WEST VALLEY CITY — Eleven years ago, Slavko Kobasijevic brought his wife and two young daughters to the United States.

Even though the war in Bosnia was over, their lives there would never be the same.

They arrived with $200, four bags of old, worn clothing and a few precious belongings.

"But more important than that — we brought our souls and our hearts," Slavko said.

Today, he and his wife, Sonja, will celebrate the Fourth of July like so many other Americans but perhaps with a greater sense of appreciation for what it means to live in America.

The Kobasijevic family lived in central Bosnia and have many happy memories of life there when President Josip Broz Tito was in power. Slavko described his country as a place built for the workers. Everyone had paid vacation; everyone had full insurance coverage at no cost. They lived in a world where everyone worked but still had time for their neighbors. Even after Tito's death, there was a period of peace, an uncertain peace that ended with war.

He said it was like many places in the world today, where one group wants to be in control but no one wants to be controlled.

Slavko was forced to fight in the army, on the frontlines. There were no more jobs and no other way to provide for a family. For each soldier, the military provided a small amount of food and four cigarettes a day. For Slavko, who is not a smoker, those cigarettes were "better than gold" because they could be traded for food.

He sold his and Sonja's wedding rings at a street market for 8 pounds of corn to feed his family.

But as hard as it was to be on the frontlines of the war, Slavko always understood it was harder for his family to wait for his return. He spoke softly of memories he carries still of his oldest daughter, Ivana, clinging to his leg and crying hysterically. She was 6 years old.

"I was so heartbroken to have to take my daughter from my leg and run down the stairs of our apartment," Slavko said.

Painful as it was, Slavko firmly believes that what is difficult today makes you stronger for tomorrow. After five years of war, he was able to return home for good. But it wasn't the same. Many of the people in their town had moved away during the war, and a lot of new people had moved in. Even though the fighting had ended, the lack of religious tolerance made it hard to know who was a friend and who was not.