Života Đurić - the first pilot to die defending Serbia in 1999

Života Đurić was born in 1963 in the village of Davidovac near Paraćin. He completed primary school in his native village, and then the military aviation school in Mostar and the Aviation Academy in Zemunik near Zadar. He completed additional training in Titograd (present-day Podgorica).

Military career

After graduating from the academy, Đurić began his service as a second lieutenant. He spent the first six years of his service at Petrovec Airport near Skopje, where he married Biljana. He was later transferred to Lađevci Airport near Kraljevo, where he became commander of the 241st Fighter-Bomber Squadron within the 98th Aviation Regiment.

The last flight - 25 March 1999

On the second day of the NATO aggression against the FRY, Lieutenant Colonel Đurić was given the task of attacking positions of the terrorist KLA in the area of Glogovac in Kosovo. Together with his colleague Slobodan Dimovski, he took off armed with four FAB-250 bombs.

During the flight over Glogovac, Đurić spotted a KLA command post and depot, which he successfully destroyed with two bombs. He continued flying toward the next target when, due to the configuration of the terrain, he had to bank the aircraft onto its side. At that moment he was hit by fire from the ground.

The investigative commission concluded that the KLA terrorists had most likely "hit the pilot or destroyed a vital part of the aircraft". Knowing his temperament, his colleagues from the 241st Squadron believe that, if he was not personally hit but could not pull the aircraft out, he deliberately crashed into the enemy rather than fall into their hands alive.

Legacy

Života Đurić was the first, but unfortunately not the last, pilot to die during the NATO aggression of 1999. He was posthumously decorated and promoted to the rank of Colonel. He left behind his wife Biljana, his son Aleksandar (10 years old) and his daughter Ana (9 years old at the time of his death).

He was buried in Paraćin, where the tail of his aircraft, number 25104, was set up as a memorial. The remains of the aircraft were scattered over an area of 350 by 150 meters on the terrorists' positions.