The 35th anniversary of the liberation of the military depot in Varaždin-Brežine was marked in Novy Marof yesterday. The occasion also marked the Defender's Day of the City of Novy Marof and the beginning of combat operations by the 3rd Battalion of the 104th Brigade of the Croatian Army.
The commemoration began with a mass for the fallen and deceased Croatian defenders at the Church of St Anthony of Padua. Following the mass, a procession took place to the Cross, where wreaths were laid and candles lit in honour of Croatian defenders. A ceremonial gathering was then held at the 'Ivan Rabuz' Cultural Centre, attended by veterans, representatives of associations established in the Homeland War, representatives of the City of Novy Marof, and numerous other guests. The event concluded with a communal gathering over military-style stew.
Dragutin Smoljanec, a retired officer of the Croatian Army who commanded the operation to liberate Banjščina, attended the event. He stated that 35 years had passed since the capture of the large military depot at Banjščina, which took place on 19 September 1991, and that 19 September is celebrated as the Defender's Day of the city of Novy Marof. He stated that the celebration was intended to honour the fallen defenders and their families, as well as all defenders of the city. He highlighted that this success represented a significant improvement in the equipment of the Croatian Army across the country, and that the fall of the Banjščina depot had eased the situation for the corps in Varaždin and the barracks in north-western Croatia. He congratulated the veterans of Visoko, Brezno, Ljubešćica, Varaždin, and Novy Marof, adding: 'Let us not forget!'
The retired brigadier general Vjeran Rožić, an envoy of the Croatian Generals' Association, attended the commemoration. He welcomed all those present, both personally and on behalf of the Association. Rožić had been an active participant in the war days that included the events surrounding the liberation of Banjščina and the fall of the 32nd Varaždin Corps of the JNA. Participants in these events included members of the 3rd Novy Marof Battalion, the Police Directorate, the People's Defence Force, and the 'Roda' police special unit.
Rožić stated that the people of Novy Marof could be proud of the contribution made by their fighters. He highlighted that the defenders from Novy Marof had made the greatest contribution on the battlefields around Dubrovnik, in western Slavonia around Lipik and Pakrac, and in 'Operation Storm', where some of them had lost their lives. He thanked the mayor, Siniša Jenka, for his work and dedication in preserving the memory of the fallen and those who had, through the liberation of Banjščina, performed a heroic deed. He assessed that the liberation of Banščina was a turning point in the Homeland War, and that following it, the military power of the Croatian Army had increased sevenfold, with the value of combat equipment and weapons estimated at between 700 million and 1 billion in the currency of the time.
The mayor of Novy Marof, Siniša Jenka, stated that by marking Defender's Day, they were preserving the memory of the people and events that had defined the beginning of the creation of a free Croatia. He stated that they remembered with pride and gratitude all the Croatian defenders who had taken part in the defence of their homeland and country. The liberation of Banščina, he said, was an important event that had demonstrated the resolve and courage of their people, and had had a significant impact on the subsequent course of events in the region of Varaždin and north-western Croatia. He stated that it was their duty to preserve the truth of those days, to honour the fallen and deceased defenders, and to pass on to younger generations the values upon which a free Croatia had been built.
