02.12.2022.
Solemn Academy on Military Veterans’ Day
This evening, a solemn academy to mark Military Veterans’ Day was held in the Guard Club on Topčider. The celebration was attended by Chief of General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces General Milan Mojsilović, Advisor to the President of the Republic Milorad Veljović and State Secretarz of the Ministry of Defence Mile Jelić.
On the occasion of Military Veteran’s Day, State Secretary Jelić presented awards for successful cooperation and contribution to the work and realisation of activities of the Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces.
A plaque of the Ministry of Defence was presented to Miroslav Antović, President of the Organisation Board for the Observance of 110th anniversary of 2nd Infantry Regiment Knjaz Mihailo - the Iron Regiment in Prokuplje. A scroll of honour for the participation in the organisation of cultural and artistic programme on the occasion of Military Veteran’s Day was presented to Uroš Lekić, 8th grade pupil of the primary school “Knez Lazar” from Kruševac, for producing an essay on the topic “Our Heroes, the Guardians of the Blue Sky”.
Addressing the present, Head of Department for Tradition, Standard and Veterans of the Ministry of Defence Colonel Dragan Milković reminded of the turning point in the history of our country had written by heroes and victors 110 years before.
- During the Balkan Wars, the population of entire Serbia voluntarily joined the ranks to protect their country, and defend its honour and freedom at the cost of life. That fighting spirit continued living on in the generations of the present. And even more that one century later, there is a strong sense of the spirit of immeasurable heroism, dauntlessness and self-sacrifice, the main traits of courageous warriors who selflessly charged the enemy ready to give their lives for the freedom of their fatherland - said Colonel Milković.
He underlined that “it is important for Serbia to cherish the rich tradition by preserving the memory of all known and unknown heroes who won the victory with their deeds”.
- By such and similar events we show that we will not let them fall into oblivion, we show that we respect them valuing the people, members of our chivalrous nation which, struggling for its ideals throughout centuries, deserved the respect of entire world. I am confident that we will, like we have always done, taught by the past be united in the intention to build a stable future - Colonel Milković concluded.
At the celebration, a music video “Vila sa Košara” was shown for the first time, and it is dedicated to the heroes of Košare and all the fighters who bravely defended the fatherland in 1999. The music video was produced by the Public Relations Department with its institutions the Military Film Centre “Zastava Film” and Artistic Ensemble of the Ministry of Defence “Stanislav Binički”, in collaboration with the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces and Department for Tradition, Standard and Veterans of the Ministry of Defence. The filming of the music video, which was directed by Prof Danilo Paškvan, included the participation of the fighters of Košare and families of fallen fighters.
During the solemn academy held to observe Military Veteran’s Day, the cultural and artistic programme, through stage scenes and vocal performances, offered an opportunity to the guests to see and hear the tribute to heroes of Serbian history remembering those who paid the freedom of our people with their own lives.
