WWII Memorial and the Tunnel

The incongruence of the sweet smelling honey suckle and the sight of the overgrown and vandalized Wold War II memorial summarizes the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This kind people plagued by a turbulent past, feeling dejected and overwhelmed by the weeds of corruption and politics that have taken over. Something beautiful was destroyed and it is

all but insurmountable to put things back as they were -- like in the days of Tito where everyone was a “Yugoslav” rather than a Bosniak, a Croat, or a Serb. Under Tito, these three ethnicities lived peacefully side-by-side as neighbors and friends. Everyone I’ve spoken with longs for the days of Tito and feels sad and hopeless about the current state of affairs.

And in light of the recent three-year war that ended only fifteen years ago during which Bosnian Serb forces surrounded Sarajevo and doused the city nightly with mortars, bombs, and bullets (indeed from this very WW II memorial), it might not be so easy to “forgive and forget.”

What was it like during the war? In a word, hard. There was no electricity or heat (and Sarajevo winters are harsh). Water and food were limited with no ways to get more supplies. To go anywhere one literally risked life and limb due to the snipers in the surrounding

hills.

In July 1992, the United Nations took command of the Sarajevo airport allowing

for some food, medicine, and supplies to get in. The airport created a passage from the besiege

d city to the free territory but the UN had agreed with the Bosnian Serb army to only use the airport for humanitarian aid. Thus, when the residents of Sarajevo tried to cross the airpo

rt to seek food for their families, they were turned back by the UN forces or, if they made it past

them, forced to dodge sniper bullets. The people of Sarajevo continued to suffer without adequate food, water, medicine, supplies, and heat.

In early 1993, the Bosnian army (who organized to defend against the Bosnian Serb army) embarked on digging a tunnel under the airport. The top-secret project was successfully completed at the end of July. The tunnel was 800 meters long, 1.5 meters wide, and tall enough to walk through with a bent back. This tunnel allowed safe passage between the war-laden city and the free territory. The primary purpose of the tunnel was to transport military a

mmunition and personnel. However, residents of Sarajevo were also able to go through the tunnel to

get and bring back food and necessary supplies for survival and eventually a pipeline for fuel, telephone cabels, and electricity were all funneled through the tunnel.

One women, who was then only 17 years old, described one of the times she went through the tunnel to find food for her parents, younger brother, extended family, and herself. They

had relatives in the free territory who had gathered some food and other items for them. She was so excited that they had given her eggs! She had not had eggs in over a year. Making her trek back through the tunnel, as she was getting out on the Sarajevo side, her bag hit the wall and all of the eggs broke. She cried and cried. But what more could she do than pick herself up and go on?

And that is what the people in Bosnia & Herzegovina have had to do time and time again: pick themselves up and go on. I can see how that would get tiring. I can see that you

might not have the energy to pull the weeds, remove the graffiti, and restore a once prominent monument to war heros of the past. I can see how you wold long for the days gone by of a more peaceful and prosperous time.

I sincerely hope that the people of BiH can rally themselves once again and demand a better future for themselves and for their children. If anyone feels so inclined, send positive vibes here to boost the spirits of the people and support them in the rough political roads ahead.

(Author's note: Sorry about the photo layout. I haven't mastered how to manipulate the placement of photos nor have I figured out how to load more than I have here successfully! Maybe next time.)