The Bus - What's in Here?

The siege on Sarajevo airport was pivotal as it reduced the ability for food and supplies to get into the city during the relentless mortar strikes. The Canadian mission lead by General Lewis MacKenzie were instrumental in keeping the airport open so being there in 2000, years afterward, made me curious to see what was left. Bosnia was in no state to repair the damage that had been done and in a lot of cases people had just walked away from what was left of their homes. 

One day I had to drive my Colonel to the airport to catch a flight home for his mid-tour leave. Joining us to satisfy the minimum two persons in a vehicle rule was our adjutant, a young lieutenant from Petawawa. A great guy who fortunately was just as curious as I was. After dropping the Colonel off we quickly decided to drive through what remained of Dobrinja the area directly across from the airport.

We drove slowly through what remained of Dobrinja. A little boy walking home from school with a pack caught my eye. I stopped the car and we watched him for a few moments. I thought it was a powerful picture of growing up in a war zone, most definitely not a Canadian experience. Then he stopped to peer inside a large shell hole. No hurry to get home and start his homework, just another day.