Members of the Croatian Homeland War Veterans' Association of Voća, together with their families, visited Pakrac and Lipik as part of the "35 Years of Pride and Glory – Along the Paths of Voća's Veterans" project. The visit was dedicated to preserving the memory of the Homeland War, paying tribute to fallen Croatian veterans and passing on wartime experiences to younger generations.
In Pakrac, they visited the Museum of Modern Military History and laid floral arrangements and lit candles at the central memorial monument in memory of the fallen Croatian veterans. On this occasion, they were accompanied by Pakrac Mayor Tomislav Novinc and Nadica Boltek, a representative of the Donja Voća municipality. They specifically recalled members of the 104th Brigade of the Croatian Army who participated in the defence of this region.
An emotional part of the visit was the tour of Gavrinica, the site of the death of Croatian veteran Ivan Sokač, where participants lit candles. Željko Kočet shared his personal testimony regarding the war events in that area, including a dramatic encounter with a tank and facing numerous enemy forces.
After touring Pakrac, the participants gathered at the Omanovac picnic area, which served as one of the strongholds of Chetnik forces during the Homeland War. They then continued their journey to Lipik, where they paid tribute at the central memorial monument and at the monument to the fallen Varaždin veterans to all who gave their lives for the freedom of Croatia.
The association expressed special thanks to Major Mirko Drušk, whose professional guidance and testimony helped participants understand the war events, military circumstances and challenges faced by Croatian veterans on the Pakrac and Lipik battlefields. They also thanked Pakrac Mayor Tomislav Novinc and Head of Department Ivana Šušnjić for the reception and assistance in organising the visit, as well as the Donja Voća municipality, specifically Nadica Boltek, the representative of Mayor Sanja Kočet, who participated in the commemoration.
More than 200 veterans from the Voća area passed through the Pakrac battlefield. The association emphasises that preserving the memory of the Homeland War is a permanent obligation to the fallen veterans, their families and future generations, with the message: "Memory is our obligation. Truth is our responsibility. Respect for the fallen is our duty, and togetherness is the strength that binds us".
