For Epilogue to the Second Edition

BLACK FEBRUARY IN POTKOZARJE

The second, slightly expanded edition of "Drakulici" is before the honored reader, just a bit over one year after the first edition!

Meanwhile the book has, and it would not be immodest to emphasize, gotten very good comments from the literature critics and readers, it was also published on the Internet, presented in largest cities in the Serb countries, and it will soon be published in English language.

Although the expanding of the book is not very common, it was required in this case, even necessary. To cut the long story short, this is the reason for it.

Just after the promotion of "Drakulici", which occurred last year, along with 56 years of the horrifying ustashe crime over around 2,300 innocent Serbs from Drakulici, Sargovac, Motike and mine pit Rakovac near Banjaluka, suddenly I was approached by an elderly man, who asked me if he could kiss my hand. Doubting that the man could be drunk or insane, I replied quite recklessly: "You must be wrong, I am not a priest!" The judgement I made of the man who spoke to me was obviously wrong. As he added soberly: "I know you are not. But I watched you on the television, when your book was promoted. And I cried. I expected that you'll talk about the slaughters that occurred in our villages, but you never did…" He mentioned then that, in the beginning of February 1942,ustashe did not only slaughter Serbs in the above mentioned Banjaluka settlements, but also in Piskavica, where he was born, than in the vicinity of Gornja Ivanjska. That, in short, this was a black February to all Serbs in that part of Potkozarje.

This first knowledge, as Njegos would say, was the first "sparkle in the stone" for me, about evil deeds of Pavelic's ustashe in that region. They were, as well as many others, very obviously put aside for a long period of time, consciously pushed into oblivion. Not only pushed aside, but, when it comes to wide public, entirely unknown. And my research conducted later, showed that the crime did occur in the very same week as the February 7 crime.

Dragomir Milakovic from the village of Milakovici near Gornja Ivanjska (today's Potkozarje), a fourteen-year-old boy at that time, witnessed from the near-by bushes the ustashe massacre over 86 members of his family members and relatives on February 12, 1942. The names of these people are published for the first time in this book. These are the people that were killed on that day:

Milakovic T. Novak, Milakovic M. Milan, Milakovic J. Sava, Milakovic N. Staka, Milakovic O. Sava, Milakovic T. Staka, Milakovic M. Gospava, Milakovic S. Todora, Milakovic R. Mirko, Milakovic S. Teso, Milakovic J. Simeun, Milakovic J. Staka, Milakovic M. Jovanka, Milakovic C. Petra, Milakovic J. Mara, Milakovic S. Marija, Milakovic M. Milenko, Milakovic S. Vasilija, Milakovic S. Dusan, Milakovic DJ. Vidosavka, Milakovic N. Rade, Milakovic R. Mile, Milakovic R. Momir, Milakovic R. Branislav, Milakovic DJ. Milica, Milakovic R. Mitra, Milakovic S. Krsta, Milakovic V. Jovanka, Milakovic O. Mara, Milakovic O. Ruza, Milakovic M. Dusanka, Milakovic M. Mira, Milakovic M. Dragica, Milakovic M. Vitomir, Milakovic M. Ljubica, Milakovic O. Zorka, Milakovic O. Ljubo, Milakovic V. Vaskrsija, Milakovic V. Ostoja, Milakovic V. Zivko, Milakovic V. Svetko, Milakovic (?) Sava, Milakovic V. Milka, Milakovic V. Andjelka, Milakovic V. Danica, Milakovic O. Milosavka, Milakovic R. Vukosava, Milakovic V. Petra, Milakovic V. Rajko, Milakovic G. Rosa, Milakovic V. Rozalija, Milakovic DJ. Petra, Milakovic G. Milka, Milakovic C. Pava, Milakovic DJ. Cedo, Milakovic DJ. Gojko, Milakovic C. Milovan, Milakovic G. Novo, Milakovic G. Mile, Milakovic (?) Tanasije, Milakovic (?) Stoja, Milakovic P. Mara, Milakovic O. Staka, Milakovic DJ. Petra, Milakovic J. Teso, Milakovic Z. Oste, Milakovic (?) Sava, Piljagic N. Risto, Piljagic N. Piljo, Piljagic T. Stojan, Popovic I. Nikola, Racic DJ. Zarka, Racic Z. Simeuna, Racic S. Dusanka, Racic DJ. Milosavka, Racic DJ. Bjelica, and Golemovic (?) Nada.

