President Milanović: There are many in the region who haven’t told the whole truth to their children
The President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanović attended a lineup ceremony of war veterans of the 103rd Brigade of the Croatian army on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the formation of the 103rd Brigade of the Croatian army of Krapina-Zagorje County in Sveti Križ Začretje.
President Milanović congratulated on the 30th anniversary of the formation of the 103rd Brigade with the following words: “Dear families, mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, wives of the fallen Croatian heroes, dear defenders, Croatian soldiers, members of the 103rd Brigade, congratulations on your day, a great day, the greatest day 30 years ago”, greeting in particular Franjo Gregurić, wartime Croatian Prime Minister.
“Everything I shall say now and what the esteemed guests have said, we are actually saying for the sake of the youth, of all the youth of Croatia, trying to explain to our sons and daughters not to forget the lessons of the war and all the horrible things that went on thirty years ago. Today we see that in the region there are some who act as if they overslept these thirty years, as if they are narrow-minded, as if nothing is clear to them. They haven’t told their children the whole truth. The truth sometimes hurts. However, it shouldn’t hurt us and you, Croatian soldiers and veterans,” President Milanović stated, and reminded that today an event is being marked that happened just thirty years ago, the formation of a military unit in the only real war in Europe after the Second World War.
“You defended the state barehanded. A total of 7,000 people passed through your brigade, each one of them as valuable as the other, and every one made their contribution. I am certain that there are those of you here today who were in this exact spot in 1991, who went to defend the Homeland that was attacked somewhere else, but all of it is our Croatia. That is called courage, boldness, audacity that is unrivaled. I don’t have to specially stress this because you know it, that the people of Zagorje were the best fighters, organized, levelheaded and brave. Thanks to you and to all those who laid down their lives for Croatia, the most precious thing”, President Milanović stated.
President Milanović bestowed upon Branko Kos the Order of the Croatian Interlace for extraordinary contribution to the development and reputation of the Republic of Croatia and the well-being of its citizens.
A few days ago there was the presentation of a monograph on the path of the 103rd Brigade of the Croatian army and the 6,900 people from Krapina-Zagorje County who spent their service and deployment in the Homeland War in the 103rd Zagorje Brigade on battlefields throughout Croatia in the 1991-1995 period.
Accompanying the President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces at the lineup ceremony of the 103rd Brigade of the Croatian army was the Special Adviser for Homeland War Veterans Marijan Mareković.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Ana Marija Katić