President Pahor as keynote speaker at traditional ceremony for Slovenian-American Friendship Day in Andraž nad Polzelo

In the afternoon, President of the Republic of Slovenia Borut Pahor gave a solemn address at the traditional ceremony on the occasion of Slovenian-American Friendship Day. On the anniversary of the crash of the American B-17 bomber, President Pahor laid a wreath on the memorial plaque commemorating the eight crew members who lost their lives in the crash.

US Airforce General E. Bailey, Commander of the 31st Fighter Wing at the Aviano Air Base in Italy, attended the traditional ceremony commemorating Slovenian-American friendship.

Slovenian-American Friendship Day has been celebrated since 2014, when a memorial plaque was unveiled in Andraž nad Polzelo in remembrance of the crew of the ten pilots of the B-17 bomber that crashed at the foot of the Oljka mountain on 19 March 1944. Eight pilots died and were buried in the cemetery in Andraž nad Polzelo, while two of them survived the crash with the help of local residents.

This traditional ceremony pays tribute to the fortitude and bravery of the American pilots. The cooperation between the American soldiers and the combatants of the Slovenian National Liberation Movement during the Second World War is also commemorated.

Over the years, a number of prominent representatives of the United States of America have honoured Slovenia with their presence to mark the day of friendship between the two countries. In 2017, at the invitation of the President of the Republic of Slovenia, the ceremony was attended by the now deceased John McCain, a United States senator, one of the most influential and respected American politicians and United States presidential candidate.


Photo: Nebojša Tejić/STA


Photo: Nebojša Tejić/STA