Milan Tepić
Plaque in Banja Luka commemorating people's hero Milan Tepić
Born(1957-01-26)26 January 1957
Bosanska Dubica, PR Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia
Died29 September 1991(1991-09-29) (aged 34)
Bjelovar, Croatia
Resting place
Miroševac Cemetery, Zagreb, Croatia (disputed)
AllegianceSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia SFR Yugoslavia
Service/branchYugoslav People's Army Yugoslav People's Army
Years of service1980–1991
RankMajor
Battles/wars
AwardsOrder of the People's Hero

Milan Tepić (Serbian Cyrillic: Милан Тепић; 26 January 1957 – 29 September 1991) was a major in the Yugoslav People's Army during the Croatian War of Independence.

In September 1991, Tepić was tasked with defending an ammunition storage in the village of Hrgovljani just outside Bjelovar. After the defeat of the city's defenders in the Siege of Bjelovar Barracks, Tepić ordered the evacuation of the storage facility while staying behind himself. He then detonated an explosive charge to prevent the capture of the stored ammunition, weapons, and other equipment, killing himself and eleven Croatian soldiers in the process.[1]

Aftermath

Hero Milan Tepić street sign in Belgrade, Serbia

Major Milan Tepić was declared a National Hero of Yugoslavia.[2] He was the last person that received this title.[3] In Croatia he is considered a war criminal because his action threatened damage to the town of Bjelovar.[1][4][5][6][7][8]

Streets in Belgrade, Banja Luka, Kozarska Dubica[9] Vršac,[10] Zrenjanin,[11] and Sremska Mitrovica[12] are named after him. There is also a monument of Milan Tepić in his street in Belgrade. One street in Novi Sad was also named after him until being changed in 2004.[13] In Republika Srpska the Medal of Major Milan Tepić awarded for bravery is named after him.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Banned Bosnian Serb Celebration Recalls Memories of Start of War". balkaninsight.com. 10 January 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  2. ↑ Balkan Battlegrounds: A Military History of the Yugoslav Conflict, 1990-1995, Volume 2. Central Intelligence Agency. 2002. p. 109. ISBN 9780160664724.
  3. ↑ "Sjećanje na majora Tepića" (in Serbian). Radio-televizija Republike Srpske. 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2015-07-27.
  4. ↑ "Croatia's county head accuses Bosnia's RS entity of glorifying war criminal". hr.n1info.com. 9 January 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  5. ↑ "Serbia's Vucic Begins 'Uneasy But Useful' Visit To Croatia". rferl.org/. 12 February 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  6. ↑ "County Head Marušić: Banja Luka celebrates the criminal Tepić, slaps victims of aggression against Croatia". tportal.hr (in Croatian). 9 January 2022. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  7. ↑ "Germans: Croats and Serbs are fighting over the monument to madmen". express.24sata.hr (in Croatian). 3 November 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  8. ↑ "Shameful act: 'Tepić is a criminal and he does not deserve a monument'". 24sata.hr (in Croatian). 9 March 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  9. ↑ "Oficijelna internet prezentacija grada Banjaluke". Retrieved 2008-08-27.
  10. ↑ "Mapa: Narodnog heroja Milana Tepića". Archived from the original on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2008-08-27.
  11. ↑ Subić, Petar. "Kompletni spisak ulica u Zrenjaninu". Nazivi ulica u Zrenjaninu. Istorijski arhiv Zrenjanin. Archived from the original on 2010-06-01. Retrieved 2010-12-07.
  12. ↑ "Sremska Mitrovica, Milana Tepica 6a". Retrieved 2008-08-27.
  13. ↑ Pančić, Teofil (2004-07-15). "Tehnološki višak istorije". Vreme. Retrieved 2008-08-27..
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