Face of Defense: Refugee Becomes Marine to Repay Debt to Nation

When Bosnia erupted into civil war in the early 1990s, Buzaljko’s mixed Muslim-Catholic family’s life in Stolac was shattered. The Croatian military placed his father and uncle into a concentration camp, leaving his mother alone to care for Buzaljko and his baby brother [snip]

Despite the hardships Buzaljko’s family endured to leave their war-torn home, they remain supportive of their son and his service to their new country.

“I am very proud; you can’t even imagine,” his mother, Vesna Buzaljko, said. “He joined to say ‘thank you’ to the [United States] for welcoming us with open arms. It was a tough time when we left, but America took us in and saved our family. Now he has a purpose to help others like we were helped when we needed it, and we are so proud.”

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