PILOT RUDOLF PERISIN LAID TO REST AT MIROGOJ

ZAGREB, Sept 15 (Hina) - The remains of a Croatian Air Force pilot, Rudolf Perisin killed during the liberating operation "Flash" on 2 May 1995, were interred at the central cemetery in Zagreb on Monday. Present at the funeral in Mirogoj were Perisin's family and relatives, Croatian Army officials, friends and many public figures. Perisin will be remembered as the first pilot Croatian Air Force. In October 1991, he deserted from the enemy army, the then JNA, in a combat aircraft. He landed in Klagenfurt, Austria, by plane, and joined the Croatian liberating army. The chief commander of the Croatian Air Force, Josip Culetic, and Ivan Tolj, on behalf of Croatian Defence Minister Gojko Susak, held speeches at the funeral. Bosnian Serbs delivered the remains of Perisin to Croatian authorities on 4 August this year. Perisin's plane was shot down at Bosnian territory under the Serb control in May 1995 when he was returning from a successfully done job. After a lot of contradictory information, even attempts of deceit by Bosnian Serb who had claimed that Rudolf Perisin was live and being held by them, the Bosnian Serbs admitted that he had been killed, and recently handed over his remains to Croatia. (hina) jn mš 152115 MET sep 97