20th anniversary of the 4th guards brigade

Academy was attended by representative of the President of the Republic of Croatia, Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Drago Lovric; representative of the Prime Minister, Defence Minister Davor Bozinovic, by Minister of Family, Veterans, and Intergenerational Solidarity Tomislav Ivic and Minister of Environmental Protection, Physical Planning and Construction Branko Bacic, and many distinguished guests and dignitaries, former and current members of the unit, its commanders and friends.
When addressing the present on behalf of the Prime Minister and on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, Defence Minister Davor Bozinovic reminded that the time in which the Brigade emerged, grown and created history was during the defence of our very own existence, and just then, “where red berets appeared, they gave hope, strengthened the belief that nothing is impossible and that the day of the ultimate freedom is as close”. Finally, Bozinovic concluded, “in the mosaic of our Croatian achievements, particularly NATO membership and the European future, your accomplishments, your wounds, lives and your victory were invested”.

Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant General Drago Lovric, welcomed the present on behalf of the President and commander in chief, Ivo Josipovic, and recalled the bright moments and big wins of the fourth brigade, but also on the losses that the unit had: 194 members have passed their lives and five reported missing in the defence of the Homeland.

Minister of Family and Veterans’ Affairs, Tomislav Ivic, speaking as an emissary of Prime Minister, said that he wanted to publicly express his gratitude and pay tribute to all members of the 4^th Guards Brigade, and all the veterans who were most responsible for Croatia’s freedom and independence.

In memory of all victims of the glorious history of this brigade, the wreaths in the memorial chapel of St. Cross in Dracevac were laid by envoy of the President, Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Drago Lovric, and on behalf of the Government by Defence Minister Davor Bozinovic.

At the end of formal academy, members of the 4^th guard brigade awarded letters of appreciations to President of Croatia, Ivo Josipovic and Prime Minister Kosor.

The three-day program included a number of events: like an exhibition of wartime photos in the gallery Photo club Split; in front of the Villa Dalmatia Meje they uncovered a plaque in memory of the 28 April 1991, when 4^th brigade was formed. With the support of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs and the Economic Chamber of the Republic of Croatia, veterans’ cooperatives presented their products at booths on the Split central square.

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