President Milanović at 144th Croatian Army Sesvete Brigade Anniversary Ceremony: Your contribution is embedded in every element of the Croatian state

“I congratulate you on this glorious and great anniversary and express my deep admiration and gratitude, not only to the defenders, but to the Croatian liberators, the pioneers of the Croatian victory,” the President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanović said at a ceremony marking the 32^nd anniversary of the 144^th Croatian Army Brigade of Sesvete.

President Milanović reminded of the military service record of the 144^th Brigade and the events of 1995, two days before the start of Operation Storm, when members of the brigade were supposed to climb Mount Dinara, yet they did not have a single off-road vehicle. “Kotromanović gave them the vehicle, obliging them to return it a day later. Of course they did not return it. The second one was given to them by Tiho Blaškić, and they also kept it,” said President Milanović. He explained how this event with all-terrain vehicles testified to the standing and image of Croatia in 1995. “Every man, every bullet, every tire was counted, there was no money and equipment, and no support from the international community, except for a few pats on the back here and there. There were threats of sanctions and constant insecurity,” he added.

“These are the circumstances in which the 144^th Brigade, the leading all-Zagreb brigade, fought and dreaded, and waited in the hope that the war would last a short time. And it lasted only a short time because the people who led the war and the soldiers, and the politicians of the time, regardless of political differences, protected human lives,” said President Milanović, pointing out that the 20 fallen members are a large number, but that they did not die in vain.

“When we look at how many human lives are being lost today – just during this time, while we are talking, probably more than a hundred people died in Ukraine – it is clear that Croatia was governed intelligently and responsibly, shrewdly and, in the most noble sense of the word, selfishly, looking at ourselves, our interests and the interests of our family and what makes up our nation, and that is all that is within our borders. Only what is within our borders is ours. It was defended and it will be defended in the future with other means,” he said.

“Your sacrifice and your contribution cannot be forgotten. It is the Croatian state, it is not only in the foundations of the Croatian state, it is embedded in every element of the Croatian state,” President Milanović concluded.

As a major unit of the Croatian Army, the 144^th Brigade’s contribution during the Homeland War was significant. It was formed on 6 October 1991 and staffed with soldiers, non-commissioned officers and officers from the area of Sesvete. Its members fought on many battlefields, from Slavonia to the southern front. From 1991 to 1995, 6632 members passed through the brigade, of which 20 were killed and over 100 were wounded.

Speaking at the anniversary ceremony apart from President Milanović were the President of the 144^th Croatian Army Sesvete Brigade Homeland War Veterans’ Association Marko Bošnjak, Commander of the 144^th Croatian Army Sesvete Brigade Vlado Čondić, delegate of the Mayor of Zagreb from the municipal Department of Social Protection, Health, Veterans and Persons with Disabilities Sonja Vrban, State Secretary in the Ministry of Croatian Veterans’ Affairs and delegate of the Croatian Prime Minister Špiro Janović, and Member of the Croatian Parliament and delegate of the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament Ante Deur.

On the occasion of the 32^nd anniversary of the mobilization of the 144^th Croatian Army Brigade of Sesvete, wreaths were laid and candles were lit at the “Mother and Child” memorial in memory of the fallen and deceased members of the brigade. President Milanović was accompanied by 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 / Dario Andrišek