In October 1992, the 212th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) unit was alerted for deployment to Zagreb, Croatia’s capital, in support of Operation Provide Promise, a U.N. relief mission to aid refugees coming into the country from Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Almost simultaneously, Exchange Europe received a request for support of the 300-member unit. Planning began immediately and by the time the 212th deployed in December 1992, the Exchange was ready to support the unit as well also other allied forces deployed in Zagreb.
Around the same time that the 212th was alerted, David Howard, the Vicenza Burger King assistant manager, was working temporarily at the Aviano Burger King when he met a representative from the U.S. Embassy in Zagreb. After hearing about the people pouring into Croatia, Howard explored the possibility of using a Burger King Thanksgiving promotion to donate clothing and food.
He and Aviano BK Manager Dan Enderle—who remained with the Exchange until his 2024 retirement as general manager of the Kirtland BX—began “Thanks for Giving,” advertising the promotion on local TV and in newspapers.
“There was a great response,” Howard said. “Both our Burger Kings were swamped with clothing and food during the two months we accepted donations.”
The campaign generated enough interest for the Aviano chaplain and the Red Cross to set up a meeting to discuss the program. At the meeting, Howard met an insurance salesman who made regular trips to a city in Croatia to deliver supplies.
“They needed a driver,” Howard said, “so I was able to accompany our donations.” Along with his Vicenza BK teammate David Schwartz, Howard traveled through Slovenia and into Croatia, where he said the refugee camp seemed like an old prison or military barracks. Many of the refugees were children.
Howard called it an unforgettable experience.
“Every day now, you hear of the day-to-day war,” Howard said in 1993. “But you don’t fully understand the scope until you see the innocent victims.”
Exchange associates David Howard and David Schwartz brought supplies to this refugee camp in Croatia during the early days of the Exchange’s support in the Balkans.
It was the beginning of a long era of Exchange support in the Balkans, as Howard, Schwartz and others helped support U.N. relief efforts addressing the plight of refugees fleeing ethnic violence in Bosnia after the collapse of the former Yugoslavia. Support continued to grow through the Balkan region of Eastern Europe.
In 1995, the Exchange would open dozens of retail facilities in Bosnia, Kosovo, Croatia, Hungary, Macedonia and other Eastern European countries to serve a NATO peacekeeping mission, which included 2,000 American troops.
The Exchange no longer has facilities in Croatia, but still operates in Bosnia, Kosovo and elsewhere in Eastern Europe. In 2024, the Camp Bondsteel Exchange in Kosovo celebrated its 25th anniversary, which you can read about here.
The Exchange in Zagreb, Croatia, in 1995.
Sources: “One Hundred Years of Service: A History of the Army and Air Force Exchange Service”; Exchange Post archives; Exchange History on Flickr
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