29.07.2017.
The Military Preserves the Memory of Milica Rakić
Milica Rakić is a symbol of suffering of our people, not solely the symbol of suffering of the innocent people during the NATO Aggression, but a symbol of suffering of our people through the entire 20th century and all known and unknown victims of our people and all those children who newer grew up to stop being children – Minister of Defence Aleksandar Vulin stated at the opening of the rebuilt park “Little Milica Rakić” which was held today in Batajnica. The park was reconstructed by the Ministry of Defence.
According to the words of the Minister of Defence, Milica Rakić would have been 21 years old, she would have been a grown up, she would have fallen in love, finished school, went to a university.
- Milica Rakić and all other children who never lived to cease being children, they are all warning us and cautioning that we must not forget them. We must not forget Milica Rakić, we must not forget Bojana Tošović, and we must not forget two year old Danilo Cokić who was killed in the arms of his pregnant mother, and we must not forget not even one victim of all the wars in the 20th century, nor the NATO Aggression nor the First or the Second World War. We must not forget how dearly our people paid for their freedom. Serbian people shall never be an aggressor, Serbian people shall never take someone else’s homes, Serbian people shall never kill somebody else’s children, Serbian people shall never allow that what was done to it to be done to somebody else – Minister Vulin stressed.
-We will remember our Milica, we will remember our every child, and we will do all to make Serbia a place worth living in, worth being born in. Our Armed Forces is a guarantee that we will be free, that we will be secure. Or Armed Forces, powerful, organised, satisfied, will always be capable of deterring every aggressor and ensure that a death like the death of Milica Rakić happens never again. Our Armed Forces will always be capable of security and protection our people, our way of life and the right to our memory. Then President of the Government, Aleksandar Vučić, was the first Serbian politician who had the courage to publicly say that on 24th March 1999 NATO Aggression had started against us. We will continue to behave responsibly both regarding our history and our memories, looking into the future and trying to secure Serbia that is worth living in and where these children could rejoice and be sure that they and their future families could last and live, but we will never cease reminding ourselves of the truth and we will never forget what happened with Serbian people in the 20th century – Minister Vulin concluded.
The President of the Town Assembly, Nikola Nikodijević pointed out that the smiles of our youngest citizens spoke more than words about how the park looked on that day.
-This park is full of symbolism and it should be a symbol of victory over devastation and killing. We should try to ensure that the future generations that will cheerfully play here will have such life in which we will never again be in a situation to pay in life our struggle for our independence and autonomy - Nikodijević emphasised adding that the park was an example of how the Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces, apart from defence, also have a wider social significance which is why they enjoy the greatest confidence of the citizens among all institutions.
The President of the City Municipality of Zemun, Dejan Matić thanked the Ministry of Defence which deserved credit for the renovation of the park in Batajnica for the joy of the youngest inhabitants of that part of the city.
Upon the initiative of the Municipality of Zemun, the Ministry of Defence passed a decision to rebuild the park in this municipality which preserves the memory of little Milica Rakić, as a gift to the Municipality of Zemun thus providing another contribution of the Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces to commemorating and cherishing the memory of people and events which Serbia must not forget since they are weaved in the history of its struggle for freedom and a life in peace and creation.
The park spreads over the area of 1000 square meters and the renovation cost RSD 630,000. See-saws, swings, benches and all other accessories for children were repaired and refurbished in the park. Department for Infrastructure of Material Resources Sector was responsible for the implementation of the project headed by Lieutenant Colonel Slobodan Starčević, while Military Construction Establishment Belgrade in cooperation with Military Construction Centre Belgrade were responsible for the works.
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