President Pahor the keynote speaker at the traditional Slovenian-American Friendship and Alliance Day event at Andraž nad Polzelo

Slovenian president Borut Pahor took part today in the traditional annual celebrations to mark Slovenian-American Friendship and Alliance Day, where he gave a keynote speech. On the occasion of the anniversary of the crash of an American B-17 bomber at the site of the event, Mr Pahor laid a wreath on the memorial plaque commemorating the eight crew members who lost their lives in the crash.


Photo: Tamino Petelinšek/STA

This celebration marking the friendship between Slovenia and the United States was attended by US ambassador Jamie Lindler Harpootlian, who also gave a speech.

Slovenian-American Friendship and Alliance Day has taken place since 2014, when a memorial plaque was unveiled in the village of Andraž nad Polzelo in memory of the ten-strong crew of the B-17 bomber that crashed on the slopes of Gora Oljka on 19 March 1944. Eight crew members died and were buried in the cemetery in Andraž nad Polzelo, while two others survived with the help of the people of the village.

At this traditional memorial event, we pay tribute to the bravery and heroism of the American pilots, and remember the cooperation between the US military and the Slovenian national liberation movement during the Second World War.

The day of friendship between the two countries was also honoured by the presence of a large number of prominent representatives from the United States. At the invitation of the Slovenian president, the ceremony in 2017 was attended by the late John McCain, US Senator, one of the most influential and respected US politicians, and one-time candidate for the US presidency. The ceremony was attended last year by members of the US Senate on a visit to Slovenia.


Photo: Tamino Petelinšek/STA