View source for Rudolf Perešin

{{Infobox military person
| name          =Rudolf Perešin
| image         =
| caption       =Rudolf Perešin (left) next to his [[MiG-21]] 
| birth_date          = {{Birth date|1958|3|25}}<ref name=morh/>
| death_date          = {{Death date and age|1995|05|02|1958|3|25}}
| placeofburial_label = Burial place
| placeofburial = [[Mirogoj Cemetery]]
| birth_place  = [[Jakšinec]], Yugoslavia<ref name=morh/>
| death_place  = [[Stara Gradiška]], Croatia
| allegiance    = {{flagicon|Yugoslavia}} Yugoslavia (1981–1991)<br>{{flagicon|Croatia}} Croatia (1991–1995)
| branch        = [[File:Jrvpvo.gif|18px]] [[Yugoslav Air Force]]<br>[[File:Hrz.jpg|16px]] [[Croatian Air Force and Defense|Croatian Air force]]
| serviceyears  = 1981–1995
| rank          = Staff Brigadier ([[Brigadier General]] posthumously) 
| unit          = 21st Fighter Squadron
| commands      =
| battles       = [[Croatian War of Independence]]
* [[Operation Flash]]
| awards        =
* Order of Duke Domagoj
* [[Order of Nikola Šubić Zrinski]]
* Order of Ban Jelačić
* [[Order of Stjepan Radić]]
* Order of Petar Zrinski and Fran Krsto Frankopan with silver Wattle
* Order of Petar Zrinski and Fran Krsto Frankopan with gold Wattle
* [[Homeland War Memorial Medal]]
* [[Homeland's Gratitude Medal]]
* Medal ''Flash''
* Medal for Exceptional Undertakings
}}

'''Rudolf Perešin''' (March 25, 1958 – May 2, 1995) was a Croatian fighter pilot in the [[Yugoslav People's Army]] (JNA) who defected from [[Željava Air Base]] to Klagenfurt, Austria in 1991, during a reconnaissance flight because he wanted to help his homeland Croatia during the [[Croatian War of Independence]]. He was the first pilot to desert from the JNA. He was shot down in 1995 by [[Serbian Krajina]] military forces resulting in his death.

==Biography==
Perešin was born in the village of Jakšinec, [[Gornja Stubica]] near the Croatian capital of Zagreb. He entered Military Pilot Academy in Zadar, Croatia. He graduated in 1981 with outstanding scores at the top of his class as one of the best fighter pilots of the JNA.

In 1991, as the JNA was preparing for a military campaign in Croatia{{Citation needed|date=November 2014}} Perešin decided to defect to help defend his homeland, realizing how risky that plan was. Like all Croatian-born personnel, he was under close phone and visual surveillance by the Serbian Ministry of Interior. That did little to discourage him so on October 25, 1991, he flew over to Klagenfurt, Austria<ref name=tportal/> after a brief chase by five Yugoslav [[Mikoyan MiG-29|MiG-29's]] flying out of [[Kraljevo-Lađevci Airport]].{{Citation needed|date=November 2014}} Although the five MiGs caught up with Rudi, he managed to dodge their radars by flying below 500 meters where airplane radars are ineffective.{{Citation needed|date=November 2014}}

Croats recognize him as one of the greatest heroes of the war, his defection dealing a powerful blow to the morale and political agendas of the enemy while simultaneously giving a huge boost to morale, defiance and pride to Croats, who were fighting for their freedom against seemingly hopeless odds.{{citation needed|date=November 2014}} After landing in Klagenfurt, he explained his action saying: "I am a Croat and I cannot and will not fire upon my Croatia".{{Citation needed|date=November 2014}}
[[File:Rudi mig spomenik.jpg|thumb|left|Rudolf Perešin memorial in Gornja Stubica]]
On May 2, 1995 while providing [[close air support]] to the [[Croatian Army]] during [[Operation Flash]] he was shot down over [[Stara Gradiška]] by anti-aircraft artillery from the [[military of Serbian Krajina]]. Perešin remains were not returned until August 4, 1997. On September 15, 1997 Perešin was buried with full military honors in the [[Mirogoj]] cemetery, Zagreb.<ref name=morh>{{cite web| url=http://www.morh.hr/hr/vijesti-najave-i-priopcenja/vijesti/obiljezena-17.-obljetnica-pogibije-stozernog-brigadira-rudolfa-peresina.html| title=Obilježena 17. obljetnica pogibije stožernog brigadira Rudolfa Perešina| date=May 2, 2012| work=morh.hr| publisher=[[Ministry of Defence (Croatia)|Croatian Ministry of Defense]]| language=Croatian| accessdate=October 6, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{hr icon}} Gradska groblja Zagreb: Rudolf Perešin, Mirogoj RKT-111D-I-45</ref>

