Vladimír Rafaj

“We used to go to the shop in old part of Valaská, where was also a bakery back then. There we used to go and bake our bread. However, it was quite a problem during the war. As soon as we stepped on the road, shrapnel whistled above our heads, thus we had to do so only in the evenings. So, we went to the shop and to the bakery only when it was dark. Otherwise it was really dangerous. For seven weeks we were under fire. There, in the hill the Germans were deployed and they kept shooting towards Brezno. The front was dispersed from Brezno to Valaská for five weeks. Then the Germans retreated to Podbrezová, where the foundry is today, in Čiklov they dragged the slag. There was such a shelter on the hill, and on the top the Germans had their watchtower. Thus, they could see everything from there. As I said, once I just stepped on the road, they opened the fire. This situation lasted another two weeks. During the whole seven weeks we were under fire.”

“We had arranged jobs in the States, there was also another family from Valaská, which died already. They prepared a farm for us there. Always, when a family wanted to emigrate to America, there was a commissar, who had to come and meet the family to grant his signature as a permission. Afterwards the family could leave. However, the commissar didn’t manage to come to our house, because as he was in Bratislava, the war broke out. So, all our plans were foiled and we had to stay here.”