Štefan Jorík

“When the war was over and an American officer came here, to Myjava, he called all the families and their representatives who provided hiding to American pilots. He asked them, what kind of reward they wish for saving lives of these American soldiers. In unison they proclaimed, they wished for nothing and took nothing, indeed. Everyone considered it as a patriotic duty, and moreover, they also helped to save people’s lives. The human to human relationship is what we still keep missing, even today.”

“That morning, at the opening post office hours, the bank’s manager, my boss, told me, he had a bad news for me. He said I was refused my further postponement and that I had to enlist in the army. I told him not to worry about that, since I had many contacts between partisans and I was sure, I didn’t have to enlist. Here in Brezová, there was a partisan unit led by Ján Repta. ‘I am in touch with this unit and I won’t enlist!’ That’s what I claimed at eight o’clock in the morning, but I wasn’t aware of what awaited me. And at ten, suddenly, they announced mobilization.”