Verhovayak Lapja, 1945 (28. évfolyam, 1-52. szám)
1945 / Verhovay Journal
June 13, 1945 Verhovay Journal Page 11 THE HAYDU BROTHERS DON’T NEGLECT YOUR FATHER The three Hay du brothers surviving the late Pfc. Joseph Haydu, one of four soldier brothers, who was killed in action in Germany on the 16 th of March, 1945. He is the 138th heroci dead Verhovayan. His three brothers carry on while one brother and six sisters comfort their mother in her sorrow for her lost son. The Haydu brothers are all members of Branch 90. Allentown, Pa. STEVEN HAYDU JOHN HAYDU FRANK HAYDU He walked one day alongsthe country road, 1 His steps where short and those were few, Revealing the burden of his heavy load, His eyes were laden with precious dew. Through the slender trees there shone The golden sun of summer-time, Its rays casting upon his hair The color of cotton in its prime. I watched him close and then I saw His wrinkled face, its color gone, Neglected by someone whom he loved He looked so sad and walked alone. Oh, children, don’t neglect your father, Don’t leave him there to walk alone, But always treasure his life with you, for Those precious days so soon are gone. EMMA JENE EVANS, Branch 7. Pricedale, Pa. OUR SOLDIERSGERMANY’S GUILT AS SEEN BY A LETTER FROM GERMANY. Pfc. John Musko, a member of Branch 36, Detroit, Mich., wrote a very significant letter to his widowed mother, Mrs. John Musko. Mrs. Musko has two sons in the armed forces. Eugene fights against the Japs while Pfc. John Musko fought with the famous Ninth Army until German resistance collapsed. PFC. JOHN MUSKO The letter describes Germany as seen by GI Joe. He wrote it to his mother and never dreamt that it would be published in the Journal. Letters of this kind tell the unadulterated truth. Newspaper reports are often read with suspicion because the reader suspects that he is being handed propaganda of some sort or other. But the letter of Pfc. John Musko is not propaganda: It is the letter of a loving son to his beloved mother. It tells the truth about Germany. 9th Army, Germany, 12 April, 1945. ‘‘Dearest Mother and Sis:— Everything is fine, hope you ire the same. Probably you have been reading the papers and listening to the radio and know tow well we’re doing. We’ve got he German army really disnganized. Most of the men are nving up without fighting, towever, there still are a few ion have to watch out for. Most >f them realize that the war is iver and lost as far as Germany is concerned. The weather s fine, but the first couple of ays after crossing the Rhine we ad a lot of rain. When we crossed this great river, the Germans had a couple of planes up but we had plenty of protection because the air was filled with big flood-lights and flak from our anti-aircraft boys. Some of the planes were shot down and never came close to blowing up the bridge they intended to destroy. The first couple of days we had a tough fight but then something gave out and we broke into the open. And from now on it is non-stop to Berlin! The prisoners have been coming in by the thousands. We also freed thousands of Russian, French, Polish and all sorts of prisoners and SLAVE LABOR. They just kept coming down the road as we advanced deeper into the Reich. Mother I just can’t describe in writing how BAD MOST OF THESE PEOPLE LOOKED. The French were given /2 of what the German civilians got and the Russians fz of what the French got. In other words, they only got 'A of what the Germans had to eat. And you really could tell it by looking at them. They looked worse than the bums that roam the streets back home. Most of them are skinny and sick. They walk along the road and pick up scraps of pieces of food and butts which we throw away. Most of them eat the sugar-beets the Germans had piled out in the fields. Some of them are getting smart and are going into the houses for food and clothing. AMONG THE PRISONERS WERE FOUR HUNGARIANS whom we captured. And WITH WHAT LITTLE HUNGARIAN I COULD TALK, I SPOKE TO THEM. They told me that the Germans really treated them rough. They never gave them guns but made them work for them. One of them was only 17 and the size of Sonny-boy. He really was small. When I caught him, he was so scared, he started to cry. Then I told him that there was nothing to be scared of and that made him feel