Kresimir Cosic and Hugh Nibley

[Goatnapper'96]

Actually, I think our unit relieved Goat's down there.

I am trying to remember who relieved us. We relieved 1/77 AR who was part of 2nd AD-I think. I believe we were relieved by another until out of USAREURC-but as the years have passed I can't remember specifically. A couple of months before we rotated out of country I was TDY'd to Hohenfels to be a "Subject Matter Expert" (SME)- really just a glorified Observer/Controller, for the follow on units Mission Rehearsal Exercise (yet another MRE acronym) for 2 weeks. On night one of our trip there our detachments 2 E-7/Platoon SGTs (detachment consisted of 2 CPTs/Troop Commanders, 2 1LT/Platoon Leaders and 2 SFC/Platoon SGTs) got into a small altercation at the NCO Club and I had to go sign for them from the post commander as the two CPTs (one of whom was one of the E-7's actual green tab Troop Commander) with us had made merry in a German Appreciation FESS tent the night before and the good mormon boy was the only one of us sober enough to visit with the Post Commander at 0200 or whenever it was. Only time I felt like my ass got chewed for being the responsible one- LOL! It seems to me if it was a stateside unit the MRE would have been at either Fort Polk or NTC.

[Goatnapper'96]

I didn't really enjoy my trip there in '98. Probably was due to living in a conex for the 5 months I was there and having to carry around an M-16 everywhere I went also.

Conex?

Mf'ing REMFs.

I was in a GP Medium with all the other officers in my ACR troop-save the Troop Commander as he had a conex.

[Clark Addison]

We're one week into a trip in the Balkans and Dolomites and it's been a blast. In the course of conversations with many of the locals, I manage to slip in that the missus and I attended the same school in the U.S., and at the same time, as Kresimir Cosic. Every time the local reacts with awe, almost reverence, as the guy is highly revered throughout Croatia. Our guide today wasn't even a basketball player (although he's a competitive spear fisher, and also just co-authored a definitive work on Mediterranean mollusks!), but he grew up next to Toni Kukoc who is also a big fan of Kresimir. Tuesday we're going to make a side trip to Zadar to take a picture of his statue outside the Kresimir Cosic Sports Arena, a kind of pilgrimage.

That's cool, but what is their opinion of Hugh Nibley?

[Goatnapper'96]

We were in Croatia (split) for three months a few years back. I loved Croatia, but Bosnia was the true hidden gem! No one goes there, but it’s like Switzerland without snow!

I had many thoughts during my DOD provided all expenses paid Balkan getaway-but Switzerland without the snow was never one of them. More like Serbians had as little moral clarity as Nazis but without the German organizational skills.

[Goatnapper'96]

We're one week into a trip in the Balkans and Dolomites and it's been a blast. In the course of conversations with many of the locals, I manage to slip in that the missus and I attended the same school in the U.S., and at the same time, as Kresimir Cosic. Every time the local reacts with awe, almost reverence, as the guy is highly revered throughout Croatia. Our guide today wasn't even a basketball player (although he's a competitive spear fisher, and also just co-authored a definitive work on Mediterranean mollusks!), but he grew up next to Toni Kukoc who is also a big fan of Kresimir. Tuesday we're going to make a side trip to Zadar to take a picture of his statue outside the Kresimir Cosic Sports Arena, a kind of pilgrimage.

Kresimir Cosic was the only person that seemed to be respected and revered by all 3 ethnic groups in Bosnia. The Serbs, Bonian Croat and Slavic Muslim interpreters we worked with could not agree on anything about their country, admittedly this was 1997-1998 so tensions were still real high after their nationalistic stalemate was ended by NATO, except that Kresimir Cosic was an absolute rockstar and represented the good that the multi-ethnic Yugoslavia might have been able to attain.

[Copelius]

Conex?

Mf'ing REMFs.

I was in a GP Medium with all the other officers in my ACR troop-save the Troop Commander as he had a conex.

You were 2nd ACR, right? I was 1-1 CAV, so I'm pretty sure we were the relief. I was at Camp Demi or was it Dobol, I cannot remember. Everyone in the camp had conexes except for the PFC in my platoon that refused to shower so my NCO put him in his own two man tent outside the platoon's conex and assigned a corporal to march him to the showers every day. All the LTs and up had their own section of a conex and E-7s and up as well on the enlisted side.

[Copelius]

Kresimir Cosic was the only person that seemed to be respected and revered by all 3 ethnic groups in Bosnia. The Serbs, Bonian Croat and Slavic Muslim interpreters we worked with could not agree on anything about their country, admittedly this was 1997-1998 so tensions were still real high after their nationalistic stalemate was ended by NATO, except that Kresimir Cosic was an absolute rockstar and represented the good that the multi-ethnic Yugoslavia might have been able to attain.

I didn't even think to tie in Cosic in my discussions with thte interpreters. Could have been helpful.

[PaloAltoCougar]

That's cool, but what is their opinion of Hugh Nibley?

I don't speak fluent Croatian, but I believe they've been saying, "If Kresimir loved him and thought him to be a great man, then so he must be. And we don't buy into that recovered memory bullshit from his daughter." Or something to that effect.

[Goatnapper'96]

You were 2nd ACR, right? I was 1-1 CAV, so I'm pretty sure we were the relief. I was at Camp Demi or was it Dobol, I cannot remember. Everyone in the camp had conexes except for the PFC in my platoon that refused to shower so my NCO put him in his own two man tent outside the platoon's conex and assigned a corporal to march him to the showers every day. All the LTs and up had their own section of a conex and E-7s and up as well on the enlisted side.

Yessir! I was in 3/2 ACR. Was 1-1 Cav the DivCav squadron for 1st Cav Division out of Fort Hood? I was at Camp McGovern and my troop had responsibility for Brcko. I do think they were brining in more conexes as we were rotating out so perhaps everyone got a conex after we left. We went in only 18 months after the mission had started so they were still building up the facilities for the long haul.

Your Platoon SGT sounds like a good NCO.

[Copelius]

I think we relieved 2/2 ACR. Not 100%.

1-1 Cav was the DivCav for 1AD. We went in summer of 98 as a placeholder for 1st Cav, who came in September. I think we were operationally attached to 1ID during our time there. The bulk of 1-1 Cav's time in Bosnia came at the start when A Troop led 1AD across the Sava. I was still in school at that time.