GENERAL MILJAVAC PRESENTS MEDALS TO WW2 VETERANS

ZAGREB, Aug 20 (Hina) - The Chief of Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, Lt. Gen. Pavao Miljavac, on Wednesday presented Order of the Croatian Trefoil medals to 13 Second World War veterans, members of the Croatian Home Guard Society and Croatian Army reserve officers, who had been decorated by President Franjo Tudjman. Addressing the war veterans, Miljavac said that they could be proud of their participation in the Second World War because their sacrifices were not in vain. Miljavac said that the Croatian Army was a modern armed force which had shown that it could stand side by side with Western armies. Expressing thanks for the medals, Croatian Home Guard Society president Vladimir Sklopan said he was glad that they were not forgotten. "The young Croatian Army showed during the Homeland War that it fought for its country," Sklopan said, adding that young men who had fought in the Homeland War had managed to create what they had wanted to in 1941. (hina) vm jn 201910 MET aug 97