Vukovar….Explored 9/11/23
Vukovar is a city in Croatia, in the eastern regions of Syrmia and Slavonia. It contains Croatia's largest river port, located at the confluence of the Vuka and the Danube. Just a bit of recent history—The Battle of Vukovar began in 1991 and lasted for 87 days. The lightly armed citizens tried to defend their city from the Serbs, who were equipped with heavy armour and artillery. “The city suffered heavy damage during the siege and was eventually overrun. It is estimated that 1,800 defenders of Vukovar and civilians were killed, 800 went missing and 22,000 civilians were forced into exile.Several war crimes were committed by Serb forces after the battle, including the Vukovar massacre of up to 264 wounded patients and medical staff, taken from the Vukovar hospital. The damage to Vukovar during the siege has been called the worst in Europe since World II.” We visited with a woman in a neighboring town who saw first-hand some of the atrocities. Although she was only seven at the time, she remembers being pulled from school and told that they had to evacuate in three hours. The families tried to bring what they could, including their beloved pets. From the bus, the children saw the Serbian soldiers shoot and kill all of the pets that had been gathered up. Of course, this was only the beginning. She welcomed us into her home that had been completely restored after the war, and served us homemade cake, and brandy made by her parents. She then talked for an hour about what she had lived through, and it was heartbreaking. When I think back to my life here in America back in 1991, I was teaching and raising my family. I barely remember reading or seeing anything about this war. I was too busy with my own life. This trip made me realize that we should all consider ourselves very lucky to be living here in this country….
Vukovar….Explored 9/11/23
Vukovar is a city in Croatia, in the eastern regions of Syrmia and Slavonia. It contains Croatia's largest river port, located at the confluence of the Vuka and the Danube. Just a bit of recent history—The Battle of Vukovar began in 1991 and lasted for 87 days. The lightly armed citizens tried to defend their city from the Serbs, who were equipped with heavy armour and artillery. “The city suffered heavy damage during the siege and was eventually overrun. It is estimated that 1,800 defenders of Vukovar and civilians were killed, 800 went missing and 22,000 civilians were forced into exile.Several war crimes were committed by Serb forces after the battle, including the Vukovar massacre of up to 264 wounded patients and medical staff, taken from the Vukovar hospital. The damage to Vukovar during the siege has been called the worst in Europe since World II.” We visited with a woman in a neighboring town who saw first-hand some of the atrocities. Although she was only seven at the time, she remembers being pulled from school and told that they had to evacuate in three hours. The families tried to bring what they could, including their beloved pets. From the bus, the children saw the Serbian soldiers shoot and kill all of the pets that had been gathered up. Of course, this was only the beginning. She welcomed us into her home that had been completely restored after the war, and served us homemade cake, and brandy made by her parents. She then talked for an hour about what she had lived through, and it was heartbreaking. When I think back to my life here in America back in 1991, I was teaching and raising my family. I barely remember reading or seeing anything about this war. I was too busy with my own life. This trip made me realize that we should all consider ourselves very lucky to be living here in this country….