better. AFTER WE FED HIM, HE TOOK SICK BECAUSE HE HADN’T EATEN SUCH FOOD FOR A LONG TIME. I got a couple of Hungarian coins from him which I am sending you. At this house where we are staying, they have some horses and I even went horseback riding. This part of Germany is really beautiful and the PEOPLE SEEM TO HAVE EVERYTHING. What in the world they wanted from the other countries, I can’t figure out. Unless they stole all the stuff they have now. I have a lot of sleep to catch up on and so I’ll close for now. Will write later hoping to hear from you, soon. Keep writing because I’ve been getting your letters. Love: JOHNNY.” This letter is one of the many proofs we have that the stories about Germany’s cruelty towards the oppressed nationalities are no propaganda. While the Germans had everything (!), their slavelabor starved. They dragged young boys away from their home-land and made them slave for them. And they treated them like cattle and even worse than that. It is some satisfaction that this descendant of Hungarian immigrants could take active part in the liberation of some of these Hungarian boys and that he treated them like an American! But we have another letter which emphasizes what Pfc. John Musko had to write. This letter came from a high-ranking officer, a member of the Association, MAJOR ALBERT A. FIOK. * * * MAJOR ALBERT A. FIOK MORE EVIDENCE A LETTER FROM MAJOR FIOK This letter was written by Major Albert Fiok to his father THE DOMOKOS BROTHERS OF CLEVELAND FLIGHT OFFICER 2ND LIEUTENANT JOSEPH A. DOMOKOS STEVE J. DOMOKOS Mr. and Mrs. Joesph Domokos have two sons in the air forces. Joseph A. Domokos, Flight Officer, is stationed at Monroe, La. He is a member of Branch 366, Cleveland. O. Steve Joseph Domokos received his silver wings on Februayr 1st, 1945 at the Pecos Army Air Field, Pecos, Texas, where he graduated as a 2nd lieutenant from the Advanced Twc-Engine Pilot School. The new pilot is a former student of Western Reserve University, Cleveland. 0. Steve is a member of Branch 361, also of Cleveland, O. Congratulations are in order to Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Domokos, the proud parents of these two brothers serving with the Air Forces. and mother on the 10th of May, 1945, from France. He has been overseas for four years, has four battle participations, two decorations. He is a member of Branch 34, Pittsburgh, Pa., married and a lawyer by profession. Parts of his deeply moving letter follow: “I received the news of Germany’s unconditional capitulation while I was in Germany and every one of us was naturally very pleased about it. But there was no wild celebration on the front as there were in large cities like London and Paris. We drank a toast to the end and thanked God that finally this phase of the struggle was over. And we praised the boys in the frontlines who have made this possible and tenderly thought of those of our friends and comrades who were not as lucky as we in living to see the coming of this day. Silently we thanked them for their magnificent jobs, for having had to sacrifice their lives so THAT THE WORLD MAY BE FREED FROM SLAVERY AND TYRANNY. We observed the day rather solemnly in contrast to the wild celebrations that went on in practically every liberated city in Europe. For there is no fraternization in Germany with the Germans and we certainly didn’t feel (even if we wanted to) that we should be gleeful with those who have brought so much misery, so much cruelty, poverty and death into this world. Victory to them means only the beginning of their days of retribution for all the suffering they have caused. AND IF ANYONE BACK THERE FEELS SORRY FOR THEM, ALL THEY HAVE TO SEE ARE THE BODIES OF THOSE UNFORTUNATE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN STARVED TO DEATH, BEATEN TO DEATH, BURNED TO DEATH AND SHOT BECAUSE THEY WERE UNABLE TO RETURN WITH THEM! With us they try to be friendly but only because they are dreadfully scared of the Russians, French and Poles — to whom they caused most of the cruelties and acts of barbarism. But we ignore their attempts at friendship: they are not entitled to it. I only feel sorry for the babies that had nothing to do with the suffering that was brought about. For they, too, will suffer with their elders.” (Continued on Page 12)
