Star Notes
“Easter 1996 in Bosnia”
By Richard K. Sele
Brigadier General (Retired), US Army
I’ve shared this story a few times with friends in the past and it’s worth sharing again here with the wider audience. I spent several months in Sarajevo in 1996 following the Bosnian civil war. I was part of the initial Implementation Force (IFOR) deployment.
During the war an orphanage in Sarajevo was repeatedly bombed during combat operations between the three warring ethnic factions. The orphans in this facility were mainly war-orphans. Their families were killed in the war and with nowhere else to go they became wards of this facility. Their ages ranged from 6 months to 18 years old.
Another officer and I decided to spend a few hours there on Easter Sunday. We had a decent size collection of treats that our families sent us from home. After prior coordination with the orphanage staff we stopped by during their lunch meal. After they finished eating, we broke out the box of Easter candy and passed it out. These kids were so excited because they were not used to getting treats like this in war-torn Bosnia.
Among the treats were those plastic eggs with pieces of chocolate inside. This little boy with the yellow shirt eagerly watched the others enjoy their chocolates. I gave him one of the eggs and did not expect the reaction I got. His mouth turned downward, his lips started to tremble, and his eyes watered up. He sat there staring at the plastic egg and glancing at the others eating their treats. I realized that he did not know there was candy inside. So, I helped him open up the egg and small chocolates poured out. That frown turned into an ear to ear smile.
This is by far my happiest memory from Bosnia. It’s also among my happiest from 35 years of service. This is a reminder to myself of how easy it is to take what I have for granted. Have an enjoyable Easter Sunday, hopefully safe in your homes!