As the former regime demanded that on the monuments to the slaughtered Serbs only be written that they were "victims of fascist terror", Dragoljub did not accept this euphemistic definition, but he himself elevated the monument to his killed father Rade, mother Milica, brothers Mile and Momir, sister Dmitra, and little brother Branislav, who hadn't even lived to his first birthday. And he did it in his own yard, in front of his threshold, on a massive cross; he engraved that they "fell from the ustashe villainous hand, on February 12, 1942".

Ostoja Sutilovic, from the village with the same name, also witnessed to me. His Sutilovics' were slaughtered on February 5, 1942. Not only them, but also their neighbors Djudjics', and people from more remote villages. Dusanka Djudjic, for instance, was all stabbed with a bayonet, tortured near death. And then left to die like that. Other people from the village, he added, especially families of Trivun and Djuradj Djudjic, were killed with axes, literally butchered. Ustashe only covered them with snow, and left them all unburied, so that wild animals and household animals chopped and ate them.

Ostoja's wife, Bjelica, said that almost every grown up man from Piskavica had the same words in their mouth: "We did not do anything, ustashe will do no harm to us!" As if ustashe cared who did, and who did not do anything. They were guilty to ustashe, by the very fact that they were Serbs. That is why they had to get out of their sight, they had to run and hide. It is not in vain that our people say: He who ran away saved himself, who stubbornly remained - remained in sorry….

Stole Malinovic showed the field where the house of Jovan Milosevic used to be. There is only one black stone in that place now, the silent mark of the crime committed.

"Seventeen Jovan's family members burned here. Neither them, nor other martyrs killed then, have a gravestone. There was never a proper service for them, nor would anyone know all their names today…", he explained.

Brane Milosevic also has incurable scars on his soul.

"It is impossible to tell", he said. "It is even harder to remember, carry in one's memory. Twelve people were slaughtered in my house. My wife's mother Milja and four of her sisters - Kosa, Desa, Ruza and Marija were slaughtered. Our little nephew, Vojin, a child, who didn't even learn to walk, was lifted on a bayonet by an ustasha, who then threw him on a wooden stake. He laughed, that ustasha, he laughed aloud after that… Our daughter in law, her name was Zdravka, was 24 and she was incredibly beautiful; she was found in the snow, long after the slaughter. All cramped, she held her frozen baby in her arms. That is when my grandfather Simo, and three of his brothers - Milan, Blagoje and Djordjie - honest, peaceful men, were killed. And the body of Stojan Milosevic was never found. Later we found out that he was thrown into the firebox of the train engine, alive, down at the railroad….

According to the incomplete information, finally, the following Serbs from Piskavica were viciously murdered on February 5: Sutilovic M. Stanko, Sutilovic C. Dragutin, Sutilovic S. Petra, Sutilovic V. Simeuna, Sutilovic V. Mileva, Sutilovic S. Nada, Sutilovic S. Gina, Sutilovic R. Stoja, Sutilovic C. Jela, Sutilovic C. Jovanka, Sutilovic M. Zora, Sutilovic C. Petar, Sutilovic P. Mirko, Sutilovic (?) Dragic, Sutilovic C. Djordje, Sutilovic C. Dragic, Sutilovic J. Ratko, Sutilovic S. Marko, Stulovic G. Djordje, Sutilovic DJ. Rade, Sutilovic S. Golub, Sutilovic S. Cvijo, Sutilovic M. Jovanka, Sutilovic D. Stanka, Sutilovic D. Dragojla, Sutilovic P. Vidosava, Sutilovic P. Petra, Sutilovic C. Ruza, Sutilovic P. Milica, Milosevic T. Stojan, Milosevic J. Radivoje, Milosevic R. Jerko, Milosevic DJ. Vaskrsije, Milosevic T. Jovan, Milosevic T. Stojan, Milosevic J. Milka, Milosevic M. Marija, Milosevic P. Simeuna, Milosevic V. Nebojsa, Milosevic C. Tomo, Milosevic C. Savka, Milosevic M. Djuja, Milosevic M. Marija, Milosevic R. Milos, Milosevic M. Miomir, Milosevic B. Radivoje, Milosevic B. Slavko, Milosevic B. Zdravko, Milosevic S. Kosta, Milosevic V. Vaskrsija, Milosevic R. Mara, Milosevic Z. Zdravka, Milosevic Z. Slavka, Milosevic R. Rosa, Milosevic V. Ruza, Milosevic R. Zora, Milosevic V. Dosta, Milosevic V. Stojna, Milosevic M. Djuja, Milosevic V. Simo, Milosevic L. Milan, Milosevic L. Blagoja, Milosevic L. Djordjija, Milosevic K. Tomo, Milosevic K. Jovo, Milosevic K. Cvijeta, Milosevic K. Dragica, Milosevic K. Nevenka, Milosevic S. Milja, Milosevic S. Ruza, Milosevic S. Desa, Milosevic S. Marija, Milosevic L. Draginja, Milosevic V. Desa, Milosevic V. Vojin, Milosevic S.Kosta, Milosevic J. Stojko, Milosevic J. Miodrag, Milosevic J. Jelica, Milosevic J. Vukosava, Milosevic J. Radan, Milosevic J. Velimir, Milosevic O. Milan, Milosevic M. Nedeljko, Milosevic R. Persa, Miljevic M. Nedeljko, Miljevic M. Nedeljko, Popovic L. Darinka, Popovic L. Stoja, Petras DJ. Milan, Petras S. Pane, Petrasevic (?) Pante, Purisic T. Lazar, Strika R.Stana, Talic V. Ivanka, Tuckesic M. Ostoja, Seva P. Mihailo, Brankovic M. Aleksa, Djidjic G. Ratko, Djidjic M. Vuk, Djidjic V. Jela, Djidjic T. Dmitra, Djidjic T. Dragojla, Djidjic T. Kosta, Djidjic Lj. Vida, Djidjic Lj. Ljubica, Djidjic N. Dragutin, Djidjic N. Stoja, Djidjic N. Vida, Djidjic N. Draginja, Djidjic N. Slavka, Djidjic N. Miljka, Djidjic N. Milka, Zrnic J. Spasoje, Zrnic B. Marinko, Zrnic J. Pavo, Zrnic V. Zorka, Zrnic K. Cvijeta, Zrnic S. Stoja, Zrnic (?) Cvijo, Zrnic (?) Sekula, Gajic (?) Djordje, Jorgic P. Bozo, Jorgic C. Rosa, Knezevic M. Stojka,Knezevic M. Bosko, Knezevic B. Ilija, Knezevic R. Ljubo, Knezevic R. Mirko, Knezevic M. Sekula, Knezevic M. Dusan, Knezevic S. Cvijeta, Knezevic S. Trivuna, Kasalovic S. Milja, Kasalovic V. Mileva, Kasalovic M. Pavle, Kasalovic (?) Simeuna, Kasalovic S. Mile, Kasalovic R. Mika, Kevic J. Jovo, Kevic J. Cvijeta, Kostic M. Jelka, Lakic B. Veljko, Maric S. Risto, Maric M. Jovanka.

