Vucevic: Thanks to Milunka Savic, world understands how highly Serbs value freedom

BELGRADE - Thanks to Milunka Savic, the world was able to understand how highly the Serbs value freedom, Serbian PM Milos Vucevic said at the unveiling of a monument to the Serbian WWI heroine in Belgrade on Thursday.

"By erecting this monument, the capital city of Belgrade is repaying a small part of the debt to the sacrifice and heroism of Milunka Savic. To future generations, her war feats will serve as an example of courage, self-sacrifice and love of freedom and one's own people. Thanks to Milunka Savic, the whole world was able to see the strength of the patriotism of the Serbian nation and to understand how highly the Serbs value and love freedom. Eternal glory be to Milunka Savic - may all of her feats be remembered," Vucevic said.

He said WWI had been a time of a Golgotha and Doomsday for the Serbs, as well as a time of their resurrection.

"In the whirlwind of cruel fighting, fearless Serb women boldly stepped onto the battlefield alongside men. Their courage, self-sacrifice and selflessness left a deep mark in military history," Vucevic said.

Minister of Culture Nikola Selakovic said Savic combined the best values represented by the Serbs - nobleness, humaneness, patriotism, courage and love of mankind.

"Milunka Savic is not just a name and surname - Milunka Savic is a system of values, a system to which this nation is returning to at last. It is a system of values we should aspire to and a system of values that should be a model for us," Selakovic said.

The monument, authored by Zoran Ivanovic and Jelena Atanaskovic, was unveiled a day before what would have been Savic's birthday, June 28 - St Vitus's Day.

Savic (1892-1973) fought as a volunteer in the Balkan Wars and WWI from 1912 through 1918 and represented an example of boldness and heroism.

She was wounded four times and went on to become the most decorated woman of WWI.