Remember Vukoar

 Vukovar was a sleepy small town with only some 25,000 residents by the Summer of 1991, beloved by their citizens who sent families for summer holidays to Adriatic Sea, in city remained only the ones not having vacations yet.

But no one was relaxed for The Yugoslav Army tanks has, on May 2nd, surrounded Borovo Selo, Vukovar's down town, cutting of the access to Croatian police forces helping their van of policemen sent to see what was going on after the same night two policemen were kidnapped and gone missing.

While The Army did not let anyone to enter Borovo Selo, the policemen from van were welcomed by heavy fire of light ammunition seems the whole settlement possessed, getting it from the same The Army who armed the majority of the Serbian nationality residents of Croatia.

The result: 12 killed policemen did not let anyone sleep peacefully any more, for the small clashes around Croatia, and Slovenia lead to the conclusion that something bad is approaching to them. And the fact that The Yugoslav Army put their forces on the side of the Serbian rebellions throw bad cast on the Croatian chances to solve problems in peacefully way...

That Summer Marko Babic came to Vukovar from Switzerland, for he was living and working there, to see his family members being worried for their safety. The situation there he did not like much...

He learned that the all weapons bought for the account and in the name of local residents for the need defeating forces called The Territorial Defense, were handled to The Yugoslav Army, who further on shared the same weapons from the trucks and the rail way wagons only to the Serbian residents, in the was that they simply left for inst. parked trucks over the night on some place and inform the residents to take what they want.In the morning, the local police submitted report that the truck, wagon etc, was looted by the unknown perpetrators...

Meeting with his school mates and friends from childhood, they talked and analyzed situation a lot. Some day, Marko Babic said, that there is only one thing to be talked about '...or we will f... them their mothers( he thought in a sense to fear for the safety of their sons) or they will take Vukovar over...'

They agreed for the second solutions that was the nucleus of establishing Vukovar's  defense by the local residents, forming two first units' The Yellow Ants' and 'The Desert Rats' defenders of Trpinjska cesta and Hercegovacka cesta, the entrance gate of The Yugoslav Army could get into Vukovar. The legends that hold that tough position divided just by the drive path suffered daily casuallities, called only by nick name to protect their privacy and families, were commander Marko Babic, Andrija Maric coming back from Canada through out Germany, his warrior mate Leutar, 'Wasp' who was killed at the begining of the defense leaving his nick name to his unit, Blago Zadro, killed on October 16th 1991, 'Tica' aged 22 just got baby with his wife, killed in action, whose corp Maric and Leutar had to hand to his family getting out of Vukovar and never got back for it was not possible any more. Maric tried to organize the break through from Nustar, and Leutar from Zupanja, but in vain...Vukovar was in siege...There were many others among only 1800 troops that were defeating Vukovar, many of them were the Croatian residents of Serbian nationality, from the rage of the 700,000 troops of so called The Yugoslav Army.

The death toll was so high that from the Varazdin volunteers for inst, that numbered some the 400 troops survived only 6.

Boris Erdelji got from the relative safety of capital Zagreb to Vukovar just in the uniform of The National Assembly being told to get weapons in Vukovar. Getting to the Vukovar's Headquarters on August 24 1991, to him and the two buses of the the last volunteers that got to Vukovar, were told that among the other problems they have to meet soon, the toughest is weapons for there was no any and they have to manage themselves how to solve it...

The volunteer meant at that times that you have to by from your own pocket the rifle at the cost of approx 200 US Doll for Croatia was totally disarmed by the own The Yugoslav Army.
Nevertheless, among the first Resolution The Security Council of The UN adopted was the Resolution, ban on selling any weaponry to the Croatia...

Daily dose of the missiles Vukovar was having from 'the love' of The Yugoslav Army was between one to several thousands. The children were bleeding from the ears. Suffering thirst in warm months but no water, the volunteers put the life on risk to get cobs of maize from surrounding maize fields, but just for babies and the small children, the thirst was unbearable, the lack of food was easier to come through. The leaves of maize notorious smokers tried to smoke but it opened wounds on their lips, something in it affected tender skin of lips...

