It will be exactly 1 year since my enrolment next week and so I thought that this would be appropriate time to look back and share few things that have haunted me for years but never shared with any1 except my wife. Hopefully these few words will be taken as a token of appreciation and above all would instil a piece of integrity and pose a question to those looking to join.'
My family and I fled Yugoslavia in 1995 when I was 14 years old, during the peak of convoluted savage civil conflict. We left as my father resigned after 19 years of service in JNA, yugoslav national army and as we dealt with the uncertainty of family's and friends' well being in Croatia's Krajina region. Eventhough parents did well to protect me and my siblings from images and everyday reality of war nurturing my love for sports in particularly soccer, stories that we as kids had no other option but to embrace, never went away. It didn't matter that we were making a new life on a new continent, that love for soccer and much later girls grew on me, it didn't matter that I got to travel and experience other cultures around the world with siblings academic success. Nothing could earase vivid memories of grown-ups' confussion, fear, mythical stories and my terrified first 5yrs eerie experiences with grass land on an open fields in Canada. I remember the constant confussion and frustration back then. I also remember instantanious satisfaction and advanture of joy when my father would take me by the bridge to look at the white military vehiacles rolling through the city with the big UN and UNPROFOR written on them. I will never forget how happy my mother would be eventhough we had no way of finding when they would come of from where, but it didnt matter. The site of them coming would soon replace football players and fathers stories about football legends when we gathered with candless at night. I don't remember when I started asking so many questions and when soccer talk became the white angels(as we called them) talk in our house hold, but I do know that it was mother's optimism for stability and peace that brought this upon us. I also remeber vividly my father mentioning canadians during few nights when we were going through family albums and questioning Krajina's security. It was anything but the brief mention of these troops, he went into details. My FIFA 1986 and 1990 picture albums were replaced by limited collection of maple leafs in my notebook when parents told us that we are coming to canada. Ignorant as any kind I was mad to be leaving, it was getting better, the white cars came again, yet so fascinated by father's stories of outnumbered bravery that I couldnt wait to come to Canada and have a picture with a red maple leaf soldier in a blue barret. Dispite all the bad and worst things that have happened I wouldnt change anything. After a sting of dream delusional pro soccer career in europe I came back to canada and joined military. I joined after tracking down those troops that father talked about and only after I fully understood the sacrifies they made. The courage that brought hope and joy in a hell for saken land. I could not erase my memories of mother's joyfull tears and father's mythological admiration of few. Those that have served in bosnia hercegovina and in croatia have given my family hope have given me a sense of life worth living but above all, all 5 of us are forever thankfull to canada for embracing us as immigrants and for extending their hands in international conflicts for the purpose of peace.
In concluson,
During the rucruiting process you have to be pationed. Keep pushing yourselves once you get in. It is one of few organizations that
will give you the power to change lives, remember that. And if you do come across admin. problems keep reminding yourselves of the reasons you have joined for the organization as a whole is much bigger than one troop that may be having a bad day for one is only a human as well. This past year has filled my heart more than I can put in words. Even on a Soldier Qualification course field excersises during assimilated fire and pyros. dispite the flashbacks I truly loved my peers, those that did it with pride, love and hard work.
I wear the uniform of those that I ve idolize and that is my measure of success...
The recruiting will change your life, accept it, embrace it and grow with it.
I wish all of you recruits best of luck.
Dedicated
To my father Aleksandar M. and 2 PPCLI that served in Croatia in 1993 during Medak operation.
If this text is not appropriate fill free to eare I hope that I was able to touch some1 joining at leat a fraction as much as aferomentioned have moved me.
My family and I fled Yugoslavia in 1995 when I was 14 years old, during the peak of convoluted savage civil conflict. We left as my father resigned after 19 years of service in JNA, yugoslav national army and as we dealt with the uncertainty of family's and friends' well being in Croatia's Krajina region. Eventhough parents did well to protect me and my siblings from images and everyday reality of war nurturing my love for sports in particularly soccer, stories that we as kids had no other option but to embrace, never went away. It didn't matter that we were making a new life on a new continent, that love for soccer and much later girls grew on me, it didn't matter that I got to travel and experience other cultures around the world with siblings academic success. Nothing could earase vivid memories of grown-ups' confussion, fear, mythical stories and my terrified first 5yrs eerie experiences with grass land on an open fields in Canada. I remember the constant confussion and frustration back then. I also remember instantanious satisfaction and advanture of joy when my father would take me by the bridge to look at the white military vehiacles rolling through the city with the big UN and UNPROFOR written on them. I will never forget how happy my mother would be eventhough we had no way of finding when they would come of from where, but it didnt matter. The site of them coming would soon replace football players and fathers stories about football legends when we gathered with candless at night. I don't remember when I started asking so many questions and when soccer talk became the white angels(as we called them) talk in our house hold, but I do know that it was mother's optimism for stability and peace that brought this upon us. I also remeber vividly my father mentioning canadians during few nights when we were going through family albums and questioning Krajina's security. It was anything but the brief mention of these troops, he went into details. My FIFA 1986 and 1990 picture albums were replaced by limited collection of maple leafs in my notebook when parents told us that we are coming to canada. Ignorant as any kind I was mad to be leaving, it was getting better, the white cars came again, yet so fascinated by father's stories of outnumbered bravery that I couldnt wait to come to Canada and have a picture with a red maple leaf soldier in a blue barret. Dispite all the bad and worst things that have happened I wouldnt change anything. After a sting of dream delusional pro soccer career in europe I came back to canada and joined military. I joined after tracking down those troops that father talked about and only after I fully understood the sacrifies they made. The courage that brought hope and joy in a hell for saken land. I could not erase my memories of mother's joyfull tears and father's mythological admiration of few. Those that have served in bosnia hercegovina and in croatia have given my family hope have given me a sense of life worth living but above all, all 5 of us are forever thankfull to canada for embracing us as immigrants and for extending their hands in international conflicts for the purpose of peace.
In concluson,
During the rucruiting process you have to be pationed. Keep pushing yourselves once you get in. It is one of few organizations that
will give you the power to change lives, remember that. And if you do come across admin. problems keep reminding yourselves of the reasons you have joined for the organization as a whole is much bigger than one troop that may be having a bad day for one is only a human as well. This past year has filled my heart more than I can put in words. Even on a Soldier Qualification course field excersises during assimilated fire and pyros. dispite the flashbacks I truly loved my peers, those that did it with pride, love and hard work.
I wear the uniform of those that I ve idolize and that is my measure of success...
The recruiting will change your life, accept it, embrace it and grow with it.
I wish all of you recruits best of luck.
Dedicated
To my father Aleksandar M. and 2 PPCLI that served in Croatia in 1993 during Medak operation.
If this text is not appropriate fill free to eare I hope that I was able to touch some1 joining at leat a fraction as much as aferomentioned have moved me.
hvala. 
