Lieutenant of the Army of Spain, Arturo Muñoz Castellanos, died on May 13, 1993, as a member of the UNPROFOR, due to heavy injuries that he got while delivering blood to a hospital in Mostar.
He was the first victim of the Spanish contingent in UNPROFOR who took part in the peacekeeping mission during the war in BiH. The mortar shell fell right next to Castellanos. His mission was to deliver blood and blood plasma to two hospitals in Mostar, according to El Espanol.
Blood was very important then because many people were heavily wounded. Arturo Muñoz Castellanos wanted to help people and fight for their lives. He did not care much for his own life then.
He got killed at the age of 28, and the Army of Spain published his photos that were taken in May back in 1993, right before his death, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of his death.
He collected blood and blood plasma on May 11, 1993, in Metkovic and then he departed for Mostar. People around him were getting killed, buildings were destroyed.
He came to the western part of the city that was under the control of the HVO, where he managed to deliver half of the blood and then he went to the territory that was under the control of the Army of RBiH, with the aim to deliver the blood in the hospital on the east coast of the Neretva River as well.
He noticed a wounded man on the ground on his way. He did not hesitate for a second to help him. The grenade fell right next to him at that moment, and it severely wounded him. After the emergency medical care that was provided to him in Mostar, he was transferred to Madrid.
Two days later, on May 13, 1993, he passed away in the hospital in Madrid.
Now, 25 years later, the Army of Spain remembers Lieutenant Artur Muñoz Castellanos, the man who gave his life to save other people.
(Source: Radiosarajevo.ba)
