Serbia honors soldiers and police killed in Kosovo in 1999

In Niš, Serbia, a solemn ceremony was held on Vidovdan to commemorate soldiers and police officers who lost their lives in Kosovo during the 1999 NATO bombing. The service took place at the memorial crypt of the New Kosovo Heroes in the Church of Saint Basil of Ostrog.

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My husband died at Košare. Twenty-seven years have passed since then, but as long as we are alive, we will carry great sadness and pain. I wouldn't wish what we experienced on our worst enemy.

Families of the fallen, representatives of veterans' associations, the Serbian Army, and officials from the City of Niš and the Serbian Government laid wreaths at the memorial. Engraved on marble slabs within the church are the names of 1,139 members of the Yugoslav Army, police, and security forces who perished in 1999.

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It is significant that we nurture a culture of remembrance because every soldier dies twice. The first time when he bravely falls on the front, and the second time when everyone forgets him.

Snežana Denčić, whose husband was among those killed at the Košare battlefield at the age of 32, shared her enduring grief. "Twenty-seven years have passed since my husband died, but as long as we are alive, we will carry great sadness and pain. I wouldn't wish what we experienced on our worst enemy," she stated.

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Not a single name of our soldier and police officer must be forgotten; this is our legacy to today's and future generations.

Representatives from veterans' associations highlighted the significance of maintaining a "culture of remembrance," noting that soldiers die twice: once in battle and again when they are forgotten. Dragan Antić, State Secretary at the Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, affirmed that those who fought and died for Serbia are not forgotten. "Not a single name of our soldier and police officer must be forgotten; this is our legacy to today's and future generations," Antić declared, referring to the memorial crypt as a "sanctuary" that every student should visit with respect and reverence.

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Here, every student must come with full piety, respect, and dignity, light a candle, pray, and ask for forgiveness from the people whose names are inscribed in the crypt.