"I have just returned from Iraq where the [Macedonian] troops are standing shoulder by shoulder with the US and coalition forces in order to assist in creating a free Iraq," US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on a visit to Macedonia in September 2004. "This morning, the [defence] minister and I had the privilege to give awards to three Macedonian soldiers who helped in rescuing lives of Americans in Iraq."
“Upravo sam se vratio iz Iraka gde makedonski vojnici stoje rame uz rame sa američkim i koalicionim snagama da bi pomogli u stvaranju slobodnog Iraka”, izjavio je američki ministar odbrane Donald Ramsfeld tokom posete Makedoniji u septembru 2004. godine. “Jutros smo ministar odbrane i ja imali čast da uručimo odlikovanja trojici makedonskih vojnika koji su pomogli u spašavanju života Amerikanaca u Iraku.”