Matić: Stipetić was an officer and a gentleman

On the occasion of the death of the former Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia, General Petar Stipetić, former Minister of Veterans and SDP Member of Parliament Predrag Matić stated that Stipetić was an “officer and a gentleman”.

– I had the great honor and opportunity to work with the greatest generals of the Croatian Army, from General Blago Zadro, Janko Bobetko, Zvonimir Červenka, Anton Tus, and Petar Stipetić. All of them are heroes of the Homeland War, and I do not know whom I would single out from them. However, the others will not be offended, nor will their families, if I say that General Stipetić is indeed a spear above all. If there is someone in the Croatian Army who can be said to have been an officer and a gentleman, then it is Petar Stipetić above all, Matić told reporters in the Parliament.

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When he says he was an officer and a gentleman, he added, then all his qualities are contained in that – he was not one of those officers who yelled and imposed authority through noise, but it was evident that he was competent and that he loved his soldiers.

– I am very proud of the days when I worked with him, when he was my chief in the office of the Chief of the General Staff, Matić conveyed.

For former Minister of Defense Željka Antunović, General Stipetić was an honorable soldier, educated and dedicated to his work.

– He was an extremely intelligent officer. He made a significant contribution to the Homeland War, and as Minister of Defense, I collaborated with him for a period, and I must admit that upon my arrival at the Ministry, he was one of my main supports, recalled Antunović.

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Minister of Defense Damir Krstičević stated that he knew General Stipetić and worked with him.

– He made a significant contribution to the creation, development, and victory in the Homeland War, and later as Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Army, and I can say that he is a great man, commander, and general of the victorious Croatian Army, emphasized Krstičević.

He announced that he is in contact with his family and that it has been agreed that the Ministry of Defense will organize the funeral.

– Stipetić is one of our top generals who are responsible for today’s freedom, along with Bobetko and others. I feel sadness, and our task now is to prepare a dignified farewell for our chief as he deserves. The Croatian Army must be imbued with the symbols of the Homeland War, and General Stipetić is certainly one of those symbols, concluded the Minister of Defense.