FBU-2018-09-07
Date of Interview
Spring 9-7-2018
Interview Location
St. Louis, MO
Length of Interview
106:27
Date of Birth
1968
Gender
Male
Religion and/or Ethnicity
Muslim
Description
He was born to Muslim parents in the village of Podgaj, northwest of Srebrenica. His parents worked in agriculture, and he went to school with Muslims and Orthodox peers. He worked in construction before the war. He worked in Šid, Serbia, building a border with Croatia when he saw Serbs crossing into Bosnia with tanks and heavy weapons. The special police started asking questions at the workers lodging. He left the following day and returned to Podgaj. He was a member of a brigade for quick interventions and completed many missions in Srebrenica. They would attack Serbs for weapons, food, and medicine. US airdrops were insufficient, one ready to eat meal per person for six months and rarely medicine. Death became a casual affair. He always hoped we would return from missions alive, but he was primarily concerned for his family; wife, two sons, mother, and father. In July 1995, Serbs attacked from Zeleni Jadar to the south of Srebrenica, and it fell with no shots fired. After receiving word that Srebrenica had fallen, he sent his family to Potocari. His brigade assembled and travelled 100km in 6 days from Jaglici to Nezuk. He did not sleep or eat for six days and was ambushed many times. He witnessed the transportation and gathering of men at Bratunac Stadium and many dead bodies from the woods. He states that we will never know the actual number of people murdered. He states that future generations must be better and must not wage war. Srebrenica should never happen again.
Keywords
Srebrenica, Podgaj, šid, Potocari, Bratunac Stadium, Zeleni Jadar, Bajkovici, Krizivac, Jaglici, Nezuk, JNA, Armija BIH, Naser Oric, Ratko Mladic, Genocide
Pre-War Residence
Podgaj
Wartime Residence
Podgaj
First Country of Residence
United States
First US Residence
St. Louis, MO
Document Type
Oral History
Collection
Fontbonne University
Digital Format
MP4
Digital Publisher
Center for Bosnian Studies
City
St. Louis, MO
Copyright Note
These oral histories are made available by the Center for Bosnian Studies for research, educational, scholarly, and/or creative purposes only. All uses should adhere to the principle of fair use established under Section 107 of Title 17 the 1976 Copyright Act. More on fair use is available here: https://www.copyright.gov/fair-use/.
Rights Statement
