Business Memories of Yugoslavia

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Draft

                                                  Herry with the boys from Zadar including Peter Kragic  
Herry and with Dusko Kacina, Peter Kragic and

Herry with Jenny Kacic and the children including Zdravko 

Herry, Justin More, Harry and Jenny Kacic at their house in Dingac 

Although my first trip abroad on business was to Genoa in 1969, to help investigate a number of cases of condensation damage to grain shipments from Argentina, I was next asked to accompany Frank Ledwith to Split for a lecture he was giving on General Average to a group of shipowners and local insurers. The visit showed me the Yugoslavs at their hospitable best, ending long meals of delicious local fish (which often had different names in each port on the coast but was usually dorade) and local wine (Postup or Dingac) with philosophising and singing. One of their favourite songs was 'What Is Mighty London Against Split, the City?'' and I returned with a record (LP) of their songs which I kept for many years. At the lecture, I first met tbe two people who had most influence on our business, Marin Kruzicevic, head of the state insurance company with whom we shared 40% of the business and Hrvoje Kacic, a lawyer and also a director of one of the state shipping companies based in Dubrovnik. Kruzecevic, a quietly impressive man, had been one of Tito's secretaries and was a collector of porcelain. Harry Kacic, who later became a director of the Club, was an immensely powerful man who had won a gold medal in water polo at the Melbourne Olympics. In fact he had sat with us (in the office of James Wright) in 1966, before I joined Millers, in furtherance of his training as a maritime lawyer.       

Dear Herry,

 

Thank you for your kind e-mail of 19th January 2022.

 

It is so nice to hear from you after many years. Hope all is well with you and your family.

 

I printed out your e-mail and delivered it to my father.

 

He read the e-mail many times and was very touched and happy to hear from you. He had great and warm memories about you, as his bosom friend.

 

My father is still strong. Especially character. He had a nice birthday celebration, with children, grand-children and great-grandchildren.

 

And we were all very pleased with the photos. I remember you visited us in Dingač many years ago, when I was a boy. But it is amazing you still have photos. 

 

Thank you so much.

 

Here is one photo of my father with his great-grandson.

 

Take care, stay fit, safe and healthy.

 

All the best

 

Zdravko

 

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LAW FIRM KACIC & BRBORA

Ulica Ivana Banjavčića 5

HR-10000 ZAGREB

CROATIA

TEL: +385(0)1 4635 500

FAX: +385(0)1 4635 589

E-MAIL: z.kacic@kacic.t-com.hr

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