Sveto Letica (4 April 1926 – 6 November 2001) was a Croatian admiral, and the first commander of the Croatian Navy.

Sveto Letica
Nickname(s)Barba
Born(1926-04-04)4 April 1926
Podgora, Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Died6 November 2001(2001-11-06) (aged 75)
Split, Republic of Croatia
Buried
Allegiance Yugoslavia
 Croatia
Service/branch Yugoslav Navy
Croatian Navy
Years of service1942–1986
1991–1996
RankAdmiral (JNA)
Fleet Admiral (HV)
Commands heldR-22 Pula
Croatian Navy
Battles/warsWorld War II in Yugoslavia
Croatian War of Independence
AwardsOrder of Duke Trpimir[1]
Order of Duke Domagoj
Order of Ban Jelačić
RelationsMirando Mrsić (nephew)[2]
Other workAssociation of Croatian Navy Volunteers

Biography edit

Letica was born in 1926 in Podgora, where he was involved in creating a Partisan Navy in 1942. He graduated at the Naval and War Academy. For 20 years he served on different warships of the Yugoslav Navy. He was Fleet commander, he was chief of a naval region, and before his retirement he served in Generalštab of JNA. He retired in 1986 with the rank of Vice Admiral of the JNA. By decree of the President of the Presidency of the SFRY from September 1986, he was retroactively promoted to the rank of admiral. The long-time experience of Letica was precious for Croatia when the Croatian Navy was established in 1991. On 12 September 1991, the President of the Republic, Franjo Tuđman, named him Commander of the Croatian Navy. He served as supreme navy commander until his second retirement on 1 June 1996.[3] He was retired by decision of the President. In September 1991 he was confirmed rank of Admiral, and in March 1996 promoted in rank of Fleet Admiral (admiral flote).

Sveto Letica is buried in Lovrinac graveyard in Split.[3]

Career summary edit

Duties edit

Ranks edit

SFRY edit

Croatia edit

Decorations edit

References edit

  1. ^ Odluka Predsjednika RH, Broj: 01-051-95-5-1/1, Zagreb, 28. svibnja 1995.
  2. ^ "Ministar Mrsić sam sebi pobrojao krvna zrnca", index.hr, četvrtak, 17.12.2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Umro stožerni admiral Sveto Letica". hrt.hr (in Croatian). Croatian Radiotelevision. 7 November 2011. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2012.