William Penn Life, 2002 (37. évfolyam, 1-11. szám)
2002-11-01 / 10. szám
Branching Out with Endre Csornán As I remember October 23, 1956 I HAD JUST TURNED 18 YEARS old when Hungary, the country I dearly loved, exploded in revolution against its oppressor, the Soviet Union, and the blood-thirsty communist secret police, the AVO. I was awakened by my mother and told that a large demonstration had taken place in Budapest fueled by students and workers. Later, we heard that the students read a proclamation in front of General Bern's statue. Some of the students were arrested, but the crowd demanded their release. Then, the secret police opened fire on the demonstrators. At this point the whole demonstration turned into a riot and fighting broke out. Soon, soldiers in uniform began to join the crowds. It was later that evening that truck after truck began rolling through our small town, filled to capacity with coal miners, steel workers and farmers equipped with picks, crowbars and pitchforks. They were singing "Édesanyám Nádfedeles Háza " and were headed to the capital to reinforce the demonstrating crowds. My immediate reaction was to join those brave workers, but the tears running down my mother's face kept me from going. We stayed up all night listening to the radio. Early in the morning of Oct. 24,1 headed into the city of Ózd. Later in the day, three gutless local secret policemen opened fire on a crowd from a school building. But they were captured and hung by their feet in front of the "Nagy Kapu " (the main entrance to the steel mill). That evening we assembled in front of the main entrance to the mill and demanded that security personnel open the gate. Just when things started looking ugly, someone raised the red, white and green flag as the security people opened the gate and joined the demonstration. That night the crowd cleared the mill of the known communists and halted running of the mill indefinitely. On the 25th, somewhat exhausted, I headed back to my parents' house. As I got off the bus near home, my brother met me and asked me to report to the townhall to join the local freedom fighters. There, I was given 10 minutes instruction on handling a machine gun, was given an assignment and was issued a gun. By Oct. 28 the fighting ended in most cities. It looked as if the mighty Red Army had accepted the defeat. However, after re-grouping on Nov. 4, the capital again was under "Ruski Attack." Fighting was reported in all parts of Hungary. Our freedom was short-lived, but none of those who fell in 1956 gave their lives in vain. The world will always remember them as heroes, and it has finally come to pass that their descendants are beginning to enjoy those freedoms for which they fought. The struggle for freedom in Hungary has continued to be a slow process. But, those freedom fighters of 1956 began that process by giving their lives for this noble endeavor. God bless their memory. |\y|»L| William hnn tile, November 2002 3 The body of a freedom fighter with an inscription: “His death is not in vain."
