Bleiburg Monument Replaced

ORIGINAL MEMORIAL (LEFT):
U ČAST I SLAVU
POGINULOJ
HRVATSKOJ VOJSCI
SVIBANJ 1945

VANDALIZED MEMORIAL:
U SPOMEN
NA NEDUŽNE ŽRTVE
BLEIBURŠKE TRAGEDIJE
MAI 1945

 

June 27, 2006

President Fucek
Club 242
Bozo Vukusic
Secretary/Spokesperson
Zapojednistvo Pocasnog Bleiburskog Voda

Dear Sirs,

On behalf of the Croatian Worldwide Association, we write with regard to the recent removal, and change of text, on the Croatian “Bleiburg” monument in Austria.

The memorial was inappropriately defaced and vandalized by the removal of the original wording of: “We honor and respect Croatian soldiers who died, May 1945.” 

The new and completely different wording states: “In remembrance of those who lost their lives in the Bleiburg Tragedy, May 1945.”  Please note in this amended version, the month of “Mai” is not written in the Croatian language. 

The original text displayed is an historical tribute to all the Croatian tragedies suffered during Bleiburg. The amended text does NOT refer to Croatians who were murdered and lost their lives in Bleiburg. The amendment does not acknowledge what factually happened when the Communist/Yugoslav/Partisans slaughtered and butchered countless of Croatians.  The original monument wording is an accurate, precise record of Croatian history.  The original monument had been on display for over half-a-century and correctly displayed the proper remembrance for the Croatian people. The Croatian Government and UDBA (Yugoslav Secret Police) claim there was trouble with local authorities in Austria, therefore the change had to be made.  This is a blatant lie. These Croatian opponents are working feverishly and deliberately to destroy Croatian history, language and culture.

It is a known fact that if the Croatian people did not defend themselves, their families and their territory, during WWII against the Serb-led Partisans, the very existence of a future Croatian state would be in question today.

The Croatian Worldwide Association upholds that the innocent Croatian victims, of the Communist/Yugoslav/Partisan mass atrocities, at Bleiburg and throughout the former Yugosolavia, represent Croatia’s Holocaust.  We demand your prompt and immediate action of returning the original text to the Croatian Bleiburg monument.

Yours Sincerely,
Jackie Prkic
President 
  
                                   WE ARE STILL HERE, WE ARE CROATIAN  
                                     Bleiburg 1945-2006 - In Remembrance

JOŠ NAS IMA, JOŠ HRVATA
Bleiburg 1945.-2006. - u sjecanje

The following link is from C. Michael McAdams book entitled "Croatia: Myth & Reality." The excerpt provides a summary of the Bleiburg tragedy

http://mirror.veus.hr/myth/retribution.html