She stitched the wound as if she were saying good morning
He would often go to "visit" his enemies. And as a gift he would bring - explosives.
Ivan Brdar became a legend of the defense of Vukovar. Many stories have been told about his courage, which do not lose their grandeur and believability over the years.
Ivan was a child from Livno, born in the family of Janja and Josip. From childhood he was extremely intelligent, fair and resourceful. At school, he was an excellent student who always helped and defended the weakest.
He entered the Faculty of Civil Engineering, but with the coming of the war, he decided to interrupt his studies in order to join the HOS units. From the beginning of September, he was actively collecting weapons for Vukovar, and at the end of the same month he went to defend the city with his unit.
He proved to be an excellent shooter and a hardy fighter, and his bravery, according to the memory of his comrades, bordered on insanity!
Namely, Damir Markuš wrote in his book about the defense of Vukovar that Ivan was one of the most capable warriors he had the honor to meet.
"He often used to go to "visit the neighbors", he handed them a portion of explosive "gifts", and returned back. When he first told us that he was going for a walk with them, that he was nervous, that it was too quiet, that he was going because he was bored, I thought he was joking, however, he did it. After some time, as he left, shooting and detonation of bombs were heard.
Some asked themselves - is it madness or courage? It must be courage, because if he had been "Iud", he would not have survived even two days. He fought cautiously and cunningly, he knew that the advantage of those who are superior in everything, except in the quality of warriors, decreases in the deep night, when caution is relaxed, because no attack is expected. Opponents realized this only later, but for many of them it was too late.
He adored the "scorpion", a short but deadly weapon in close combat, which he used very well. I admit, since arriving in Vukovar, I needed "adaptation" to hellish conditions. But Brdar showed courage and determination from the first day, he actually acted like a warrior who knows exactly what to do. I was with him when you sewed up the wound on your left leg by yourself, what a good day, completely normal.
Markuš, D. (2015). "58: HOS in defense of Vukovar and Bogdanovac". Croatian Leskovac: UBSDRHL. p. 56.
