The SETimes Podcast – November 24th, 2011

24/11/2011

A US pilot and Serbian missile officer -- once on the opposing sides of the 1990's Balkan conflict -- have forged a unique friendship. Biljana Pekusic reports for Southeast European Times in Belgrade.

Twelve years ago, Colonel Zoltan Dani commanded the 3rd Divisional air defense missile brigade of the Yugoslav Army. At the same time, US Air Force pilot Lieutenant Colonel Dale Zelko managed the "invisible" aircraft F-117A.

In March 1999, during the NATO air strikes over Serbia, Dani's brigade took down Zelko's plane, the first and only confirmed loss of the so-called stealth technology aircraft.

Dani recounts how there was only 20 seconds to react to avoid being detected by the US aircraft. It took only 18 seconds to complete the task and take down the plane.

Zelko remembered unexpectedly finding himself on Serbian ground, and being picked up by a US rescue mission.

Dani left the army four years ago, and now works in a private bakery in his Vojvodina hometown.

In October the US pilot and Serbian missile officer met as a response to the Serbian film director Zeljko Mirkovic's initiative. In 2007, Mirkovic filmed a documentary of the event titled 21 seconds.

Mirkovic realised, he says, that both are exceptional people, who share some universal values.

"A lot of things coincided that we recognized as the 'road signs', signalling that -- and we all thought -- the [Zelko and Dani] story will actually be our story."

The US pilot's ancestry is from Slovenia, once one of the former Yugoslav republics, which was an additional motivation for the meeting.

The first contact started via e-mail. Dani and Zelko exchanged memories, feelings, photos. In time, the conversations became frequent, war time exchanges replaced talks of their families and daily life.

Upon Dani's invitation, Zelko decided to visti Serbia, where he stayed with Dani's family. Zelko says that the meeting was an indescribably beautiful experience, surpassing all his expectations.

"I think that his decision, to cross over 10,000km, was the bravest, the most important one. Our first meeting became more significant because he was there, present with us, and ready for a new beginning."

Dani's family was particularly touched by the gifts Zelko brought for them.

"These are valuable things they made with their own hands, and by that made as heartfelt gifts. They make us happy to remember them [the Zelko's] when we look at it."

Zelko recounts that coming to Serbia and meeting Dani was a gripping experience, that will let him have warm memories for the rest of his life.

During their time together in Serbia late last year an idea came about for another documentary film, titled "The Second Meeting", the premier is set for September 2012.