Three war friends have met each other in Banja Luka: Easter meeting that Nenad, Predrag and Stanoje waited for 20 years

In front of the Epiphany church in Banja Luka, on the eve of Easter, former officer of Republika Srpska army, and his former soldiers Stanoja Todoric and Predrag Djogatovic have met each other.

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Nenad comes from Svodna by origin, near Novi Grad, and Stanoja and Predrag from Donji Vakuf. They shared the same fate in the hardest days of the late war when Vakuf residents were forced to leave their homes, villages and city together with their neighbors from Bugojno, Travnik and other places of central Bosnia and to go to the independence.

Scattered across Serbia and Republika Srpska, but also across the entire world, former residents of Vakuf villages were connected by broken family, neighboring and friendship bonds.

This touching, sudden and unexpected long-waited encounter in the churchyard, took place after more than two decades.

Ways three former warriors have finally crossed in front of the Orthodox Churches, on the eve of the great feast of Easter. After a fraternal embrace and firm grip of military arms, flowed a torrent of memories.

- Nenad came to our place during the way, he was transferred from Knin. He was among the few officers who finished military schools. He was commanding technical Service 19th Brigade of Army of Republika Srpska. I was in a driver troops. He was always encouraging us, consoling us for lost lives or war wounds, or destroyed property. Simply said, he was a man first, and then an officer and a soldier - Stanoja Todoric who made a house in Banjaluka where he used his driver skills by opening driving school.

Foto: Tanjug/Oksana Toskić

- I am live alive and well. My son got married and got a son, my daughter got married and got a daughter and i helping them and myself as much as i can. I am happy, i am looking forward to any new day because i remember the hopelessness that Nenad shared with us in Donji Vakuf - answers Todoric on the question about health and family. Emotions are pouring in, curiosity... His fellow fighter Predrag Djogatovic is also in city who found a new homeland on Vrbas.

- I am doing all kinds works, i cut grass, i am decorating the church yard, i am fighting like all refugees to get the piece back of my lost property, to fill the hole which was opened in my by war - said Djogatovic. He talks really nice about his former commander, honestly and imaginatively.

- I remember Nenad by his expertise and knowledge in the military aspects, his tolerance and readiness to help people, erasing the boundaries among officers and soldiers. He was always a friend and you can not forget that - Predrag Djogatovic testifies about the times he remembers as if they were yesterday, and it has been more than 20 years.

Foto: Profimedia/AFP

Nenad was retired after the war, he is dedicated to the production of healthy foods, promoting healthy living, writing books about himself, his soldiers, homeland and memories.

- I am happy for this and encounters similar to this. That helps me create more realistic picture about the past, my military career, people. Predrag and Stanoja are good people, i remember and they haven't changed a bit. They colored me in special color for Easter - said Nenad Janjetovi who lit candles with his soldiers and his son Bojan, in front of the church and said prayers for his dead soldiers of his unit.

(Telegraf.co.uk / Blic)