14.06.2017.
The Monument to the Soldier from Košare Revealed
The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić revealed in Debeljača the monument to Tibor Cerna, one of the soldiers killed in Košare in 1999. Vučić revealed the monument together with the mother of Tibor Cerna, Kata.
With the highest state and military honours for all the participants of the Battle of Košare, the wreaths were laid at the monument to Cerna by the President Vučić, Minister for Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Issues, Aleksandar Vulin, Chief of General Staff of Serbian Armed Forces, General LjubišaDiković, members of the Cerna family, representatives of diplomatic corps, the President of Kovačica municipality and Community Centre of Debeljača, and the President with the representatives of the Association of Warriors, who had initiated the idea to erect the monument to Tibor Cerna.The President announced that he would pass decision on assigning commemorative medal to mark the Battle of Košare1999, and that this medal would be awarded to each of 108 heroes who had given their lives for Serbian Košare. He also announced establishing a board for the construction of a Central memorial to preserve the memory of 108 gloriuous ones from Košareand of all others who had given their lives defending the freedom and independence of Serbia.
May Serbia live forever and have such heroes - Vučićexclaimed.
On behalf of the participants in the Battle of Košare, Vojislav Vukašinović addressed the gathered and pointed out that „they have been waiting for eighteen years for the first memorial to the first among the equal, to the hero Tibor Cerna“.He will live in us as long as we shall live and as long as we shall tell about, it does not suffice to say, the heroic deaths – Vukašinović said and reminded the present of Tibor’s last words – „This country is worth dying for”.
Tibor’s mother, Kata Cerna also spoke to the gathered, who thanked to all who had participated in erecting the monument and asked the state to take care of the warriors that survived and of the ones who died as well „so that it does not turn out that they gave their lives for nothing“.
During today’s celebration a short film about Košarewas presented.
T
he anniversary of the Battle of Košare has been marked this year for the first time in line with the State programme for marking the anniversaries of historic events of Serbia. The organised of the state ceremony is the Board for Cherishing Traditions of Liberation Wars of Serbia, of the Government of the Republic of Serbia.During the fight for Košarewatchtower, which lasted from April to June 1999, 108 members of Armed Forces of Yugoslavia died. In spring 1999, around one hundred border guards were attacked by 20 000 combatants, members of KLA, regular Albanian Army and NATO forces. The aggressors also had 24 helicopters Apache, 30 tanks, 24 armoured transporters and 24 multiple launchers and for 67 days they were targeting the members of 125thMotorised Brigade. Prior to the battle, the majority of the border units in Košareconsisted of conscripts who had served military service since March 1998 and were 19 or 20 years old.
The Battle of Košareofficially ended on 14th June 1999, when the Armed Forces of Yugoslavia pursuant to KumanovoAgreement together with the forces of KFOR retreated from Košare.
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