All these events could not go away without response, so the people of Žirovac soon rebel and 22 August 1941 first unrest started. Organized uprising in Gornji Žirovac begins officially on 2 September 1941, when the communist party (KPJ) gathers people and organizes the first partisan squad. Squad eventually becomes part of the famous 7th Banija Brigade "Vasilj Gaćeša" and there was almost no resident of Žirovac who did not have had some of their own kin in partisans. Brigade found itself in some of the most important and violent battles of the war such as the Battle of Sutjeska which is why many of fighters did not survive the war. In fact, as many as seventy partisans died from Gornji Žirovac alone. In memory of them, a memorial plaque with names was erected at the primary school.