Celebrating the 35th anniversary of the founding of the 119th Croatian Army Brigade

Solemnly and emotionally, celebrating life, with reverence for those who have woven themselves into the foundations of the Homeland, believing in a better Croatia, we recall today the founding and war journey of the 119th Brigade of the Croatian Army as a testimony to the creation and defense of the Croatian state through the will of brave individuals. We sympathize with the families of the seven killed, thirty-eight wounded and thirty or so sick comrades, and we preserve the memory of the Homeland War as a symbol of the strength of the Croatian people and the patriotism of the Croatian soldier. It is in this vein that we emphasize the positive role and significance of the association of veterans of the 119th Brigade “Club of the 119th Brigade of the Croatian Army”, which inherits the identity, tradition, war journey and values ​​that we created through our brigade, as well as the positive emotions that we still share today with the people who were its members.

The history of the 119th Brigade of the Croatian Army in the Homeland War is the history of our hopes, enthusiasm, self-sacrifice, courage, patriotism, but also fears, misjudgments and other human weaknesses. It is both a military history and a history of war, as experienced by over 6,000 people, men and women who served in the 119th Brigade, and therefore it is also the history of a generation of the Istrian population.

That is why we are proud to have been members of the 119th Brigade of the Croatian Army, which was decorated with the Order of Nikola Šubić Zrinski for its heroism in the Homeland War and for being awarded the highest Istrian annual award, the Coat of Arms of the Istrian County, along with many other awards, recognitions and street naming in cities and municipalities of the mobilization development of the war unit, and we are firmly convinced that the memory of its perseverance and readiness to carry out war tasks, in extremely unfavorable military, geographical and climatic conditions, will remain an example and a guide to how to protect and fight for what we simply call - the Homeland.