January 23, 2010

OK, now we reached the Free World. This is late night on January 20, 1957 on the Yugoslavian border town of Tavankut of which nobody ever heard of and probably never will.

The border patrol put us on a train and took us to a place called Palić. This was some kind of spa that was closed for the winter but it was on a large area, had dormitories and places for us to sleep.

We stayed here for a short time when after the necessary administration which included the same question where we wanted to go they transferred us to a small village called Feketić.

Here things weren't so bad. We slept in some kind of school auditorium on straw bags on the floor. Men, women together.

This was the place where we started to get oriented. Saw some familiar faces from the previous days and started to make some contacts.

Some of the initial contacts developed into lifelong friendships because not only we liked each other but fate and the Yugoslav authorities kept us together throughout the entire time in that country.

We were allowed to move around freely in the village of Feketić . This was a predominantly Hungarian village where they were very kind to us. I remember sneaking out of the camp late nights and going to a nearby tavern where the nice locals were buying us all drinks. We were the heroes in their eyes.

We stayed in this village for a while but our impression was that the Yugoslavs didn't know what to do with us. They were not prepared to handle the sudden popularity of their country in the eyes of the Hungarians who wanted to escape from home.

Fortunately for us even though Yugoslavia was a socialist country it was not in the soviet bloc. For them to hand us back to the present Hungarian government was never a question. At least we didn't know about it. They never stopped people who wanted to return but it was never encouraged.

So, after a while we were moved to another refugee camp by the name of Inđija. Here things got a little less good. We were not allowed to roam freely in town. The place was guarded by armed soldiers to prevent unauthorized exits. Though it was possible to obtain permission to go out it was not very frequent.

I was able to keep in touch with my parents via mail and rare telephone calls. I really don't remember much about this camp except that we were very busy doing absolutely nothing.

We wrote a lot of letters to various foreign organizations and countries asking for their help. My parents found a relative who lived in nearby Subotica. They came to visit me and I was told that if I wanted to go to Israel I could leave the next day.

By now we were there for a few months without any idea what's going to happen to us. But I knew that if I go to Israel I'll wind up in the army with a very uncertain future, and I had absolutely no intention doing that.

So we just waited. None of the western countries showed any interest in us. They were too busy handling the multitude of Hungarians who escaped through Austria.

We just waited. Played cards, and played more cards, ate, slept and not much else. Not having much money we all tried to preserve and alter the clothing we escaped in. That happened in January and I think by now it was spring of 1957.

Eventually we were separated and moved. My girlfriend and I and some of our new found friends (all couples) went to a place called Lovćenac. My friend, who was single was sent to another camp.

I don't remember how we stayed in touch, no cell phones yet, but we always knew where the other one was.

This place, Lovćenac, was probably the worst place I ever was while I was in Yugoslavia. We slept on double tier steel beds, on straw mattresses that we had to fill up. We slept on top, two couples on three beds. It was cozy but cozy and comfortable are two different things. This is where we learned what togetherness is all about. In all honesty, we got to know each other pretty well!

I think this was the place where some people decided to become golfers when they reach the free world.

This was a bad environment. They guarded us like we were war criminals. The food was lousy, sanitary conditions very poor. I caught something, I think it was chicken pox, that was the result of bad hygiene.

Food wise I didn't complain. I love beans in every shape or form. Very frequently we had beans for lunch or dinner. So I was happy. My girlfriend loved cabbage and that was a frequent staple also so she was satisfied.

Once in a while they took us out to the village to the movies where we saw American movies. I think that's where I saw Young at Heart with Frank Sinatra and Doris Day. But these excursions were very rare.

We stayed in this place until early Summer when we were transported to a place called Voluja.

By now we had an inkling of what we wanted to do with our lives. My Mother didn't favor staying in Europe. With the cold war and other saber rattlings she thought the further away from Europe the better. Not Africa or Australia but maybe North America or England.

Since I spoke reasonably well in French I was trying to be accepted by Canada. My parents dug up various relatives both in Canada and in the US and asked them to help me.

Now back to Voluja. This was a cool place. Here we all had a great time. The place was close to the Romanian border and we were not guarded at all. Where would we escape to, Romania? The people who lived in that area were very poor Romanian minority. We, the refugees had more stuff then them.

Again we bunked in a huge auditorium but were not crammed any longer. All day we wandered around the countryside. There was a small river or creek there and we used to swim and sun ourselves there. We all had our favorite spots at the creek, we made bathing suits out of bed linen and life was good.

I spoke to my parents once a week on the phone, wrote some official letters and just enjoyed life.

But, all good things come to an end. The authorities decided to close this camp and we were transported to a nearby location called Kučevo. Here we were totally locked in. But I decided that by now I am as smart as the next guy, I'll join the camp police. As such there were certain privileges. Extra cigarettes, better living quarters and unlimited passes for leaving the camp.

I think we stayed in this camp for about a month. By now it is September and the western world is stirring. I was already not accepted to go to Canada but it looked like I would be accepted to go to the US.

After a month and several interviews with various selection committees we went to a new camp called Ečka. This was a critical stop. Now our life started to take a serious shape. The laziness was over, decision time was here.

This camp was run by the Americans and this was the last stop before boarding a plane to the US. It was early October when we arrived here. My friend was here already, he already passed his "interrogations". And was scheduled to leave. Other friends arrived and we were together again.

We were four couples and my friend together from the beginning. With the exception of one couple we all came to the US. Those friends went to Down Under and are living there very happily ever since. Even talk funny, like Crocodile Dundee.

Anyhow, eventually we were interviewed by the American officials who made the final selection for who may enter the US.

There were several criteria that caused persons not to be accepted. Like members of the communist party, members of the communist youth league, spouses who left the other party and children at home and many more.

Since they had nothing against us we were easily granted permission to leave for this country.

It can not be imagined the excitement that overcame all of us. We are really leaving for America? It was unbelievable.

Little we knew that the easy, carefree life we all had until then was over and a brand new way of life was beginning.

Thinking back now, after living here all my adult life and being familiar with the situation here, I can not imagine American youngsters of 19 and 20 years of age taking such a giant step.

Going to a new world without knowing the language, without knowing the customs, no money, no housing, no nothing and starting fresh on life is such a brave thing to do that it is unfathomable to an outsider.

American kids of this age are pampered, have no clue how to stand up in life and fight for what they believe in. They get upset if there is no Big Mac. Can one imagine an American kid leaving his homestead and go let's say to Greece and start life anew without parental help?

Thinking back I am convinced that we all were the original cool!

Anyway, on October 30, 1957 they took us by bus to Belgrade Airport where we boarded our charter plane to New York. It was very exciting since this was the first time that all of us ever flew.

This was the end of Phase II of my epic journey to America.

Stay tuned!