Šimun Radman Livaja, Predrag Stjepić, Marijan Šćurla, Ivan Škeva, Dario Tandara, Mladen Todorić and Ante Vugdelija. The Homeland Gratitude Memorial Medal was presented to Leon Bašković for honourable and exemplary service.
The BATT Split Special Police Unit was established on 15 March 1991 as the first formation of the armed forces in Split-Dalmatia County and is named after the initials of the last names of its first four fallen members: Bočina, Abramović, Tomaš and Topić. On the Homeland War battlefields in Croatia, 740 members of the unit fought in battles and 11 of them were killed.
Speaking at the ceremony apart from President Milanović were the President of the BATT Split Special Police Veterans Association Mladen Todorić, the Commander of the BATT Split Special Police Ante Vugdelija, the Deputy Chief of Police and envoy of the Minster of the Interior Željko Prša, as well as Member of the Croatian Parliament and envoy of the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament Ante Bačić.
The 31st anniversary ceremony commenced with the laying of wreaths at the memorial plaque honouring the fallen members of the unit at the special police base in Mravinci. Adviser to the President of the Republic for Defence and National Security Dragan Lozančić and Special Adviser to the President of the Republic for Homeland War Veterans Marijan Mareković were alongside President Milanović at the wreath-laying.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Ana Marija Katić