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James Mason | all galleries >> Galleries >> Hrvatska - Croatia > Burning the flag
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James Mason

Burning the flag

I shot this a block from my apartment the first night of my return to what was then Yugoslavia. Because I had studied in the country during Tito's time, it was not easy to see the flag on fire, and even more disturbing to see the kids doing the Nazi salute and wearing NDH regalia.

Nikon F3/T ,35mm f2 Nikkor

other sizes: small medium original auto
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Igor 25-Nov-2015 20:43
Pavelic and the WWI Independent State of Croatia (NDH) are still big in Croatia to this day, one just has to follow the news to see how popular neo-Ustashism is in Croatia.

As far as Croats wanting to join the ranks of civilized nations by splitting from "Serb commies" most of those that created independent Croatia were first grade Communist party members - Tudjman, Manolic, Boljkovac etc. They only reproduced the mafiosi-UDBa style of governance in the independent Croatia through the security-party apparatus which now gave life to the likes of Karamarko, whom it seems was a secret police informant. Kind of Croat Communist Party symbiosis with neo-Ustashism or at least the virulent anti-Serbian sentiment of the Nazi-like movement.

The truth is kinda bit more complicated than a simplistic Croat war propaganda soundbite my Alaskan friend.
Guest 09-Nov-2010 21:21
No Sumar what is more disturbing is statues erected to the Chetnik monster Mihajlovic in the U.S.! I love how you only recognize one side's barbarism. Educate yourself about the evil the Partisans and Chetniks committed to non-Serbs during WW2 and what they did in the name of them in this last war.
Sumar 13-Aug-2009 01:07
"even more disturbing to see the kids doing the Nazi salute and wearing NDH regalia"

You are surprised? Have you ever heard of the Ustashe?
Guest 06-Feb-2008 16:50
I agree completely that is ugly to see that the young guy in the middle has t-shirt with NDH regalia,but I can imagine that he is not aware what does that really mean.Fury on everything what was in connection wit ex You country,specially with so called "JNA",was enormous.People felt bitterness after all lies placed by Serbian propaganda,with Milosevic on the top.Serbs had on their side diplomatic support from the most European governments who still believed
that all instruments are allowed just to"save"Yugoslavia which actually died with ideas of Serbian nationalists to make"Great Serbia".Milosevic started to pass that plan,with federal army.I also have nice memories on the time when all lived peacefully,and can understand you,because you was student in the country in"Titos time",but Croatians didn't have any other choice then try to defend after Serbs started bombarding cities like Vukovar,Dubrovnik,and occupied one third of a country.At least their army was driven out from Croatia,but they stayed in a half of Bosnia and Herzegovina,and made creation called "Republic of Srpska",after they killed and drove out all others who were not Serbs.
Guest 25-Dec-2007 07:33
Wise words from Norway. But to Norwegians, Germans are foreigners. What if the Swedes had invaded Norway? I fear the result would have been more like what we had in the Balkans: a family war, with unbelievable savagery and bitterness.
Tulle Elster 01-Nov-2007 18:50
Three brothers - 22, 25 and 29 years old, "went to war" in Norway in April 1940 when Germany invaded my country. The oldest joined the Norwegian National Party, led by the later forever infamous Norwegian traitor Vidkun Quisling.
The youngest joined the Norwegian Resistance Movement. The one in the middle - doing business with the the Germans and dragging German officers home - was kicked out by his wife who ended up divorced him.
The 22 year old was arrested by the Germans and sent to Germany where he spent 3 years in Sachsenhausen consentracion camp.
The 29 year old was arrested by the Norwegians after the liberation and convicted to 3 years hard work here in Norway.
The 25 year old was despised by most Norwegians, including his own family for having "fraternized with the enemy" untill he died in 1986. Three months later, our government decided to abolish the "Promise of Secrecy" of the Norwegian Counter Espionage group XU.
He was my father, and I never got a chance to "forgive" him.
This is my message to all people, and not only in ex-Yugoslavia: War is a terrible thing, led by crazy, pshyophatic power fantatics using PROPAGANDA and LIES to split people and fan to the flames of war. Discuss, but don´t use these harsh words (like "jerk" etc.). If somebody hurt you, leave the jugdment to the law. If you can, reconcile! If you can´t, continue your own life - in peace.
James Mason01-Jul-2005 23:02
Dragi Chedo,

I have plenty of sympathy for anybody who deserves it, regardless of nationality. The desire to become part of the family of civilized nations certainly motivated the Croatian desire to split with the Serb commies and mafia. My father fought the Nazis, Chedo. Did yours? Apparently your parents didn't die in an Ustashi death camp...and I am not a fan of Pavelic.
Guest 27-Jun-2005 05:37
I see that mister James has a lots of sympathies for Croats. Thats is nice. Maybe he will think different if his parents are killed in croatian concentration camps during WWII. On this way I can understand mister James is from "democratic West" and Croats are "democratic country" that is the reason why he has simphaties for nazi Croats. I hope tah mister james got T shirt with picture of Ante Pavelic great Croatian Leader for his good job in zagreb.