Retired general Vladimir Zagorec is the most decorated Croatian citizen in its history with a total of 13 national decorations and medals bestowed upon him. At the same time, as a result of his recent no-show at a scheduled court hearing at Zagreb County Court, where he is suspected of abusing his rank and authority to misappropriate state budget funds to the tune of 5 million US dollars, Zagorec has also become the most decorated fugitive from whom an international arrest warrant has been issued. By the number of decorations he has Vladimir Zagorec has by far surpassed the late President Franjo Tudjman and the late defence minister Gojko Susak, who had nine national decorations apiece. It is interesting that, military medals and commemorative awards aside, one comes again to the fact that it is precisely Susak and Tudjman, with nine each, and Zagorec, with his eight decorations, that are the most decorated Croatians, with openings into this prestigious company available only to Croatia's "king of bridge-building" Jure Radic and the current culture minister Bozo Biskupic, bearers of eight national decorations. The top of the list, however, changes dramatically if one adds Zagorec's military decorations and commemorative awards, worn otherwise when in military uniform. The Croatian Army's highest-ranking officers, strategists and wartime commanders then fall behind Zagorec – retired generals and chiefs of staff Pavao Miljavac and Josip Lucic with 12 decorations, medals and commemorative awards each. The late generals Janko Bobetko and Zvonimir Cervenko also received twelve decorations while Franjo Tudjman was in power, ten decorations and medals each were conferred upon generals Ante Gotovina, Marijan Marekovic and Ljubo Cesic Rojs. General Martin Spegelj has a total of 19 decorations and medals, but there are ten decorations of the former JNA on that list, while General Petar Stipetic received nine different decorations and medals during the time of Franjo Tudjman.

Not only is it absurd and tragicomic that Vladimir Zagorec is the bearer of the most national and military decorations, but it is also unbelievable that Zagorec on several occasions received decorations for acts of bravery, heroism, courage, and even for acts above and beyond the call of duty. It is not entirely clear what deeds have made him a hero of the Homeland War unlike the other defenders on the front battle lines, all the more as Zagorec – besides his office at the defence ministry and his stop offs in expensive hotel rooms abroad – never even saw the front line, perhaps only on TV, and if he did any shooting, then it was as a pastime when hunting wild game on a Zimbabwean safari while the war raged in Croatia.

---

The proposals to decorate Vladimir Zagorec were not the result of his great heroism, but can rather be credited exclusively to Franjo Tudjman and Gojko Susak, the man who signed the decisions and the chairman of the military decoration's commission, and who favoured Zagorec. And while the Soviet marshals and admirals who led the greatest wartime operations in history during World War II would not feel besmirched with the amount of decorations and medals borne by Vladimir Zagorec, he earned his great acclaim from the comfort of his opulent office on Petar Kresimir Square busying himself with logistics. Concretely, as far as heroism is concerned, although no one saw him with a rifle in hand on the battlefield, Vladimir Zagorec was by a decision of President Tudjman of 26 May 1995 first decorated with the Order of Duke Domagoj with Necklace for demonstrated and proven courage and heroism in war, and only a only a few month later, on 20 September 1996, the Order of Nikola Subic Zrinski was conferred upon him for an act of bravery in war. On the same list bearing Zagorec's name were, among others, battlefield generals like Slavko Baric, Ivan Kapular and Mladen Kruljac.

Of course, in the rationale for these decisions lauding Zagorec's alleged heroism, concrete facts pertaining to why these kinds of decorations were being conferred were nowhere to be found. On the same day that he was decorated for an act of bravery in war he was also granted the Order of Ban Jelacic, for exceptional military services in the organisation and development of the Armed Forces and for the exceptionally successful commanding of its units. Just how far into the absurd the decisions by Tudjman and Susak were in conferring decorations to Zagorec is demonstrated by the fact that he was on 28 May 1996 decorated with the Order of the Morning Star of Croatia with the image of Blaz Lorkovic – for exceptional economic merit. Of what nature this economic credit was, was shown in an audit of Alan, the state-owned company for arms transactions, at the helm of which Zagorec stood from 1993 to 2000, and the latest accusations that he abused his rank and authority to misappropriate funds from the state budget to the tune of 5 million US dollars earmarked for the Croatian defence effort.