Was it better in cold months having at least rain water, not enough but still, but trembling by cold and wet that was all over...?
The injured people asked for help at local hospital who was  bombarded so only the cellar was in use. Due to huge amount of injured, after the long talks, The Yugoslav Army agreed to let the convoy with doctors and nurses and the remedies to Vukovar but not to guarantee their safety. The convoy was shot, searched several times, delivery of the remedy was confiscated, but the convoy finally reached the destination on October 19th 1991, taking back the same day 104 injured people whose lives were saved.
Those who remained at city hospital, almost all of them, the 204 patients were taken to Ovcara field, were they were shot by death squadron whose commander was major Sljivancanin, so order for their execution came from The Yugoslav Army staff!

The Geneva Convention on POW'S, major Sljivancanin, being the nothing but soldier his entire live, found hiding in between the double walls of his Belgrade apartment, have you ever heard that such the convention exists?

But The Yugoslav Army was not the army of the angels. By the time the convoy reached Vukovar, the defense was tough but impassable. The Yugoslav Army used convoy for the cleansing operation, the surroundings of Vukovar fell in the enemy  hands...
Zeljko Raznatovic - Arkan, commanding by the cleansing troops of paramilitary forces and The Yugoslav Army that united their efforts in conquering Croatia having plans to divide it in two parts, 2/3 to the Serbia, border line Virovitica, Karlovac-Knin,  ordered to his troops to shoot only basements, for there keeps Croats only, and the cellars are not to be bombarded for there found shelter the Serbian population.The command was not to bother with POW'S but shot them at the spot.

The wrong command for the both residents kept in cellars only, all above ground surface was not safe any more, for a long time.
From Mitnica, Vukovar's center, Boris Erdelji withdrew to the family R. farm, the numberless bottles of boiled tomato juice were not only drink but food as well. Each member of the troops saved last bomb for himself, long ago being without ammunition at all. Boris, the eye, was due to observe enemies troops.The walkie-talkie message he sent caused changing the position in 3 minutes  latest, for the enemy soon after shot this place from he has just reported to.
They decided if the paramilitary they will see to take them POW'S, they will activate the bomb and lay on it. But the trace of luck directed The Yugoslav Army troops to their position to them they surrendered with full weapons.

He was taken to concentration site in school yard, Vukovars center, together with his dog Max, where Max was shot by The Yugoslav Army soldier, and Boris was listed by the UN observers and his photo was taken there as well.
He was put on bus who stopped in Sremska Mitrovica prison, where his, and the 400 other POW'S presence was denied by the Serbian authorities for 7 months.

The member of The Red Cross came to search for the POW'S several times, the prison management let him to do his job, but the POW'S were as if vanished.
The Red Cross representative found out for the supply of bread list was to big for the listed prisoners so he asked to be let come on very next day.

Following bread supply, he found the 400 prisoners in prison's cellar, looking like they were in medieval prison, rotten clothes, dirty, stinking, louses all over...But alive!
Survivors of Vukovar were taken to the several locations and concentration camps such as Begejci, Stajicevo, Nis, Sremska Mitrovica...


Only on August 14th 1992 the POW'S exchange took place under the motto 'the all for the all', the survivors who survived all tortures of concentration camps and prisons of Serbia.

For genocide in Vukovar no one was found responsible for by today.

Epilogue:
People mentioned in article are no more alive.
This article is dedicated to their heroism.
Blago Zadro killed in Vukovar October 16th 1991, commander of Vukovar's Northern part of defense
Andrija Maric killed April 10th 1992, Kupres Heights, Bosnia
Boris Erdelji killed in Vinkovci April 18th 1994
Marko Babic commander of Trpinjska cesta defense died on heart attack 2007
Zeljko Raznatovic- Arkan, paramilitary forces commander shot amidst of Belgrade January 15th 2000

Croatia still miss over 1600 residents since 22 years.