Croatia issues commemorative "Heroes of the Homeland War" postcards

The Croatian Post, in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence, has issued a series of commemorative postcards titled "Heroes of the Homeland War", which will be given to military conscripts at the start of basic training upon their arrival at barracks, the Croatian Post (HP) announced.

The HP said that in an age of fast digital communication, the postcards primarily have a sentimental purpose, offering a meaningful keepsake through which new generations of conscripts can send short messages to their loved ones, CE Report quotes HINA.

The series features four postcards depicting some of Croatia's most distinguished war heroes: Blago and Robert Zadro, Jean-Michel Nicolier, Andrija Matijaš Pauk, and Rudolf Perešin.

Blago Zadro led the defence of Vukovar's Borovo Naselje in 1991 and was killed on 16 October that year. His eldest son, Robert, also defended Vukovar, later fighting in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he was killed at the Battle of Kupres in 1992.

Jean-Michel Nicolier, a member of the Croatian Defence Forces (HOS), defended Vukovar, was wounded, and after the city fell was taken from hospital to Ovčara, where he was killed. His remains were identified last year.

Andrija Matijaš Pauk commanded the 4th Guards Brigade, later named "Pauci" in his honour. He took part in Operation Storm and was killed near Mrkonjić Grad on 9 October 1995.

In 1991, Yugoslav Air Force pilot Rudolf Perešin flew a MiG-21 from Bihać to Klagenfurt before joining the Croatian Army as a combat pilot. He took part in all major operations of the Croatian Air Force and Air Defence. He was killed during Operation Flash when his aircraft was shot down.

The postcards are available for purchase at post offices. The print run is 6,000 copies per design, with a face value of €0.70 each.