On 25 June 1991 Slovenia declared independence – the national assembly passed the Basic Constitutional Charter on the Independence and Sovereignty of the Republic of Slovenia, the Constitutional Act (which implemented the former), as well as the Declaration of Independence and new state symbols. These were proudly presented a day later at the celebration in front of the parliament in Ljubljana. The event will stay imprinted in Slovenian history as well as the memory of the people. Dani Vrečko, a member of the first honorary corps, experienced it first-hand.

“About a week before the celebration some from our units were chosen for the honorary corps that lined up at the celebration in front of the parliament,” says Dani Vrečko, who was also one of the first Slovenian military recruits.

“The evening of the celebration was an unforgettable moment for me, one that I’ll never forget. A young boy from Celje, chosen among the first generation of Slovenian soldiers in the honorary corps, standing next to the flag bearer, in front of the entire country of Slovenia and its president,” describes Vrečko dreamily the solemn evening 24 years ago, remembering the famous words uttered by President Milan Kučan: “Today dreams are allowed. Tomorrow is a new day.”

And the ominous premonition came true. After the celebration, members of the honorary corps set off to Ljubljana’s district of Trnovo to spend the night, and it seemed that the independence would go through smoothly, but in early morning the news broke that units of the Yugoslav People’s Army departed from the barracks with the purpose of taking over the streets.

“But finally the day we had all been waiting for came, when the troops gathered in Koper and celebrated the departure of the last soldier of the Yugoslav People’s Army from Slovenian territory,” concludes Vrečko with his memory of 25 October 1991, which has recently been declared at the day of sovereignty and a state holiday by members of the parliament, to honour the memory of the final departure of the Yugoslav army.

Tina Hacler, MMC; translated by K. Z.