The [[MiG-21]] aircraft number 26112 he used to defect was transported to the [[Heeresgeschichtliches Museum]] (military history museum) in Vienna and briefly shown to the public there.<ref name=tportal/> It was publicly displayed in [[Zeltweg Air Base]] during the AirPower11 national air show in 2011.<ref name=tportal/> {{As of|2015}}, the aircraft is still an object of an international ownership dispute, with competing claims from Croatia and Serbia.<ref name=tportal/><ref name="tportal 2009"/>

Today, the Croatian Air Force Flight School in Zadar and Aeronautical Technical High School in [[Velika Gorica]] are both named in his honor.

==References==
{{reflist|refs=

<ref name=morh>{{cite web
| url=http://www.morh.hr/hr/vijesti-najave-i-priopcenja/vijesti/obiljezena-17.-obljetnica-pogibije-stozernog-brigadira-rudolfa-peresina.html
| title=Obilježena 17. obljetnica pogibije stožernog brigadira Rudolfa Perešina
| date=May 2, 2012
| work=morh.hr
| publisher=[[Ministry of Defence (Croatia)|Croatian Ministry of Defense]]
| language=Croatian
| accessdate=October 6, 2012
}}</ref>

<ref name=tportal>{{cite web
| url=http://www.tportal.hr/vijesti/svijet/136392/Austrijanci-se-hvale-avionom-Rudolfa-Peresina.html#.UHARWK7Rl_M
| title=Austrijanci se hvale avionom Rudolfa Perešina
| date=July 2, 2011
| work=tportal.hr
| publisher=[[Hrvatski Telekom]]
| language=Croatian
| accessdate=October 6, 2012
}}</ref>

<ref name="tportal 2009">{{cite web
| url=http://www.tportal.hr/vijesti/hrvatska/6281/Legendarni-avion-Rudolfa-Peresina-Austrija-ne-zeli-vratiti.html#.UHATC67Rl_M
| title=Legendarni avion Rudolfa Perešina Austrija ne želi vratiti| date=2 July 2011
| date=January 19, 2009
| work=tportal.hr
| publisher=[[Hrvatski Telekom]]
| language=Croatian
| accessdate=October 6, 2012
}}</ref>

}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
* {{YouTube|id=pP_OWvzVWDA|title=Rudolf Perešin (1958-1995)-Tribute video}}
* http://arhiva.kurir-info.rs/Arhiva/2007/jun/14/V-03-14062007.shtml
* http://www.zeljava-lybi.com/Zeljava-Rudi_eng.html

{{Wikipedia|Rudolf Perešin}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peresin, Rudolf}}
[[Category:1958 births]]
[[Category:1995 deaths]]
[[Category:Burials at Mirogoj Cemetery]]
[[Category:Croatian army officers]]
[[Category:People of the Croatian War of Independence]]
[[Category:Shot-down aviators]]
[[Category:Officers of the Yugoslav People's Army]]
[[Category:Yugoslav defectors]]
[[Category:Order of Duke Domagoj recipients]]
[[Category:Homeland's Gratitude Medal recipients]]
[[Category:Homeland War Memorial Medal recipients]]
[[Category:Order of Nikola Šubić Zrinski recipients]]
[[Category:Order of Stjepan Radić recipients]]
[[Category:Aviators killed by being shot down]]