07.11.2023.
Ceremony marking 120th anniversary of Association of War Volunteers 1912-1918, their Descendants and Admirers
A ceremony to mark the 120th anniversary of the Association of War Volunteers 1912-1918, their Descendants and Admirers was held at the Central Military Club in Belgrade tonight.
To mark the jubilee, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Miloš Vučević was awarded the Order of Voivode Vuk, which was received on his behalf by the head of the Deputy Prime Minister’s cabinet, Žarko Mićin.Minister of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs Nikola Selaković, Army Commander, Lieutenant General Milosav Simović, and the president of the Committee for the Purchase of the House of Voivode Vuk, Dragoljub Kočović, were also awarded the Order of Voivode Vuk. The same order was posthumously awarded to Miloš Miša Kovačević, former Assistant Minister of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs and member of the association. The golden plaque was awarded to the head of the Department for Tradition, Standard and Veterans, Colonel Dragan Milković.
The medals and plaques were handed over by the president of the association, Nikola Filipović.Minister Selaković expressed his delight at being awarded the Order and, addressing the audience, said that "volunteerism” was at the core of the restoration of the Serbian statehood, stressing that such associations should be supported, because they were a link with ancestors, committed to preserving the covenant of a nation. According to him, the calling of a volunteer is a calling of the heart, mind and ancestors who instilled in each of their descendants a value system that our great volunteers cherished.
On behalf of the Association of War Volunteers 1912-1918, their Descendants and Admirers, the first commander of the 72nd Special Operations Brigade, Major General Milorad Stupar (retd), honorary president of the association, addressed those present, saying that the history of the Serbian people and their centuries-old struggle for survival and freedom had given birth to the most honourable title - Serbian warrior – volunteer. The association, which was founded in Belgrade in 1903 under the name "Union of War Volunteers of the Kingdom of Serbia", played a significant role in the fight for the truth about the role, sacrifice and position of Serbian war volunteers in society, he pointed out.
- The Association of War Volunteers 1912-1918, their Descendants and Admirers, which is the successor of the original association, has changed and adapted to social circumstances in Serbian society over the past 120 years. Today's Association is a voluntary organization that brings together the descendants of the volunteers in the Serbian liberation wars and their admirers in Serbia and abroad with a view to preserving the heritage of their ancestors, nurturing and developing the honourable freedom-loving and patriotic traditions of volunteerism among the Serbian people - said General Stupar.
The ceremony was attended by acting Assistant Minister of Defence for Human Resources Siniša Radović, representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed forces, the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, members of the Association, veterans and numerous guests.