21st Anniversary of 2nd Guards Brigade “Gromovi”

A holly mass was served for the dead and missing 2^nd Guards Brigade members and for all Croatian defenders in military chapel of St. Elijah the Prophet, in the Barracks “Colonel Predrag Matanović”, while in Hrvatski dom in Petrinja a solemn academy was held.

The ceremony marking the anniversary was attended by Petrinja Deputy Mayor Milan Herceg, President of The Association of Croatian veterans of Guard troops, Ilija Vučemilović, representative of Minister of Veterans, Vesna Nađ, current and former members of Gromovi and families of killed and missing.

According to the chairman of the 2^nd Guards Brigade Gromovi Association of War Veterans, Mile Krišto, Petrinja could soon get a Memorial Hall for “Tigrovi” and “Gromovi” members.

“We have no right to luxuries, to forget the suffering and the unity of the people in the creation of Croatia. We paid our freedom very expensively and we still pay for it by going to the graves of our comrades”, chairman of the 2^nd Guards Brigade Gromovi Association of War Veterans said.

At the end of the formal program, the traditional Memorial football tournament “Colonel Predrag Matanović” was held.

The brigade was formed in May 1991 when 2^nd A brigade of National Guard and its first Infantry Battalion was established in Trstenik Nartski between Zagreb and Dugo Selo, in the former workers’ settlement.

During the Homeland War, 230 members of the brigade lost their lives, 5 have been still missing, and more than 1200 were injured.

By the reorganization of guards’ brigades in March 2008, a newly formed battalion of the Guards Motorized Brigade in Petrinja took the name of Gromovi, to preserve the memory of the name, tradition and the achievements of the famous and legendary units whose motto “Once a thunder, always the thunder” is still used with pride.