A Sign from Operation Storm Became a Family Reminder
Ivana Ninčević Lesandrić shared an emotional story about her volunteer father and the sign he brought home from the war, which adorned their home for decades.
Ivana Ninčević Lesandrić shared an emotional story about her volunteer father and the sign he brought home from the war, which adorned their home for decades.
On the 31st anniversary of the victorious military-police operation "Storm," former candidate for County Prefect of Split-Dalmatia County, Ivana Ninčević Lesandrić, shared a personal story on social media that touched many. Alongside a photo of her father, a Croatian volunteer from the very first day of the war, she also shared a picture of a sign he brought home after the war had ended.
In her post, Ninčević Lesandrić tried to convey the emotions that overwhelmed her father and all defenders on that August 5, 1995. "Just imagine that joy and that feeling at that moment, after five years of war, as a volunteer from day one. I think they will carry that feeling with them for the rest of their lives, every single day," she wrote on social media.
Her words serve as a powerful reminder of the moments of anticipation for freedom, the end of wartime suffering, and the return to families-feelings that Croatian defenders have carried within them for years.
A particularly touching part of the post concerns an object that transcended its physical form. The sign her father brought home from the war was not forgotten; instead, it became an integral part of their family home and upbringing. "And the sign... we grew up with it. It always stood as a reminder of what we should be grateful for. Our homeland," Ninčević Lesandrić said.
This simple yet powerful message illustrates how objects from the most difficult times have become enduring symbols of freedom, sacrifice, and immense gratitude toward the homeland for many families.