04.06.2022.
Memorial to members of Armed Forces and Police killed in 1998 and 1999 unveiled in Leskovac
A memorial to members of the Armed Forces and the Police who were killed in 1998 and 1999, fighting Albanian terrorists and NATO forces in the AOR of the 549th Motorized Brigade, has been unveiled today in the "Vojvoda Petar Bojović" barracks, Leskovac. The memorial was built on the initiative of the citizens' association Heroic 549th Motorized Brigade "Dušan the Mighty" and with the support of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces.
The ceremony was attended by Deputy Army Commander, Major General Slađan Stamenković, Mayor of Leskovac, Goran Cvetanović, State Secretary at the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, Miodrag Kapor, Bishop Arsenije of Niš, veterans from the 549th Motorized Brigade and Police, family members of the killed soldiers, representatives of the Ministry of Defence, Serbian Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior, and numerous citizens who wanted to pay tribute to the defenders of the homeland.The memorial was unveiled by the wartime commander of the 549th Motorized Brigade, Major General Božidar Delić (retd), and the owner of the "Krupnik” company, Milan Simović, who financed the design and construction of the memorial.
Alongside the military and local clergy, Bishop Arsenije of Niš consecrated the memorial to the defence heroes. In his address, Bishop Arsenije said that the killed members of the Armed Forces and the Police, who were Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Muslim, laid down their lives together defending the freedom of their homeland, their families and their friends. He quoted Apostle John the Theologian who said: "There is no greater love than this: that a person would lay down his life for the sake of his friends."Addressing the families of the fallen heroes, General Božidar Delić said that today's gathering was organized primarily to show respect to the families of the fallen soldiers.
- Dear families of our fallen comrades, we are here today because of you. We want to show you that, even after 23 years, we have not forgotten our comrades. It is true that we have waited a long time. There were some doubts whether we would be able to save from oblivion the people with whom we defended our country - said Delić and once again thanked Milan Simović, who had financed the construction of the memorial.Delić thanked the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, the Mayor of Leskovac and everyone present.
- We did not want a monument for our brigade only; we were not the only ones who fought in Kosovo and Metohija. We fought alongside members of special police units, Special Forces, members of military districts and their detachments, but we could not build a monument to all the people who died in our country. So, we decided to erect a monument to all those who died in the AOR of our brigade. This is a good example of how unity must be achieved in our country in order for it to make further progress - the wartime commander of the 549th Motorized Brigade said.In his address, Dragan Živaljević, the wartime commander of the 122nd Special Police Quick Reaction Brigade, said that the 549th Brigade had always set a good example by nurturing traditions, devoting attention and taking care of veterans and the families of the fallen soldiers.
At the end of the ceremony, Major General Božidar Delić awarded Association plaques to Deputy Army Commander, Major General Slađan Stamenković and Milan Simović, the owner of the "Krupnik" company.Wreaths and flowers were laid near the memorial by - the wartime commander of the 549th Motorized Brigade, an MoD and SAF delegation led by Head of Department for Traditions, Standard and Veterans, Colonel Dragan Milković, a Training Command delegation led by the Commander of the 3rd Training Centre, Zoran Cvetković, a delegation from the Military Academy, Mayor of Leskovac, Goran Cvetanović, a delegation representing the "Krupnik" company, representatives of the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, Association of Special Police Units’ Veterans, Circle of Serbian Sisters, Association of Serbian Householders, "Save Serbian Children" Association, 63rd Parachute Brigade veterans, representatives of the Serbian Military Union, a delegation representing the "Drina Wolves" Association and numerous citizens.
The memorial consists of a monumental pedestal recording the names of all members of the Armed Forces and the Police who died during the 1998-1999 fighting in the AOR of the 549th Mechanized Brigade, including the municipalities of Prizren, Orahovac, Suva Reka, Đakovica and Gora. On top of the pedestal, there is the A T-55 tank in which the commander of the 3rd Company, Armoured Battalion, 549th Motorized Brigade, Captain Željko Martinović, was killed on August 11, 1998, fighting Albanian terrorists.
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