Private Tibor Cerna — The Platoon Leader Who Did Not Yield

Among the heroes of Košare are also members of minorities who, like all the others, gave their lives for the defence of the common fatherland. One of them was Tibor Cerna — a young platoon leader who died defending Košare, leaving behind an example of courage and belonging that rises above every division.

A Young Platoon Leader

Tibor Cerna was an infantry platoon leader in the 125th Mechanized Brigade of the Yugoslav Army. He came from Debeljača, a place in the Banat region known for its inhabitants of Hungarian nationality. Like many young people of his generation, he found himself in the uniform of the Yugoslav Army at the moment when the country was attacked.

He was only twenty-one years old when he was led into the hardest battle of the defensive war. At Košare he commanded a platoon of soldiers, bearing responsibility for the lives of his men on one of the most dangerous battlefields.

The Last Battle

At the end of April 1999, during the period of the fiercest attacks on Košare — which culminated around Orthodox Easter — the platoon of Tibor Cerna found itself at the centre of the fighting. In those days the enemy made an enormous effort to break through the defence, and the defenders answered from all positions.

Tibor Cerna died in that fighting, leading his platoon. As its commander, he was at the head of his soldiers, sharing with them the greatest danger. His death in the twenty-first year of his life was one of the many tragic losses of those days.

A Symbol of Togetherness

The story of Tibor Cerna carries a special significance. He was a member of the Hungarian national minority who gave his life defending the common state. His sacrifice shows that the defence of Košare was not a matter of one nation, but of all those who considered that state their fatherland.

In the memory of Košare, Tibor Cerna stands shoulder to shoulder with Ivan Vasojević, Branislav Negić and all the other fallen defenders. The uniform they wore was the same, the border they defended was the same, and the sacrifice they made was the same.

The Decoration and the Remembrance

For the heroism he showed in the defence of Košare, Tibor Cerna was posthumously decorated with the Order of Merit in the Field of Defence and Security, first class. In his native Debeljača a monument was raised to him, and his name was included among the heroes of the battle.

The young platoon leader who did not yield before the enemy deserves a lasting place in memory. Tibor Cerna was twenty-one years old and laid down his life at Košare, defending the fatherland he considered his own. Lest it be forgotten.