Family, comrades, and locals gathered at the grave of the Croatian defender, a member of the 154th Brigade, who lost his life on August 12, 1995, during the final operations along the Una River.
At the local cemetery in Funtana on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, tribute was paid to Croatian defender Stipan Liović on the 31st anniversary of his death. During the final operations following Operation Storm, on August 12, 1995, near the Una River in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a volunteer in the Homeland War and member of the 154th Brigade lost his life.
On that August day, Liović was part of a reconnaissance unit that, concealed by fog, was moving toward the Una River canyon. When the fog lifted, Croatian soldiers became targets for enemy snipers. Stipan Liović was killed, while Robert Sabo and Ivan Brajković sustained severe injuries. The final farewell and burial took place on September 30, 1995, at the same cemetery where he is still honored today.
Alongside family members, flowers and candles were laid at the grave by the Mayor of Funtana, Mladen Grgeta, the President of the Municipal Council, Igor Žiković, and the parish priest of Funtana, Ivica Butković. The commemoration was also attended by representatives of veterans' associations from Funtana, Vrsar, and Poreč, as well as numerous locals. Father Butković led the prayer and on that occasion said: "Stipan's sacrifice, like that of other Croatian defenders, must not be forgotten."
The gathering at Stipan Liović's grave on the anniversary of his death has become a tradition that, more than three decades later, sends a clear message that Funtana remembers its defenders.
