A Monument to the National Hero Milan Tepić Revealed
Friday, 29.9.2017 | Culture and traditions
The monument to Major Milan Tepić has been ceremonially revealed today in Belgrade, not far from the street bearing his name.
The bronze statue of a man who chose death instead of surrender in Bedenik near Bjelovar, was discovered with the highest military honours and in the presence of family members, representatives of the Assembly and the Government of the Republic of Serbia, the Serbian Armed Forces, comrades and adherents of his heroic act, jointly by the Minister of Labour, Employment and Veterans Affairs Zoran Đorđević, Defence Minister Aleksandar Vulin and a son and a daughter of Milan Tepic Aleksandar and Tanja.
After the ceremonial sanctification of the monument, performed by military priests, Minister of Defence Aleksandar Vulin, accompanied by the Chief of General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, General Ljubiša Diković, and Commander of the Training Command Lieutenant General Đokica Petrović laid a wreath at the monument to the national hero on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, after which the wreaths were laid by family members, Minister of Labour, Veterans and Social Affairs Zoran Đorđević and representatives of organizations cherishing patriotic tradition.
Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Affairs Zoran Đorđević, quoting Milan Tepić, who said on the day of his killing that "once people give a word, it stays or gets broken" and that he gave the word that he will defend this country if it is difficult, reminded that the hero held his word and honourably served the country to which he had sworn.
– He bravely defended the barracks in Bjelovar, and when he realized that there was no longer any possibility for it to be defended, due to the persistent action of far more numerous Croatian paramilitary forces, he decided not to allow the enemy to reach weapons and ammunition to kill his companions, and he chose heavenly Serbia, Đorđević said and added that the detonation after the destruction of the military depot, is still being heard in our hearts even today.
He pointed out that the heroic deed and the conscientiously submitted victim determined the fate of Milan Tepić, but also the fate of many others, and that his family lost the most valuable thing they had and that such a loss could not be compensated for by any posthumous recognition.
– We are sorry for your loss, Serbia has lost an honorable and courageous officer, an exemplary and honest citizen and a brave soldier, his deed is greater than that all of us, because he, by sacrificing himself, prevented the death of innocent civilians, and heroes like Tepić determined the caracter and the fate of the entire people, the Minister of Labour, Employment, Veterans and Social Affairs said, adding that the revealed monument does not only show honour to Milan Tepic and his family, but also tothe entire Serbian people, because Serbia is today a more just state after granting recognition to the hero who deserves it.
The ceremony was attended by representatives of public and social life along with members of the collegium of the Minister of Defence and the Chief of General Staff and members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces.
On the day when he heroically died 26 years ago, the state of Serbia by this act paid tribute to the last national hero of Yugoslavia and the first hero of the Republic of Srpska.
The monument on Dedinje, near the gate of the "Dragiša Mišović" hospital, was built with funds from the Ministry of Labour, Veterans and Social Affairs.
