In the 90’s, Yugoslavia was torn apart by civil war. Off and on I hear stories of life during that time. These recollections are told from a child’s point of view. All my friends and my husband were kids at the time.
There are no gruesome details. I am in the far east of Serbia. Not far from Bulgaria. No battles took place here, but bombs were dropped not far away by the U.S.
My husband and his brother used to climb a nearby mountain to watch the bombs fall on a city about an hour away. To this day the sound of those planes send chills through his body.
I heard of one kid who was very mechanically talented. When the army was coming through confiscating trucks, he heard about it in advance. Quickly, he dismantled the family truck and scattered the parts about the yard and when the Serbian G.I. Joes arrived he told them all the parts were there, but they would have to put it together. Needless to say, they got to keep their truck.
I talked to one girl, her mother is a doctor. The need was so great for doctors her mother never came home for months. She was shuffled from one family member to another till the war was over. She was only six. But she said she didn’t mind. She just played where ever she was.
School was cancelled during the war. Kids, no matter what grades they had, were moved to the next grade.
If you want to share your stories, I would love to read about them and maybe put them on my blog. Leave a comment so we can chat!. But, I do not publish hate. I do not forget that I was in the country bombing this one. I am well aware some will carry grudges, but I have no wish to stir up any trouble. I love Serbia.
Chronicles of Serbia 
I’ve heard similar stories actually. Or here in Belgrade, where all my friends are from and where I live, they would be playing fudbal and then here the sirens… pause… and then continue playing. I had a friend at her aunt’s house when one of the missiles/bombs came near her aunt’s house and into the military buildings – the ones that still stand. She said the whistle was so piercing. She also saw Avala get bombed from her apartment window. She said you could feel the shockwaves of it. 😦 Just horrible experiences for them all.
That is incredibly sad. I haven’t heard stories like that. I am far from where the action occurred here. Thankfully
Every location has different stories.. that’s what’s even more insane. Some were definitely more affected than others. All of it sucks.
I know, it is so sad. I am glad I am in an area that wasn’t torn up. I feel so bad for those who were. and I really don’t want to write about really bad events since our country of birth may have been the cause. But I do find the stories I have heard really fascinating. And I think some of my family back home will too.
everyone in our neighbourhood in Croatia has stories. Makes you cringe to think this was such recent history, not from WWI or WWII