The Embassy of Croatia in Washington, D.C., held a private event to mark the grand opening of the Croatian Americans in the U.S. Armed Forces exhibition.
On May 20, the Embassy of Croatia in Washington, D.C., announced the opening of an exhibition called “Croatian Americans in the U.S. Armed Forces: History, Service, and Partnership.” Guests were invited to view the exhibition panels honoring Croatian Americans who served in the U.S. armed forces from the Spanish-American War to the present. This event is part of America’s 250th anniversary series organized by the Croatian Embassy in Washington, D.C.
The program began with opening remarks by Croatian Ambassador to the U.S. Pjer Šimunović, followed by a fireside chat with Director of Historical Studies Mr. Peter G. Knight, who gave a historical presentation on the heroic actions of individual Croatian American soldiers, sailors, and pilots, including Louis Cukela from World War I, Peter Tomich from World War II, and Michael J. Novosel from the Vietnam War. Dr. Knight stated, “Without a doubt, these Croatian American veterans are true Americans because they internalized our democratic ideals, they valued human freedom, and they repeatedly put themselves in harm’s way because they believed in those ideals.”
The second panel focused on the contemporary defense partnership between Croatia and the United States. It was moderated by Daniel Kochis from the Hudson Institute and featured panelists including Croatian Defense Attaché to the U.S. General Ivica Kranjčević, Adjutant General of the Minnesota National Guard MG Shawn Manke, and Under Secretary of War for Policy Melissa Hanlon. General Manke spoke about Croatia’s productive role in NATO, its contributions to national security assistance efforts, and its advising and mentoring of the Afghan National Army and Ukrainian forces. “These experiences demonstrate not only our operational excellence, but also the trust and cohesion defined by this partnership,” said General Manke.
The exhibition contains multiple panels throughout the embassy that tell the remarkable stories of Croatian American veterans from various periods of American conflict. From the Spanish-American War to Desert Storm and the Global War on Terror, each panel presents stories, historical information about battles and conflicts, and images of service medals, photographs, and artifacts related to Croatian American veterans such as John Marsic, Albert Francovich, and General John Bozicevic.
The exhibition is currently open at the Embassy of Croatia in Washington, D.C. and is open to the public on weekdays from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. until the beginning of September. Visitors interested in seeing the exhibition must register in advance via email at [email protected].
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