Grozdanovski Kiro

Kiro Grozdanovski was from the village Besfina, Lerin region. He did not manage to know his father, who, because of great poverty, escaped to America with the aim of helping his family.

So, Kiro's suffering mother raised him and two other sons.

From the age of 17 Kiro entered ELAS and, armed with a rifle, fought against the Nazi occupiers.

In the second phase of the armed struggle he joined the DAG. He was an exemplary and decisive fighter. He sang while he fought. The headquarters of DAG wrote about his courage in its bulletin.

With these talents, Kiro earned the respect and trust of the fighters and officers. In the great battle at Gramos in 1948 he was the unit commander and defended Kopanche hill, near Nestram. Only those who participated in the frightening battles at Gramos, on Kopanche hill, Haros know how dreadful that fight was. Not a single tree remained standing. Even the rocks were crushed. Gore was spread all around and there was the smell of gunpowder, fuel and scorched human flesh.

It was in this frightening battle that Kiro was killed, just at the moment his unit had beaten the enemy and forced them to back off.

In the archives of the 589 battalion of the 14th brigade of DAG, is written - "Kiro Grozdanovski in the battle at Kopanche showed bravery and courage and fell a hero."

M Chokalovski

From: For Sacred National Freedom: Portraits Of Fallen Freedom Fighters

© 2009

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