It’s  fascinating how seemingly “normal” people can turn into animals under war conditions. You never really know people.

I completed 3 tours in Bosnia.UN & then the transition to IFOR.
During the UN phase, the warring factions knew that we were totally powerless to do anything. Funny how when we became a NATO force of IFOR, they wanted to become our friends.
Those people blaming the UN Peacekeeping troops. Let me assure you. We wanted 'the gloves to come off!'
Thanks to my involvement in Bosnia, i was diagnosed with PTSD. The sights, the smells and the utter powerlessness during my tours remain with me forever. Last December, we held a ceremony at the National Arboretum to remember our service. Many of us got emotional😢
Hrre i am 30 years on and it annoys me that it has become a 'Forgotten War'.

Very few people mention the concert that happened in Sarajevo during the war. Is it because it involved a heavy metal band fronted by a famous singer and not a famous pop artist or band? It's a miraculous story in itself when Bruce Dickinson and his band (not Iron Maiden) agreed to play there not just because of the journey they took to get there but because it also gave many thousands of people the realisation that they had not actually been forgotten by the rest of the world, and gave them hope that an end to the war might be in sight.
Thankfully a Bosnian media team released the dvd/documentary "Scream For Me Sarajevo" about the concert and the lives of those who attended and played the show, especially as some of the members of the local bands that performed were soldiers, firefighters etc themselves. I highly recommend watching it, even if you're not a rock fan as it's not just about the music but it's also an insight to what was going on in the city and the country at the time.

I was there Op Grapple 2, Apr to Oct 93. The memories never leave you.

Late 80’s - several Croatian school friends in Sydney. Told at a bbq some of their Croatian friends went back ( family pride) by the early 90’s later 1/2 a dozen were dead or wounded- bad!. This changed their lives and attitudes- what a waste a disaster: their community in Sydney ( my age group from high school)- went quiet.

I was an Australian apprentice around this time, mates of mine, born in Australia, were sent "home" to fight by their fathers..in the company I worked for there were Serbs and Croats who hated each other like poison, hearts full of bitterness and violence.
I then taught kids who had escaped from Sarajevo and seen friends and family shot by snipers in the street.
Fkn barbarity.. I have read about similar civil ultra violence in Spain in the 30s.

The Bosnian war was brought to me by New Ballance, Starbucks and Compare the Market

U can see who has the power now in Bosnia, religions, western countries Vatican,Turkey, Russia...they wanted to have this kind of country. Bosnia survived all and will be. Happy to see our football team in USA 2026 and our song "Bosnom behar probeharao"

الحرب إثبات أن العقل عجز، لا أن الحق انتصر.

Great video from one who was there. Im now 55 and watching this crying! I will never forget returning to London for the Christmas break and the difference between the Balkans and the first world was unreal. High street shopping In Kensington High st  with people unaware… and women and children without fathers/partners and everything burning just 6 hrs away. Then I was spray painting orange lines of separation between the warring parties. Will never forget it as long as I live

A beautiful country, I saw quite a lot of it, 2 tours as UN , Sfor, Ifor....my regiment lost three guys there to a landmine, we had at least one Squadron out there from 93 through to 2000, 19 tours in total I think we did. The Light Dragoons....

smells, certain noises,  stay with you forever....

Some Croats in Bosnia, pre-Ottoman Turkish invasion, which started in 1463 AD:

Paul I Subic of Bribir (Croatian: Pavao I. Subic Bribirski, Hungarian: bribiri I. Subics Pál; c. 1245 – 1 May 1312) was Ban of Croatia between 1275 and 1312, and Lord of Bosnia from 1299 to 1312.
&
Mladen II Subic of Bribir (Croatian: Mladen II Subic Bribirski, Hungarian: bribiri Subics Mladen; c.1270 – c.1341), a Croatian leader and member of the Subic noble family, was a Ban of Croatia and Lord of all of Bosnia from 1312 AD.

The world kept watching
Why didn't the world help
What a cruel world
They could've saved thousands of lives
Thousands of young men, civilians children got killed

Great documentary but ad breaks every 4 mins makes it difficult to watch. YouTube greed will cost it dearly if they don't get a grip!

The UNs most shameful chapter. I was there with IFOR and the anger aimed at the UNs impotence was tangible. The resources the UN wasted in achieving nothing, or worse enabling genocide, was staggering

UN FAILED BOSNIA. Bosnians will never look at anyone for help ever. They put the weapons embargo on them and caged them in.. thought they would all die. But they survived and won.. never again!

I've been there as a SFOR peacekeeper. Beautiful country but the war can erupt again just one spark and the Balkan powder keg will blow up unfortunately.

It only seems like yesterday...

This has me in tears tbh