Magyar News, 1999. szeptember-2000. augusztus (10. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1999-10-01 / 2. szám

Gaza Katona (left) and Jerry Bolick in 1998 at a Marine Corp Intelligence Association Banquet

clerk complied. The cable stated the United States government granted asylum to Cardinal Mindszenty.

The Cardinal and cleric were escorted to the Legation third floor administrative offices by Minister Wailes where he gave the Cardinal his office to reside. The Minister's office had a small resting area equipped with a single bed and a separate bathroom adjacent to his working area.

At 8:30 am it was announced the Cardinal would conduct Mass at 9:00am for everyone in the Legation who wished to attend.

About 10:00 am a Soviet T-55 tank appeared on the sidewalk in front of the Legation main entrance door. Additionally, Soviet troops began walking guard on the Legation front and side street sidewalks.

At 11:00 am a Radio Budapest broadcast stated the Soviets would seize the Legation at 12:00 am, and take the Cardinal into custody, and intern the Legation staff.

John McCormack of the New York Times (a Legation guest) pointed out to Master Sergeant Dunsworth that all American military attache staff were in uniform and the Marine Security Guards were in civilian clothes, their normal approved working attire. He continued to say that if the Legation staff were interned by the Soviets, the uniformed American military personnel would probably not be imprisoned or shot as spies. His statement raised concerns among the six of us not in uniform; our uniforms were seven blocks away in our apartments and there would not be enough time to retrieve our uniforms even if we could have gotten past the Soviet guards at our front door.

As a result of John McCormack's comment, we six Marines prepared for a “last ditch stand”. Our weapons consisted of six .38 caliber revolvers, two AK-47 (W.W.II vintage) assault weapons with

four clips of ammunition (someone had traded a policeman a carton of Winston cigarettes for the AK's and ammunition), one meat cleaver and two knives.

Our grand plan for the 12:00 Noon event was that when a Soviet soldier presented himself at our front entrance door, a Marine guard would open an inner glass window panel flanking the door, so a Russian speaking Legation official could tell the soldier we were on United States soil and they could not enter. News men staying in the Legation had camouflaged their cameras and were ready to record the “invasion” of the Legation by the Soviets. The Cardinal said he would surrender himself rather than endanger the position of the Legation staff.

After all our efforts to organize our defensive and offensive plans, the Soviets never arrived at the Legation!

In early afternoon Gaza Katona introduced the Marines to the Cardinal's assistant, Monsignor Turcsányi. During our subsequent conversations with Monsignor Turcsányi (who spoke fluent English) he always expressed more concern about our safety (Americans) than his or the Cardinal's.

Because of the increased Soviet threat to the Legation, we Marines asked Master Sergeant Dunsworth if we could use the Cardinal's bathroom on the third floor, on a non-interfering basis, instead of going to the top floor. Master Sergeant Dunsworth stated he would forward our request provided we promised to be quiet and not interfere with the Cardinal.

The following morning Sgt. Bill Zeahl and I tossed a coin to determine who would shower first while the other ate breakfast. The toss indicated I would shower first. Bill and I then agreed that when he finished breakfast he would return to the Cardinal's bathroom and lightly tap three times on the door so the noise would not wake the Cardinal. All went well until I heard three loud thumps on the door as I was shaving with a towel wrapped around me. Thinking Bill did not understand the difference between a “light tap” and a “loud thump”. I jerked open the bathroom door to inform Bill to be quite, and instead looked down at the Cardinal who was looking up at me as he asked, “wo ist der W.C.?” I gave the Cardinal directions (in German) to the other W.C. on the floor, and he replied, “danke”. It was a rough start using the Cardinal's bathroom, but we Marines continued to do so until we returned to our apartments.

Days later, after assuring himself that the Cardinal was safe and comfortable in his quarters, the Monsignor planned a trip to Vienna in an automobile driven by Leslie Baines, a Hungarian speaking American media representative, who had been a guest at our Legation. Unfortunately, on his third attempt to reach Vienna the Monsignor was captured by Hungarian and Soviet border guards at the

THE STAFF OF THE AMERICAN LEGATION BUDAPEST - 1956

“WERE DEDICATED TO HUNGARY'S FREEDOM"

CHRISTIAN M RAVNDAL. Umimu EDWARD T WAILES. Manact N. SPENCER BARNES. CRmj*

GORDON I RRUEGL OLGA BRUBGL

ROBERT A CLARK. JR. MARY LOU CARNES

WILLIAM N DOUGHTY TRAVERS HANNA

GAZA A KATONA BRICE K MEEKER

ERNEST A. NAGY ANTON N. NYERGES

GEROGE QUADE J THOMAS ROGERS

RICHARD SELBY DANIEL SPRECHER

CHRISTOPHER SQUIRE

■jtt rffcy

CoL CARTER TOOD. USA Col WT1W YN DALLAM. USAF

Maj. THOMAS GLEASON. USA Sgl HENRY LYBRAND. USA

S|t GERALD J BOLICK Sjl EUGENE COMER

M. Sgt. WADE H DUNSWORTH Sgt. DONALD IRWIN Sgt. HARRY NIGHTINGALE Sgt. EDWARD PARAUKA Sgt. CHRIS ZAH ARY Sgt. WILLIAM ZEAHL

This bronze tablet at the Alba Regia Memorial Chapel list the names of the staff of the American Legation during the 1956 Uprising.

Hegyeshalom border station. Baines later wrote about the Monsignor’s capture in his book titled, "The Reluctant Satellite". The Monsignor was later executed by the Hungarian government.

SPECIAL NOTE.

In October 1996, at the Hungarian Freedom Fighters Federation's Alba Regia Memorial Chapel, Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, the 40th anniversary was celebrated. This Chapel is a replica of a Transylvanian style edifice nestled in the wooded hills on property donated by the Hungarian Mt. Tabor Development Association. The Chapel contains many memorabilia of Hungarian saints and historical figures. There is an outdoor area alongside the Chapel bearing crosses symbolizing Imre Nagy, Pal Maiéter, the "Brats of the Streets of Budapest", and other participants in the 1956 uprising.

The Chapel stands as an embodiment of Mrs. Ilona M. Gyűrik, Executive Secretary of the Hungarian Freedom Fighters Federation, and Managing Supervisor of the Chapel, a creation of her historical concepts, her vision of a Hungarian memorial, and the result of her personal dedication, hard work, fund raising efforts, and persistence in leading local fellow refugees in accomplishing a worthy undertaking.

During the commemoration ceremony two bronze tablets were dedicated to "express the Federation's gratitude to the Americans for their support of the Hungarian cause". One of the two tablets listed the names of the American Legation staff, "who had served with intense ardor during that critical period".

The photographs are by Sgt Don Irvin, also Sgt Bill Zeahl and G. J. Bolick.

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