I am in a special obligation to emphasize that this book again gives only incomplete list of the Serbs slaughtered between February 5 and February 12, 1942, in these villages of today's Banjaluka municipality! It can be considered an expanded list, as the above numbered inhabitants of villages in Potkozarje also entered. This is, at the same time, the most modest memorial to all of them, all of those people who were then murdered in a beastly way. Peace to their souls and bones!

I have one wish unfulfilled: to be able to, even with a great delay like this one, list all the killed Serbs from Banjaluka, before and after those bloody February seven days. Unfortunately, it will remain unfulfilled. The reasons for it can be easily speculated on, but any wider explanation would be below the level of this book. And to restart the research, which would include the names of all other people, who were killed by ustashe without any crime on their side, and regardless of their national and religious convictions, it is out of my modest physical and financial power. Instead of that explanation, I shall quote several sentences from one of the numerous letters received after the publishing of "Drakulici". The letter in question is a very eloquent letter from the Banjalukan Stanislav Bozic, who lives in Brussels for years. With his gratitude that the truth about the February 7 ustashe massacre came to light of the day, he also wanted to, stronger than it was described in the book, emphasize the nobility of the Croat Marko Lipovac, the flourmill owner from Budzak. Mister Bozic actually emphasized that Marko did not, hiding them in his flourmill, "save some fifteen Serbs, as the book stated, but close to 30, and me amongst the others". It was, as he further stated, "after the villainous massacre, when the slaughterers, completely covered with blood, came back to Banjaluka. I was a young boy back then, and I watched all that in awe. Marko shouted me then: "Ante, why are you standing there? Go to the flourmill immediately, that is where you belong!" And then he gave me an old, dusty working coat. It is only later that I realized his highly moral gesture, and to what great danger did Marko Lipovac expose himself and his numerous family by saving his neighbor Serbs. I want this truth to be published, although almost 99 per cent of Croats around Banjaluka were with the ustashe movement."

Completed with this truth that Mr. Bozic told, and without any call for hatred toward other nation, but by all means with the call for remembrance of the crime, and respect towards so many Serb victims, I hand over to reader's hands the second edition of "Drakulici"!

Banjaluka, March 1999

Author

Translated by

Svjetlana Babic

Content

Copyright © 1998 Jovan Babic
Copyright © 1998 Zaduzbina Petar Kocic, Banja Luka - Beograd