Sergeant Ivan Vasojević „Jaguar" — The Hero Who Defended the Border Stone

Among the names of the heroes of Košare one stands out and is mentioned most often — Sergeant Ivan Vasojević, by the nickname „Jaguar". The young non-commissioned officer of the 53rd Border Battalion became a symbol of the heroic defence of the border, a man whose sacrifice grew into a legend of the Serbian army.

A Young Man from Sjenica

Ivan Vasojević was born on 11 February 1975 in Sjenica. As a young man he chose the military calling and became a non-commissioned officer of the Yugoslav Army. When the NATO aggression of 1999 began, he found himself on the border facing Albania, in the ranks of the 53rd Border Battalion, as a sergeant at one of the most exposed positions.

He was only twenty-four years old. His whole life lay ahead of him — and he laid it down on the border of his country.

The Defence of the Border Stone

When the attack on Košare began on 9 April 1999, Sergeant Vasojević found himself at one of the key border positions. According to testimony and accounts of his feat, with a group of twelve soldiers he defended a border stone, repelling a superior enemy that was trying to break through the line at that very spot.

Beside him, as the stories of Košare record, was also a dog that shared the fate of his squad. The group led by Sergeant Vasojević held the position for days under constant pressure, though incomparably outnumbered by the attackers.

The Last Battle

Ivan Vasojević died on 11 April 1999, on the third day of the battle, defending his position to his last breath. He was twenty-four years old. His death came at the height of the fiercest fighting, as the fate of the first days of the defence of Košare was being decided.

Stories of his courage quickly spread among his comrades-in-arms and later among the public. In heroic memory, his defence is compared to the greatest feats of Serbian military history. Although some details belong to the popular lore of Košare, what is beyond dispute is that a young non-commissioned officer knowingly remained at the most exposed position and there gave his life.

The Decoration and the Remembrance

Sergeant Ivan Vasojević was posthumously decorated with the Order of Merit in the Field of Defence and Security — a recognition of the exceptional courage he showed in the defence of the country. His name is today among the first to be mentioned when the heroes of Košare are spoken of.

In him were united all the virtues of a young Serbian soldier: courage, loyalty, readiness for sacrifice and fidelity to the fatherland unto death. Sergeant „Jaguar" did not withdraw when he could have, did not abandon the border stone when it was hardest. He remained, and he fell — as a soldier, on the border of his country.

Ivan Vasojević was twenty-four years old. His sacrifice belongs to us all. Lest it be forgotten.