On this day, 9 October, the anniversary of the death of Andrija Matijaš Pauk, a legendary commander of the Croatian Army, is being marked. He died in 1995 during the South Move operation, near Mrkonjić in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Andrija Matijaš Pauk was born on 31 July 1947 in Pozorče, a village in the municipality of Marina near Trogir. After primary school, he chose a military career. He graduated from the officer candidate school for armoured and mechanised units of the Yugoslav People's Army in Banja Luka. As a professional soldier, he specialising in tanks and armoured warfare, and alongside his military career, he was also an athlete.
At the start of the Homeland War, in the summer of 1991, he participated in combat in the Banovina region, where he gained his first combat experience. In October of the same year, he joined the 4th Brigade of the Croatian Army. From the first captured enemy tanks, he began to form armoured units, which gradually evolved into the Armoured Battalion of the 4th Brigade. He was appointed commander of the battalion on 10 November 1992. Under his leadership, the tankers became one of the most recognisable forces of the brigade, known for their combativeness, readiness, and effective joint action with the infantry.
One of the key moments in his military career was the Maslenica operation in early 1993. Near Kašić, his armoured unit participated in breaking through Serbian armoured forces, creating the conditions for the breakthrough of the Zadar hinterland. During the inspection of positions, Matijaš was severely wounded after a mortar shell exploded just a few metres from him. Despite his injuries, particularly to his legs, he did not stay in hospital for long. He returned to his soldiers, not wishing to leave them in the fight. His famous quote, 'When we advance, the sky and the earth will burn', spoken before the Maslenica operation, remains a symbol of his wartime path.
After handing over the command of the armoured battalion on 1 October 1993, Matijaš continued to serve as the chief of staff of the 4th Brigade. A year later, he became the chief of staff of the brigade. In late July 1995, he assumed the role of deputy commander. During the 'Winter '94' operation, following the wounding of the commander Damir Krstičević, he took command of the brigade in the challenging winter conditions on the Dinara mountain. The task involved moving tanks through snow-covered and inaccessible terrain, which had previously been considered almost impossible. He also participated in the 'Skok 1', 'Skok 2' and 'Summer '95' operations. In the 'Oluja' operation, he made a significant contribution to the liberation of occupied areas, with his tankers participating in the advance towards Knin.
Matijaš continued to lead the unit in the 'Maestral' and 'South Move' operations, during which the Croatian Army continued its operations in the region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 9 October 1995, the second day of the 'South Move' operation, Matijaš, along with his unit, participated in combat near the town of Mrkonjić. While leading his soldiers, his armoured personnel carrier was hit by an anti-tank missile. He died in the battle at the age of 48. He left behind his wife, Nada.
At the commemoration, he was bid farewell by Fra Ignacije Vugdelja with the words: 'A hero fell so that we could live... When counting the names of those who led the people to the goal, do not forget the name of Colonel Andrija Matijaš.' Posthumously, he was promoted to the rank of Major General. The 4th Brigade, in memory of their legendary commander, was named 'Pauci' (Spiders). His name is also borne by the training centre in Sinj and the main square in Marina. His memory is preserved through the work of the cultural association and cinema hall named after him. Andrija Matijaš was buried in his native Pozorče, in the 'Gospa od Anđela' (Lady of the Angels) cemetery.
