On the 34th anniversary of the Battle of Kupres, tribute was paid to Ivica Opačak, Pajo, a member of the Matija Vlačić battalion who lost his life on April 3, 1992. His sacrifice remains a symbol of resistance and the fight for freedom.
In Donji Malovan, near Kupres, a memorial has stood for years bearing witness to courage and sacrifice. It is a monument erected in 2015 in honor of Ivica Opačak, Pajo, the first Croatian defender to fall on the Kupres front. On April 3, 1992, at the age of 28, he was killed while attempting to liberate this strategically important area from the Greater Serbian aggressor.
Ivica Opačak, affectionately known as Pajo, was born in 1964 in Rijeka and grew up in Kostrena. He joined the Croatian War of Independence as a volunteer from the very beginning. By September 15, 1991, he had become a member of the Special Unit of the Croatian Army General Staff, the legendary Matija Vlačić battalion. With this elite unit, he fought on numerous battlefields across Croatia, from eastern Slavonia to the Zadar hinterland, before being transferred to the Southern Front in March 1992.
The initiative to create a lasting memorial to Pajo came from the Coordination of Veterans' Associations of the Herzeg-Bosnia Canton. The unveiling ceremony was attended by numerous fellow soldiers, friends, and family, including his sister and her family, as well as officials from the municipalities of Tomislavgrad, Kostrena, and Kupres. Two veterans, one from the Matija Vlačić battalion and the other from the Kupres Veterans' Association, jointly unveiled the monument.
The ceremony was held with full military honors, the Croatian national anthem, and a minute of silence for all those who perished. The monument was blessed by the parish priest of Šuica and a military chaplain, who then celebrated a requiem Mass at the Church of St. Anthony. A particularly moving moment followed the Mass when 28 young members of the Franciscan Youth (Frame), dressed in white, presented Pajo's sister with 28 white roses, symbolizing each year of his cut-short life.
This year, on April 10, 2026, the 34th anniversary of the Battle of Kupres was commemorated. Although that battle, which began on April 3, 1992, and lasted a week, ended with the fall of the town and the withdrawal of Croatian forces toward Šuica, it has remained a lasting symbol of resistance and the struggle for survival. In the fighting, 160 members of the Croatian forces were killed, including a large number of war veterans from Vukovar, such as Robert Zadra and Andrija Marić.
The anniversary commemoration began with a memorial race from Tomislavgrad to Kupres and continued with the laying of wreaths at the "Gratitude" monument in the town center. The central event was a Mass in the packed Church of the Holy Family, led by the Bishop of Mostar-Duvno, Petar Palić.
"Today we gather with sorrow in our hearts, but also with unwavering faith in eternal life. We remember April 10, 1992, a day deeply etched into the soul of this region, a day of darkness, fear, and apparent defeat," Bishop Palić said, as reported by local media.
The Bishop emphasized that the sacrifice of the defenders gains its full meaning in the light of the Resurrection. "Our defenders laid down their lives on the altar of the homeland. But only in the light of the Risen Christ is their sacrifice not an end, but a beginning, a beginning of hope, a beginning of life that conquers death," he stated. He added that Croatian defenders "did not go to war out of hatred, but out of love, for their families, their homes, their faith; they defended the right to life and freedom."
Although the fall of Kupres was a heavy blow, it did not mark the end of resistance. After more than two years of occupation, Kupres was finally liberated on November 3, 1994, in Operation Cincar. That operation, named after the mountain that separates Kupres from Glamoč, was the first after the signing of the Washington Agreement and a prelude to the major liberation operations that followed, including the capture of Dinara and the encirclement of Knin, culminating in the liberating Operation Storm.
Pajo's remains were initially buried with military honors at the Rijeka cemetery of Drenova. After four years, they were exhumed and transferred to the local cemetery in Kostrena. For his merits in the Croatian War of Independence, he was posthumously promoted to the rank of lieutenant. In the barracks of the Special Forces Command "Brigadier General Ante Šaškor" in Delnice, the military club bears his name, "Lieutenant Ivica Opačak, Pajo".
As he was a great football enthusiast, the Veterans' Association of the Homeland War of the Kostrena municipality, with the help of the Kostrena municipality, organizes the memorial football tournament "Ivica Opačak Pajo". This tournament, featuring veteran and youth teams, with a particularly emotional match between Pajo's friends and fellow soldiers, serves as a lasting reminder of his sacrifice. The Mayor of Kostrena traditionally awards medals to the winners.
The Matija Vlačić battalion, of which Pajo was a member, produced the elite of Croatian special forces. Nine of its members gave their lives in the Homeland War. Former Defense Minister and General Damir Krstičević once addressed today's special forces, saying: "You have proven your worth many times, both in war and in operations and peace support missions. But that is the military life. Every day is a new day for a warrior, and every day a warrior proves himself. You are special forces, warriors, the elite of an army of victors. You are the spearhead of the Croatian Army. Continue to lead by example."
