About 300 Nistru war volunteers laid flowers at the monument to Stephen the Great in Chisinau to commemorate their comrades fallen in June 1992, Info-Prim Neo. “It was a fierce battle, but we weren’t forced to fight it, we stood up voluntarily to defend our fatherland”, said war volunteer Tudor Tuchilus from Anenii Noi. “Unfortunately, authorities don’t offer us anything, any benefits, not for gas, nor for transport. We’re forgotten”. The head of the Volunteers’ Union Sergiu Caracai says that in June 1992, volunteers weren’t kept a record of, so it is hard to name their exact number. Nobody knows for sure how many of them died, how many went missing and some haven’t been found until today. Caracai says that the public opinion is being mislead: the volunteers didn’t always fight alongside the police, as often claimed. “Had they been supported by the police, the casualties would have been much lower”. “We want the authorities to pass a law on volunteers to protect our rights, as there is a law for police workers or war veterans. We want a special status for war volunteers because we aren’t included in the veterans’ category. We don’t want any benefits, but it’s up to everyone’s own morality”, said Sergiu Caracai. The Volunteers’ Union of Moldova has 8,000 members, half of whom have different disabilities. The 1st grade disability pension is 800 lei, compared to the 2000-3000 lei pensions of the war veterans who fought in the regular army. “As civilians, we didn’t pass any medical examination. What’s sad is that we won’t even reach the retirement age, as many of us die every year”, said Sergiu Caracai. On 19 and 20 June 1992, about 2,000 volunteers from Varnita and Copanca villages, Causeni district, joined the Moldovan troops in the defense of Tighina.