Evening star., 1953-06-11

I lived with my uncle, named
Gnela. on a farm near the viii
lage of Bursztyn, midway be-
tween Lwow and Stanislawow.
I had two other uncles who were
also farmers there. I was warm
and had enough to eat.
The Reds came at the end of
January. They ordered my
uncleS and all the other farmers
from their homes. We had to
march to the railroad station.
We climbed into freight cars
that had been used to ship cat
tie. Farmers were brought to
the station from many villages.
We were packed go to car. and
1t was long train. 1t was bit
terly cold in the cars.
Word spread that we were to
be sent to Siberia. I have not
heard from my uncles since and
can only suppose that indeed
was their fate. I can understand
now that the purpose of the dis
Judgement was to bring farmers
from Russia to work the rich
Polish farms.
Two Days without Food.
was in the cattle car two
days and three nights. There
was no food. An infant froze
to death.
Words cannot express my ad-
miration for my uncleS and the
other men and women in the
car. My memory of their ac-
tions during that trying time has
determined me to do everything
a lone individual can do to help
free my people from the Krem-
Inns cruel yoke.
My uncles risked the wrath
Of their captorS to cry out that
I was not a member of the farm
group. They pleaded that I be
returned to my mother at STAN
iSlawow.
Finally a NKVD officer. a
member of the Russian secret
police, told me to leave the car.
He spoke Polish. He told me he
would take me to the station
master for interrogation. He
asked me who my father was.
I told him my father had been
a Polish army officer and had
died in service in 1888.
I'll never know why that Of
ficer of a terrorist group acted
as he did. It was the only gen.
tie, human act I have ever ex-
perienced at the hands Of a
Stalinite.
He said to me: "If you tell
the station master your father
was a Polish army officer you
will be sent on that train to
Siberia. Tell him your father
was a shoemaker"
RejOins His Mother.
I didn't entirely understand,
but I did as I was told. The |
station master grunted and
turned me over to another
NKVD officer who was travelling |
to Stanislawow. There I re-
Joined my mother.
Iwent back to school. I lis
tened to lectures on the
greatness of communism. My
memory was good and I could
answer the instructors ques-
tionS, but it was just a case
Of trying to get good mark.
Soon there came an event that
made it unnecessary to fret
about MARKHAM philosophy. Ger
many declared war on Russia
in June, 1941. Ultimately the
Nazi forces reached the outskirts
of Stanislawow and the Soviet
forces fled.
But the Reds couldn't 60 with
out a farewell demonstration.
All of the political prisoners in
the city Jail were executed.
The NaziS arrived. Mass mur-
der knew no holiday. HitlerS
liegemen slaughtered Stanis-
lawow citizens just because they
had tried to live peaceably in
a city controlled by the Rus
slams. Many of those who
escaped murder on the spot went |
on to delayed deaths at the vile
concentration camps of Buchen-
Wald and Dachau.
My mother and I were fortu-
nate. We escaped violence. The |
Nazis paid us no attention when
we left Stanislawow and went |
to live on LaponowSki street in
Gdow, near Krakow.
Survives NaZi Rule.
We lived. as best we could, |
under Nazi rule until 1914, when |
the tide of war reserved itself. |
Then came the famous War;