Dražen Živić, PhD, participated in the presentation of the monograph 5th Guards Brigade of the Croatian Army Sokolovi; Županja, 15/04/2026
On 15 April 2026, another presentation of the monograph 5th Guards Brigade of the Croatian Army Sokolovi was held in the multicultural center in Županja. In the fully filled hall of the Center, Major General (retired) Živko Budimir, the wartime chief of the Brigade Command, Brigadier General Mijo Kožić, head of the Expert Team and editor-in-chief of the monograph, and Dr. sc. Dražen Živić, a scientist at the Regional Center of the Pilar Institute in Vukovar, also an external associate of the Expert Team, spoke about the war path of the Brigade, as well as the monograph itself, and Dr. sc. Dražen Živić, a scientist at the Regional Center of the Pilar Institute in Vukovar, also an external associate of the Expert Team
Welcoming remarks to those present, among whom were the families of the fallen and deceased members of the Brigade, retired members of the Brigade, high-ranking officers of the Croatian Army, representatives of veterans’ associations and cultural institutions from the area of the City of Županja. The welcoming remarks to those present were delivered by Mayor Damir Juzbašić.
Retired Major General Živko Budimir briefly described the Brigade’s war path, particularly emphasizing its role on the Southern Front during 1993 and 1994. Although the Homeland War formally ended on June 30, 1996, the Brigade was at a high level of combat readiness until 1999 and the events in Serbia during the NATO airstrikes on that country. Brigadier Kožić spoke about the creation of the book and its structure, while Dr. Sc. Živić pointed out its scientific value and importance not only in the context of researching the military aspects of the Homeland War, but also in terms of building a “culture of remembrance” of the Homeland War as a pivotal event/phenomenon in the creation and defense of the modern Croatian state.
