As Morski writes, a memorial plaque to Montenegrin Admiral Vladimir Barovic was unveiled in Samogor on the island of Vis this past week. The unveiling of the memorial plaque was attended by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of both Croatia and neighbouring Montenegro, Gordan Grlic Radman and Ranko Krivokapic, the Ministers of Defense of the two countries, Mario Banozic and Rasko Konjevic, and the Mayor of Vis, Ivo Radica.
In his address, Minister Gordan Grlic Radman emphasised the importance of nurturing the culture of memory, noting that the installation of the memorial plaque on Vis is a continuation of last year’s commemoration of the suffering of Croatian nationals imprisoned in the infamous Morinj camp.
“Vladimir Barovic’s act of humanity and his show of staunch disagreement with evil is a symbol of those values that today, just as they were thirty years ago, are a pledge of relations based on mutual respect. He was deeply aware that the army of which he was the commander wouldn’t be the one he could serve honourably, because its intentions were dishonourable, occupational in their nature, not to mention criminal. That September, he fired only one bullet and that was unfortunately the only possible way he could get out of the hellish plan of aggression of the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA) against the Republic of Croatia,” he stated.
”His words written on the plaque that we’ve unveiled open up many questions within us, and they question the fundamental principles that we should all cherish towards each other, nation to nation, human to human. We feel the obligation and duty right here on the island of Vis to set up a memorial plaque to him as a thank you to him and as a memory, but also to showcase the fact that even during the most difficult times dominated by war, one man put his honour before his command and proved he’d sooner take his own life than destroy Dalmatian cities and the Croatian people,” added Minister Grlic Radman of Montenegrin Admiral Vladimir Barovic’s actions.
He concluded the presentation by pointing out that the Republic of Croatia and Montenegro will continue to work on and strengthen their good-neighbourly relations and work on open issues they both have, and that Montenegro will continue to enjoy the firm and friendly hand of support of Croatia on its European Union path.
Minister of Defense Mario Banozic also pointed out that after more than three decades, we now have the opportunity to mark a moment in history that is important for all of us.
”The act carried out by Admiral Barovic represented a big step in the relations between our countries, as well as in the relations between the navies of the Republic of Croatia and of Montenegro, which, through cooperation in the field of education at the Dr. Franjo Tudjman Croatian Military Academy, they learn and strengthen themselves not with the aim of war, but with the aim of deterrence. This was also done by Admiral Barovic, thanks to whom the ugly scenes that people in other parts of Croatia experienced during the Homeland War were averted in the area of Vis,” Banozic pointed out, adding that with this memorial plaque, we convey to future generations what Admiral Barovic and his actions meant to Croatia.
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