Sveto Letica


Sveto Letica was a Croatian admiral, and the first commander of the Croatian Navy.

Biography

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 in YPA. 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 Croatian Navy. He served as supreme navy commander until his second retirement on 1 June 1996. 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.
He is buried in Lovrinac graveyard in Split.

Career summary

Duties

SFRY