The 35th anniversary of the victims of the war was marked on 14 October by laying wreaths and lighting candles at several memorial sites in Pakrac and Lipak, in remembrance of the Croatian War of Independence. Special tribute was paid to the 17 Croatian civilians killed in Pakrac, including two children.
The commemoration began with the laying of wreaths and the lighting of candles at the local cemetery in Lipik. This was followed by a tribute to the victims at the Pakrac memorial, where wreaths were laid at the memorial to the fallen civilians and the 'Broken Dove' mass grave, as well as at the memorial to Croatian defenders in the Croatian War of Independence located in the town square. The service was led by the local parish priest, with the commemoration continuing with a special programme at the Jankovic residence.
Ivan Radosevic, the envoy of the Croatian Parliament and the deputy of the Požega-Slavonia County, stated that it is the duty of society to preserve the memory of the victims and pass it on to future generations. "Behind every name is an unfulfilled life path and a devastated family. Therefore, we must teach children and ensure a lasting memory for future generations," said Radosevic, thanking the Croatian defenders and their families for their sacrifice.
The mayor of Pakrac, Tomislav Novinc, recalled the war days and the fear that characterised the childhood of many residents, noting that the families of the victims still bear the heavy consequences of the tragedy. "Today we mark the death of 17 Croatian civilians in Pakrac, two of whom were children. All we can do is try to empathise with their families, who still bear the heavy trauma and consequences. While the whole of Croatia knows of the children lost in Vukovar, unfortunately, few know of our two [children] in Pakrac," said Novinc. He also addressed the missing persons from the Pakrac area, who have been missing for 35 years, calling on anyone with information to come forward so that families can finally lay their loved ones to rest with dignity.
Ana Filko, the envoy of the Minister of Veterans, reminded the audience that 1,725 people are still missing from the Croatian War of Independence. A significant number of the missing are linked to western Slavonia, particularly the Bučje camp, with 24 people missing from that area. "We have examined more than 70 locations in the wider Bučje area, but we are not satisfied as the results have not been what we hoped for. Over the past ten years, 343 missing persons have been identified, and 21 this year alone. I would tell the families that we will not give up," said Filko, supporting the appeal by Mayor Novinc to all who have information about missing persons to report it, so that families can finally learn the truth about the fate of their loved ones.
The president of the Požega-Slavonia County Assembly, Ferdinand Troha, stated that the consequences of the war for the defenders and their families do not end with the war's end. "They live with it every day, every anniversary and every holiday. Therefore, those of us in public life must not forget this, but must place their sacrifice at the top of our interests," said Troja.
The tribute was paid by the envoy of the President of the Republic, Mario Pleša, the envoy of the Minister of Defence, Ana Pavlović, the envoy of the mayor of Lipik, Darian Husko, the president of the Pakrac City Council, Miroslav Ivančić, the president of the 'Croatian Phoenix' Association, and the organiser of the commemoration, Jasna Jug, along with the deputy head of the Požega-Slavonia Police, Dalibor Bauer, the head of the Pakrac Police Station, Robert Hrstić, the acting director of the Croatian Veterans' Home in Lipik, and representatives of associations formed by veterans of the Croatian War of Independence, as well as the families of the killed and missing civilians and other guests.
The cultural part of the programme was prepared by the students of the higher grades of the Josip Kozac Primary School in Vinkovci, along with the members of the creative group and their teachers, who presented an emotional performance depicting the pain of innocent people whose lives were cut short due to their love for their home, town, and country. The programme was completed by the choir of the Glazbeni School 'Aoida' under the direction of teacher Tea Silagi. The commemoration was organised by the Association of Families of Captive and Missing Croatian Defenders 'Croatian Phoenix'.
