24.11.2019.
Memorial medals were presented in the Guard Club to the family members of warriors fallen in NATO aggression from the territory of Montenegro
Minister Vulin: Serbia chose to remembers, and for those who wish to forget, may that do them credit
Today, at a reception organised in the Guard Club in Topčider to mark 20 years of defence of the fatherland against NATO aggression, Minister of Defence Aleksandar Vulin, in the presence of Chief of General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces General Milan Mojsilović, presented 40 memorials to family members of warriors fallen in defence against NATO aggression from the territory of Montenegro.
On that occasion, Minister Vulin pointed out that Serbia led by Aleksandar Vučić, was Serbia which never forgot, which never forgot the ones who had sacrificed for it.- Serbia led by Aleksandar Vučić chose to protect the Serbs, no matter where they live. All those who want to forget the sacrifice of the Serbian people, who want to forget how NATO aggression started, why NATO aggression was led, they do not in the least do service to their people. All those who want to forget, in fact want to allow, through violation of international law, that the terrible and great sacrifice of the Serbian people is forgotten, demeaned and diminished. Serbia remembers both good and evil. Serbia remembers and Serbia will never allow that any kind of daily politics and attempts to change the history obscure that great and terrible sacrifice of the Serbian people. Serbia remembers – Minister Vulin stated.
Speaking about the importance of that day’s presentation of military memorials, Minister Vulin reminded that we belonged to people who said that “everyone is born to die once, but honour and shame live forever”, and that our people also said that “a man dies two times, once when destiny takes him from the ones he loves and the second time when the man is forgotten, when his name is no longer mentioned”.- I do not open your wounds, your wounds were opened by those who wanted to forget you and forget them, those who do not allow at least to those who do remember to lay a flower, wreath at the glorious graves of the armed forces of their country, to bow, make the sign of the cross, and kiss – they are the ones who open the wounds. The wounds are opened by those hypocrites from NATO alliance that killed us and who say, sometimes, as a formality, unwillingly – we mourn all civilian victims – but how do you not mourn our killed brothers who wore uniforms? Who has the right to kill a soldier or policeman in a sovereign, free, country, on his own land, on his own rock, who defends himself and those he loves? Why you do not mourn those who wore uniforms and defended their country – Minister Vulin asked.
According to him, if we remain quiet, their willing and conscious sacrifice will disappear from the history, and it will be forgotten and the future generations will not have anyone to rely on.- Little people, who want to extinguish their great memory, will not be recorded or remembered, and there will be no one who would want to be named after them, or who would want to favourably talk and think about them, and they will not and cannot remain alone – Minister Vulin stressed.
Serbia chose to remember – Minister Vulin stated – and those who want to forget, may that to them credit, if they have any honour.
- We will speak loudly because Serbia chose to remember. It is true; there is a border between us now. They have maintained that border for centuries, created it, strengthened it, protected it by powerful and mighty not allowing us to be together. The border between us was interrupted at one moment of history, the history considered by Serbia to have been brotherly and glorious, and those who create that border say that it was conquering, dividing, and criminal. Allow me to tell you that I do not believe in that, and I do not perceive the sacrifice of your brothers and sons as accidental, or wrong, but I see it as a sacrifice of honourable, steadfast and brave people who knew why, for whom they lived and died. They did not die in a uniform of some other army, they did not die for someone else’s state, but they died for their people, their country, against those who wanted to crush that country, to diminish, destroy and humiliate its people – Minister Vulin underlined.
The greatness of the sacrifice of your brothers, your sons – Minister Vulin stressed – the greatness of the sacrifice of those whom you have been missing to this very day and whom you will miss forever, transcends politics.- Personally, and on behalf of Serbia, on behalf of the Serbs no matter where they live, on behalf of the people that knows the greatness and knows the horror of your sacrifice, wherever they are, whatever they do, wherever they cover their grandchildren and great grandchildren and tell them about the great sacrifice of those before them, wherever you last, I want you to know – Serbia exists, and as long as Serbia exists, the country exists which is grateful to you, which is proud of you, which you can rely on in the moment of joy and trouble - Minister Vulin concluded.
President of Association of Warriors in Wars in 1990 from Montenegro, Radan Nikolić pointed out that the Serbian military had been considered in Montenegro as brotherly, which was supported by the sacrifice of those who had laid their lives in 1998 and 1999 defending the joint fatherland.
- By defending their fatherland, regardless of different circumstances of death, with majority of them being heroic, all of them deserve recognition which today rejoiced and encouraged not only their families and fellow warriors, but all freedom-loving people and patriots of Serbia and Montenegro. We, the war veterans and families of fallen fellow warriors, see this as displaying exceptional care and showing respect and as an outstretched hand, which we accept firmly and with gratitude – Nikolić stated. He thanked Minister Vulin for the initiative to present military memorials to the families of fallen warriors from Montenegro and stated that the event of that day, which was not the fruit of legal obligation but chiefly a humane act, meant a lot to the families of the killed and their fellow warriors.Anka Tadić from Podgorica who lost her twin brother Aćim Tadić on 28th March 1999was among those who received military memorial today. Her brother was killed in Niš by a cruising missile of NATO bomber. As she says, the military memorial that was presented to her today means a lot to her and her family, adding that she is moved by the gesture to award the memorials 20 years later.
The youngest brother of Predrag Leovac from Pljevlje who died in Košare – Pavle Leovac said that even after so many years the families of the fallen warriors suffered because of the loss of the loved ones and that it was the reason why the gesture of Serbia meant a lot, and that the lives of their loved ones given for freedom would not be forgotten.
