Former member of the Special Police Unit 'BATT' Split speaks on the 31st anniversary of 'Oluja' about his wartime journey, battle with cancer, and bitterness over the treatment of veterans.
On the occasion of the 31st anniversary of the military-police operation "Oluja," Slobodna Dalmacija published an interview with Kristian Petric, a 40% Croatian war veteran with disabilities and former member of the Special Police Unit "BATT" from Split. In an open conversation, Petric shared memories of the war years, coping with a serious illness, and disappointment with the treatment of veterans at official celebrations.
His wartime journey began on February 1, 1991. By September 1 of the same year, at the age of 21, he became a member of the Special Police Unit Split. "I went because of my love for Croatia, like many veterans who, unfortunately, later gave their lives for the homeland," Petric told Slobodna Dalmacija. He remained in the unit until the end of the war and retired in 2000 as a war veteran with disabilities.
His first battlefield was Dubrovnik, followed by Kupres, a place that carries a particularly heavy burden. There, on April 7, 1992, he was wounded and lost his best friend and comrade Mario Selak. His wartime path took him through Gospić, Velebit, Slavonia, and Lika, where he spent nearly four years with his unit in extreme conditions.
"We could hardly wait to come down from 1,700 meters above sea level. Those who haven't experienced it can hardly imagine the conditions we lived in," Petric recalled.
They would march for five or six days without rest, carrying 25 to 30 kilograms of equipment on their backs, and often remained in positions for up to a week. In those impossible conditions, unity was crucial. "You had comrades who were like a mother, father, brother, and sister to you. You shared literally every moment of life with them. It was a special bond that cannot be explained to someone who hasn't been through war," he emphasized.
Speaking about the commemoration of anniversaries, Petric did not hide his bitterness about the protocol at ceremonies. "I don't think there's not enough talk about veterans, but what saddens me-and I'll be honest-is that at all the celebrations you attend, politicians are always in the front row, while those who carried the burden are always in the back rows," he said. He added that it is shameful that he has only attended the central "Oluja" celebration in Knin twice.
He also commented on the decision to prematurely retire veterans in 1999 and 2000, when they were only 30 years old. "I think the state should have worked on not retiring these people. We were retired in our prime. Apparently, we didn't suit the political options at that time, just as we don't suit them today. It's easiest to have Croatian veterans around you whom you can manipulate," he asserted.
After the war, Petric actively engaged in veterans' associations. He served as vice-president to the late, brutally murdered Andrija Bartulić, and then led the county HVIDR-a Split for five years, striving to redirect the negative perception of veterans toward humanitarian work. They organized actions with the Red Cross and UNICEF, and in 2010, a major humanitarian concert at the Spaladium Arena for all the generals who were detained in The Hague.
However, his toughest battle was personal. He fell ill with lymphoma with eight metastases, including those on his bones, and faced stage four of the malignant disease. "The prognosis wasn't for survival, but thank God, I made it. There were plenty of cytostatics and chemotherapies, but everything ended well," he recounted. More than 11 years have passed since the diagnosis.
In the darkest moments of 2014, while undergoing treatment, he felt that many had forgotten him. "I wish I had received it when I was sick. When I was going through the most difficult moments of my life, going through the ordeal of a malignant disease, that's when I would have liked to have coffee with those people. Unfortunately, I didn't. When you're sick, a lot of people forget you," he said.
He found strength in his family and peace in his native Split and the sea. "I'm in love with the sea; I dive quite a bit. I'm a child of the city of Split, born and raised here; I spent my entire youth at Mornara. Today, I devote a lot of time to the sea. It doesn't matter to me how many fish I catch; the only thing that matters is diving and leaving all my stress in the depths," Petric concluded.
