“Anthem, flag and homeland have no alternative!”, is one of the key messages of the ceremonial academy that ended the day-long commemoration of the formation of the special unit, the “Bosnia” Police Detachment, on Sunday evening in the Police House, with a performance in which young people participated. The most elite formation, which from the first day of the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina participated in all significant actions for the defense and liberation of the territory, gave 81 lives for the defense of the homeland. In 2002, Sarajevo awarded the prestigious Sixth of April Award to the Special Unit, for heroic defense, protection of basic human rights, multi-ethnicity and steadfast struggle for Bosnia and Herzegovina. High honors include 5 Police Medals for Courage, 4 Golden Lilies, 1 Order of the Golden Coat of Arms with Swords, and 86 Golden Police Badges and 59 Silver Police Badges were awarded to 148 special forces. More than half of those honors were awarded posthumously. Such were the Bosnian special forces.
“That April 5 was just as beautiful a day as today, when we marched with the unit in front of the Parliament to protect the citizens. Immediately after that, we invited all patriots to join us in defending the homeland, where hundreds of young men and women contacted us and got involved. I am most proud of the fact that even today we have youth who glorify our country in other ways, especially our football players, who we should all look up to,” said Dragan Vikić, the first commander special police “Bosnia” Detachment.
“Today we remember the 81 names of our unit, who gave their lives for the defense of civilizational values. They oblige us to defend those civilizational values today, to build Bosnia and Herzegovina to be as prosperous as possible for all its citizens, but they also warn us that we must never relax,” said Kemal Ademović, commander of the special police “Bosnia” Detachment.
“No one can take freedom for granted, that’s why freedom is not a state, but a continuous action. As a veteran, I can freely say, we are a proud generation that voted for the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina, fought for it without a trace, and then we built it. As a citizen, who will not be a minister tomorrow, although I will always be one of you, I want to say that the honorable and noble fight for the state through various disciplines is the way for all citizens of this country to understand, and carry in their hearts the thought that – the flag, the anthem and the homeland have no alternative”, said Omer Osmanović, Minister of Veteran Affairs of the KS.
During the day, veterans of the Police Detachment “Bosnia” laid flowers on the monument to the fallen special forces, and visited the cemeteries and cemeteries where their fallen comrades rest. “I salute you in front of this destroyed enemy tank, which is a symbol of heroism and the spirit of victory. That’s why next time, when you walk with your children and grandchildren in this beautiful park, tell them that the defense of Sarajevo and BiH is due to those whose names are engraved in this monument, like many heroes of the Army and MUP of the RBiH,” said Ahmed Hadžić, president of the association of veterans, Police Detachment “Bosnia” in front of the monument to the fallen special forces.
The scenario of the performance is written by Una Bejtović and Mirza Salković, and participants of the Pop Rock School Sarajevo, Suncokreti Children’s Choir, and actors of the Youthheart association for young people participated. Through the program, they recalled interesting and important details that the unit went through during the war, but also reminded that young people preserve the culture of remembering the heroic struggle of all the defenders of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and celebrate all its current and future successes.