Zagorec was subsequently decorated on 24 December 1996 with the Order of Ante Starcevic for active contribution and promotion of Croatian national policy in the establishment of a sovereign Croatian state, well all pretence was abandoned, because it could be heard quite openly at the time from the lips of HDZ members that the HDZ national policy was the only valid one, so that it s likely that the award was given to Zagorec for promoting that policy. Besides the mentioned decorations, Vladimir Zagorec was on 12 March 1996 granted the Order of the Croatian Braid for exceptional contribution to the development and good standing of the Republic of Croatia and the welfare of its citizens, and the Order of the Croatian Trifoil. Interestingly, in the answer received by Nacional to its query on the number and names of the decorations and medals conferred upon Vladimir Zagorec, only 12 conferrals are cited, without the Order of the Croatian Trifoil, even though on a photo of Vladimir Zagorec in uniform that medal is clearly visible, in the middle of the third row. Along with the mentioned decorations Zagorec is also the bearer of a commemorative Homeland War award conferred on 26 May 1994, and a Homeland Appreciation commemorative award for five years of honourable and exemplary service conferred on 26 May 1995. Four medals were conferred upon Vladimir Zagorec, these being for Operations "Flash", "Summer" and "Storm" on 28 September 1995, and on 28 November 1995 an Exceptional Exploits Medal. The State Commission for Military Decorations was established in May of 1995 by a decision of President Franjo Tudjman, with then defence minister Gojko Susak serving as its chairman and his deputy in the person of lieutenant general Zvonimir Cervenko, at the time the chief of staff of the President's Military Cabinet. Brigadier Kresimir Kaspar, a presidential aid, was appointed secretary of the commission, while its other members were Ivan Jarnjak, interior affairs minister, rear admiral Davorin Kaic, Deputy Commander of the Croatian Navy, lieutenant general Josip Lucic, Chief Inspector of the Croatian Armed Forces, major general Mile Cuk, commander of the 1st Croatian Guards Corps, staff brigadier Marinko Kresic, head of the defence ministry's personnel department, brigadier Ivan Tolj, head of the defence ministry's policy department, and reserve major Mladen Jurkovic, president of HVIDR (a Homeland War disabled veteran's association). As we discovered from circles close to the former commission, its members had no influence whatsoever on adopting decisions on the conferral of top military decorations – everything was decided on in the circle of President Franjo Tudjman, defence minister Gojko Susak, general Cervenko and interior affairs minister Ivan Jarnjak. Medals and commemorative awards were conferred automatically and without any particular criteria, one only needed to be in the Armed Forces, police and defence ministry from 1990 to 1996.

Croatia has 18 decorations, divided into four Grand Orders and 12 Orders, two commemorative awards, two honour awards and four medals. The top Croatian decorations, the Grand Orders, a conferred upon heads of state, religious dignitaries, speakers of parliament, prime ministers and top military officials of the Croatian Armed Forces. Officially, about 13 thousand civilian and over 35 thousand military decorations have been conferred up to now. If the various medals and commemorative awards are added to that, however, somewhat over 750 thousand decorations have been conferred, of that as many as 420 thousand Homeland War commemorative awards. As far as top civilian decorations are concerned the most decorated Croatian is the late President Franjo Tudjman. On the fifth anniversary of Croatian independence, 29 May 1995, Parliament's House of Representatives conferred nine decorations on him: the Grand Order of King Tomislav with sash and Grand Morning Star, the Grand Order of King Petar Kresimir IV with sash and Morning Star, the Order of Duke Domagoj with Necklace, the Order of Ante Starcevic, the Order of Stjepan Radic, the Order of the Croatian Morning Star with the image of Rudjer Boskovic, the Order of the Croatian Trifoil, a Homeland War commemorative award and a Homeland Appreciation commemorative award.

The late defence minister Gojko Susak was also the recipient of nine decorations: the Grand Order of King Petar Kresimir IV with sash and Morning Star, the Order of Ante Starcevic, the Order of Duke Domagoj with Necklace, the Order of the Croatian Trifoil, a Homeland Appreciation commemorative award, a Vukovar commemorative medal, while on 5 May 1998 he was posthumously granted the Grand Order of King Dmitar Zvonimir with sash and Morning Star, the order of Nikola Subic Zrinski and the Order of Stjepan Radic. As the Slobodna Dalmacija daily wrote, Science & Arts Academy member Vlatko Pavletic was conferred two of the top Croatian decorations: the Grand Order of King Dmitar Zvonimir with sash and Morning Star and the Grand Order of King Petar Kresimir IV with sash and Morning Star. The third highest decoration, the Grand Order of King Petar Kresimir was conferred upon Zlatko Matesa, Hrvoje Sarinic, Nikica Valentic, Franjo Greguric, Zarko Domljan, Nedjeljko Mihanovic and Generals Janko Bobetko and Zvonimir Cervenko.

The Grand Order of King Dmitar Zvonimir with sash and Morning Star, the fourth highest decoration, is granted to high-ranking Croatian and foreign officials for exceptional contributions to the development of the relations of the Croatian state and religious communities, and for exceptional achievements in humanitarian and cultural activity. This decoration has been conferred upon Academy member Vlatko Pavletic, as Speaker of Parliament, Mate Granic, as Deputy Prime Minister, ministers Borislav Skegro and Jure Radic, and to Vladimir Seks, as the chairman of the HDZ parliamentary club of deputies, to the former interior affairs minister and Chief of the National Security Office, Ivan Jarnjak, and to the President's Chief of Staff Ivica Kostovic. Along with them this high decoration has been awarded to five of President Tudjman's advisors, the best known among them being Ivic Pasalic, State Seal Guardian Ivan Milas, Academy member Ivan Aralica, vice-president of the HDZ, Ambassador Janko Vranyczany-Dobrinovic and former Croatian National Bank Governor Pero Jurkovic.

President Franjo Tudjman's advisors received a total of 105 decorations, or four per advisor, with Ivica Kostovic decorated seven times. As many decorations were received by his predecessor Hrvoje Sarinic. Interior policy advisor Ivic Pasalic was decorated five times and civic affairs advisor Zlatko Canjuga six times.