The 35th anniversary of the 204th Brigade was marked in Vukovar. Wreaths were laid and candles lit at the Memorial Park of Victims of the Homeland War, while a mass was held in the church of St. Philip and St. James for all fallen, missing, and killed Croatian defenders.
The organiser of the commemoration was the Croatian Association of Homeland War Veterans 'Vukovar 91', whose president is Josip Crnjac. He stated that without the 204th Brigade, whose members defended Vukovar in 1991, there would have been no independent and sovereign Croatia.
The mayor of Vukovar, Marijan Pavliček, laid a wreath and lit a candle on behalf of the city. This meant that the city administration, along with the association's leadership, participated in the commemoration, with the central focus of remembrance being the Memorial Park of Victims of the Homeland War.
Approximately 5,500 defenders passed through the 204th Brigade. Of the brigade's members, 921 were killed or went missing, while 1,600 were wounded. These figures illustrate the scale of the losses suffered by the unit, which operated in the defence of Vukovar in 1991.
The commemoration brought together veterans and citizens who paid tribute to all those who gave their lives for Croatia through the laying of wreaths, the lighting of candles, and participation in the mass. Alongside prayers for the fallen, missing, and killed Croatian defenders, the anniversary served as a reminder of the role played by the 204th Brigade in defending the city and the creation of the state.
