A former British soldier, John Harrison, who contributed during the war in Koshare, has shared his experience training soldiers of the Kosovo Liberation Army.
Harrison said that together with the “Delta” unit, he trained KLA fighters to go to the front lines and be among the first to enter combat.
“It was a very good experience. I was an instructor for the ‘Delta’ unit, the unit of Commander Hadergjonaj. We trained men who, essentially, would go to the front and be the first to enter the attack. Every minute I spent in Kosovo, I was very proud and enjoyed it to the fullest. Just so many good memories. One of the moments that stayed with me was a man who came in wounded, with shrapnel all over his chest. He was crying uncontrollably. He turned to me, looked at me, and said: ‘Oh Johnny, how are you?’ Suddenly. His face has stayed with me forever,” Harrison said.
He added that the kindness shown by KLA soldiers will stay with him always, describing them as among the warmest and most respectful people he has known.
“That’s what will always stay with me—the kindness of these men. At the height of the war they were fierce, doing their job professionally, but when they returned, they were the kindest and warmest people you could imagine. Only a few of them were very well trained. Yes, they had some training, some very basic training. But that wasn’t what killed them—it was the overwhelming force of the Serbs, which we ultimately defeated in Koshare. The men I trained fought well, threw themselves into whatever was needed, and completed the mission,” he said.
Harrison said he often cries for those who lost their lives in the Battle of Koshare.
“For the boys who lost their lives… I cry for them often. Memorials like this bring tears to my eyes because I remember these people,” he said.
Asked about Kosovo’s path forward and statements by Aleksandar Vučić claiming Kosovo as part of Serbia, Harrison dismissed such views and emphasized that Kosovo is an independent republic.
He also argued that Kosovo should strengthen its military capabilities, including heavy artillery and armored personnel carriers, citing concerns over Serbia’s rearmament.
Harrison has also been granted citizenship of Kosovo.
