As we follow the heroes battling blazes along the coast today, we remember the quiet heroes whose selflessness was forged in the hell of Vukovar's defense. One of them is Siniša Malecki, a 28-year-old whose life was cut short by shrapnel, but not his memory.
As we watch with admiration the firefighters and pilots battling the fiery blaze along the Adriatic coast these days, it's worth remembering that this drive for selfless sacrifice in the Croatian people has deep and painful roots. The toughest test of courage was passed in the autumn of 1991, under a relentless rain of shells in the besieged Vukovar. It was there, among the city's defenders, that Vukovar's firefighters played an invaluable role.
Their contribution to the defense of the city against a vastly superior aggressor came at a high price. During the three-month battle, nine firefighters were killed, one is listed as missing, and eight were wounded. As many as 21 Vukovar firefighters passed through Serbian concentration camps. Of the almost completely destroyed equipment, only two tankers were preserved, one of which was still in service with the Vukovar Public Fire Brigade years later.
Intense firefighting activity began immediately after the massacre of Croatian policemen in Borovo Selo on May 2, 1991. According to the records of Vlado Horvat, author of the book "130 Years of Firefighting in Vukovar," the Voluntary Fire Department then had about 70 members, and the professional unit had 47, five of whom were in Ilok. However, as the conflict escalated, personnel began to dwindle. "Most of the employees of Serbian nationality stopped coming to work from the beginning of July. The professional staff was reduced by half, and with a reduced number of members, round-the-clock duty in three shifts began," Horvat described.
The fire station, located opposite today's Mazda Park, found itself on the frontline. At the end of August 1991, when Vukovar was completely surrounded, a tactical division of firefighters was carried out. One part was relocated to the River Port Authority in Novi Vukovar, across from the hospital. That position on the banks of the Danube was exposed to constant attacks and enemy surveillance from Bačka. From there, they transported water day and night to about twenty key locations: the hospital, the police, the defense headquarters, bakeries, and large shelters. Every departure was an encounter with death.
"The fire tankers were directly targeted by projectiles and some were disabled. The equipment, tires, had to be constantly maintained, and there was a shortage of fuel. A complicating factor was that the water pumping station was on the Danube in Borovo Naselje, a few hundred meters away from the enemy in Borovo Selo and under constant fire," Horvat wrote.
One of those quiet heroes was Siniša Malecki. Born in Vukovar on April 25, 1963, he was the eldest of three children of Magdalena and Karlo Malecki. After completing secondary school as a bricklayer, he trained as a firefighter in 1984 at the Department of the Zagreb Polytechnic in Vukovar, where he was immediately offered a five-year contract with the then-PVJ in Sajmište. His sister Silvana remembers him as a cheerful man who loved music.
"He loved the accordion. I remember how he sold his Golf to buy a Dallape accordion in Bijeljina, which had a small precious stone like a diamond instead of a button on the bass side. He loved song, company, and was a scout for a long time," Silvana recounted.
On April 18, 1987, he married Jeka Bakić. Unfortunately, they had no children. During the defense of Vukovar, Siniša tirelessly carried out all tasks: from driving under a rain of shells and extinguishing fires under sniper fire, to pulling the wounded from the ruins and transporting the dead.
His life was cut short on November 3, 1991. Returning from an intervention, he got out of the vehicle in front of the River Port Authority. At that moment, a shell fell. Commander Đuro Ivanković, who was with him, recalled that fateful day: "I stopped the vehicle so the three of them could get out in front of the Authority and went to park. At that moment, a shell fell, and Siniša was wounded right at the entrance to the building. I was convinced he was alive; it seemed to me he had a smile on his face. I was shocked when the doctor handed me his passport and wallet with the words that he had been fatally hit. I could hardly believe it."
Siniša was only 28 years old. Due to the constant shelling, his body was temporarily buried at the New Dubrava Cemetery. After the peaceful reintegration, his remains were exhumed and identified, and later placed in the family tomb at the same cemetery.
For his family, time does not heal the wound; it only preserves memories. "We all miss him terribly. Even now, whenever the family gets together, mom cries, and we all recall fond memories. Not a Christmas has passed without Siniša receiving a gift. Although he's gone, he is always in our hearts and minds," said his sister Silvana. The strength of memory is also evidenced by a message she received from Siniša's younger brother: "Mom hasn't put the book down for 2.5 hours since it arrived... She probably feels like she's holding Siniša in some way..."
The story of Siniša Malecki, created as part of the project "Heroes Are Not Forgotten," financially supported by the Agency for Electronic Media, is a reminder that courage is eternal. From the Vukovar firefighters of 1991 to today's heroes battling fires, the thread of selflessness remains unbroken. "All men are created equal, and then some of them became firefighters."
