President Milanović at “Thunders” Anniversary: We should talk about history for our own sake, not others’
The President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanović visited Duga Resa today, where he attended the 33rd anniversary ceremony of the 2nd Guards Brigade “Gromovi” [Thunders].
On this occasion, President Milanović emphasized the importance of remembering the heroic deeds of the 2nd Guards Brigade members. “We should talk about history for our own sake, not others’. We should turn toward the future, but we cannot escape the consequences of what we said and what occurred. It is up to us to talk about the history of Croatia and, of course, about the history of the 2nd Guards Brigade – about that, which we see as the truth, which we consider necessary to be repeated, and which is a matter of honour and pride,” he stressed.
In his speech, the President of the Republic emphasized the sacrifice of the 205 fallen members of the brigade who gave their lives for Croatia’s freedom. He also underscored the pivotal role of “Thunders” during the Homeland War. “Your brigade was there, where it was the most difficult. This is a brigade that has the honour and pleasure that the current Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Tihomir Kundid, was its fighter and veteran and that he spent his entire military path as a guardsman. Out of 33 years, he was in the army for 29 years – a real soldier. This brigade defended Croatia on Banovina when it was the most difficult and uncertain. It liberated Croatia in Operation Storm, where it was the most difficult,” he pointed out.
Additionally, President Milanović stated that the Croatian brigades played a crucial role in the liberation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ultimately contributing to the establishment of conditions for the signing of the Dayton Accords. “In August 1995, the war in Croatia was practically won, everything except eastern Slavonia was liberated, but the Croatian brigades still went to fight for the freedom of Bosnia and Herzegovina, for the freedom of the Croatian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina. If it weren’t for the Croatian Army and Croatia’s Guards Brigades, Bosnia and Herzegovina would look different today, and there would be no peace in Dayton, nor would the British and American fighter-bombers force the then enemies, the Bosnian Serbs and Milošević, to make peace. This was done exclusively by the Croatian Army. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a state of the Croats as well as the Serbs and Bosniaks. It is not good when irresponsible claims about what the Croatian people were responsible for, or were not responsible for, 80 years ago, come from there. And this comes from the political leader of the Bosnian Serbs, Milorad Dodik, with whom we need to talk in order to find clever and useful solutions that benefit everyone, especially the Croat people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, who are denied the rights guaranteed by the constitution,” he said.
In the end of his speech, the President said that the truth should be reiterated. “And the truth is that Croatia was liberated and defended by the will of its people. If it were not so, there would be no Croatian state. Today, our country is stable and solid. I believe that we have achieved enough and that we must sensibly approach discussions with our neighbours to protect our rights and to protect the rights that belong to Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Those rights are largely symbolic, but they are very important. This symbolism binds us as people and keeps us together,” said President Milanović.
The 2nd Guards Brigade “Gromovi” was established on 15 May 1991 in the “Trstenik” Barracks near Dugo Selo, initially comprising members of the police force. Their wartime service began in early June 1991 on the Mladost Bridge in Zagreb, where they successfully halted the advance of tanks from the Yugoslav People’s Army. Concurrently, units of the brigade engaged in battles near Ljubovo in Lika and in the Hrvatsko Pounje region. They played pivotal roles in defending Karlovac, Duga Resa, Topusko, and in the Banovina region, while also securing Petrinja, Sisak, and Komarevo. In 1991, during the Battle of Farkašić, they reclaimed a significant portion of territory on the right bank of the Kupa River. Additionally, the “Thunders” were involved in operations to liberate the Southern Front (Operation Tiger) and in the Bosanska Posavina region. They made significant contributions to operations such as Maslenica, Flash, and Storm. Throughout its history, the brigade saw over 9,700 members pass through its ranks. Tragically, 205 were killed, five remain missing, and over 1,400 were wounded in service.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Tomislav Bušljeta