These days we have heard much news about a great Croat who became an American national hero – Peter Tomic. The real name of Peter Tomich is actually Petar Herceg, and the nickname of his family was “Tomic’s”. For some reason, when he arrived in the USA, Herceg introduced himself as Tomić, trying to hide his real last name. He left his wife, who could not have a child with, in Herzegovina, but also he left a son who he had with another wife – say the American media.
Later due to circumstances, Herceg’s wife adopted that child. How that happened, nobody knows, but from the US media, we heard that the American investigators have found out Dragutin Herceg, Peter Herceg’s descendant on Peters estate. American authorities had a hard time finding the Herceg’s true descendants. They wanted to give them the medal but as the descendants were located in Ljubuški, under a different name, they could not find them. Also, Herceg’s had a hard time understanding that their grandfather was an American national hero, as from 1957 in the Yugoslavian system, he was listed as “missing”, or more accurately – dead. They had no other news about him.
In all of the reports of HRT, Croatian national television, television that should objectively inform all the Croats around the world, including those in Ljubuški, state that he was a brave Croat, that immigrated to the USA from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, specifically from Croatia. But, the point is, that he was not from Croatia. HRT mentions the little village called “Prolog” which is located near to the Croatian state border in Vrgorac. But Prolog, where American hero grew up, was and still is Herzegovinian Prolog. Why would HRT so steadily try to cut off the Herzegovinian heritage from Peter? We do not understand. It seems that, according to them, the only thing that can come from Ljubuški (Herzegovina) is a criminal mind, certainly not the American war hero.
Peter Herceg never went from Croatia to the USA. Prolog was not, and still isn’t a part of Croatia, but a part of Hum – Hercegovina, history land of Stjepan Herceg Kosača. The American hero, symbolically or not, comes from Herzegovina, which is clearly hated by US administration. Herzegovina has a history of war, defiance, anger, and struggle, Kosača’s and rebellions, all culminating with Petar Herceg.
It is unclear if US administration already knew where Peter’s family is located, why would the ceremony be held in Zagreb instead of Herzegovina? There are Croats in the military structures of BiH. There are Croats in diplomatic missions in SAD. (Or not, the US embassy from Sarajevo bans them, because that’s what Bosnians want!)
We do not understand why the US gave honors to Croatia rather than Croats in BiH? It could be that it is permitted to say that Croats from BiH, other than “Ustašas”, gave 20 thousands of fallen partisans, which fell in the 40’s on the same side as the alliance in WW2, which Petar Herceg belonged to.
American Navy gave honors to this brave man a year after his death when a warship called “USS Tomich” has been launched in Houston. It would be fair enough, after all of these administrative errors, that the real name of Petar and his place of birth were admitted by the US administration.
Ljubuški’s Herceg was honored by Franklin D. Roosevelt by a Medal of Honor of the American Congress “For exceptional honor in coordination with his duty and esteemed bravery followed by disregard for his personal security during the attacks on Pearl Harbour.”- noted president Roosevelt.
The medal was stored in the US Naval Academy in, so-called “Tomich Hall”. In May 2006., when the aircraft carrier Enterprise was stationed in the Split harbor, it was given to the family of Petar Herceg Tomić.
Herceg was also declared as an honorary citizen of American federal state of Utah, and a military school carries his name in the USA.
If Peter was alive today, what do you think he would write about Trump when he would have seen what the USA is doing with his Croat people in the BiH?
What would he write to him about Mr. Barry’s amendments against Croats in Bosnia, or what about the violation of Dayton agreement, that the US officials are still breaking in the BiH?
What would he say about Patrick Moon and Maureen Cormack US ambassadors who fought against Croatian constitutional rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Would he write: “Is this how you repay my people for my sacrifice? My life that I’ve given for other American soldiers?
Or perhaps would he be silent and salute?
We don’t think he would be so silent.
wpDiscuz