Source:
https://reprezent.ba/blagoslovljeno-nov ... -civilima/Translation from Croatian is courtesy of Google...
Newly built memorial to the fallen defenders of the HVO of the Bihać region and the brutally murdered locals, civilians is blessed
SKOČAJ, BIHAĆ - On the twenty-ninth anniversary of the Great Serbian aggressor's attack on the villages of Skočaj, Međudražje, Zavalje, Baljevac and Vučijak, the occupation of this area and brutal murders of civilians, in the presence of representatives of veterans associations of the Croatian Defense Council of the Bihać region, guests from the neighboring Republic of Croatia, members of HVIDRA, representatives of cities and municipalities, the newly built memorial to three fallen HVO defenders and six civilian victims of the Homeland War was ceremonially blessed.
No one was held accountable for the crimes
The names of fallen veterans Valter Balen, Joza Dejanović and Franco Rogić, as well as six residents of Skočaj, Lucija Rogić, Ivo Balen, Ivan Dejanović, Manda Perišić, Franja Bilen, and Kate Živković, are engraved on the memorial. In memory of them, for all the fallen HVO veterans of the Bihać region and the victims of the Homeland War, a holy funeral mass was held in the branch church of Our Lady in Veliko Skočaj, led by Rev. Marko Crnjak, the parish priest of Zavalj, who blessed the memorial. In addition to the family members of the deceased, Darko Nekić, State Secretary in the Ministry of Croatian Veterans and representative of the Vice-President of the Government of the Republic of Croatia and Minister of Croatian Veterans Tome Medved, graced the blessing with his presence.
- In 1991, the people of this region, regardless of whether they were Bosniaks or Croats, provided refuge and hospitality in their homes to refugees from Slunj, Cetingrad, Rakovica, Drežnik Grad and all other occupied Croatian areas. I also reminded of the important historical facts related to the defense of these areas and which created the conditions for the subsequent liberation in operation "Storm" in 1995, but also in all other liberation operations that took place in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, he told ReprezenT Darko Nekić, State Secretary in the Ministry of Croatian Veterans. On November 11, 1994, the residents of Skočaj and neighboring villages at the foot of Plješevica along the border with the Republic of Croatia, witnesses of those days, remained deeply etched in their memory.
Stipe Prša was in command of the HVO unit when Serbian military forces launched an offensive on the then Bihać District. - We went into action up on Plješevica. Soon, the aggressor with all available forces shelled and then stormed Skočaj. On that occasion, he brutally killed six civilians, residents of Skočaj, whose names are on this memorial. He killed them on their doorstep. They massacred an old woman who was ninety years old. Even to this day, it is not clear to us how they could do it, and the worse thing is that no one was held accountable for these crimes. May they rest in peace, says Stipe Prša, a former member of the HVO of the Bihać region, today the president of the Skočaj Municipal Council and the Organizational Committee for the construction of memorials.
Community of citizens of Bihać in the war and post-war period
The construction of the memorial was financed by the City of Bihać, and addressing the crowd Elvedin Sedić, the mayor of Bihać said that the memorial to the fallen veterans and civilian victims symbolizes the unity of the citizens of Bihać in war and post-war times, but also all the victims and fallen veterans of the Army of the Republic of BiH, HVO of the Bihać region and the police who gave their lives for a free Bihać and the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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The citizens of Bihać have always shown unity and I am really glad that we have confirmed this today in this way, remembering both the civilian victims of the war and the members of the Croatian Defense Council who laid down their lives. And not only them, but also many others who incorporated their lives and parts of their bodies into the foundations of the state in which we live freely today and enjoy all the freedom we have, said Mayor Sedić. Memorials and the written word guarantee that the truth will never be forgotten and that the sacrifices of the defenders will remain in the collective memory of future generations.
