Pavol Beláň

“I once experienced on Sunday after lunch that a family came towards the demarcation line which was formed by a little stream. A forest was behind them, and a meadow was on our side in front of us. There were a lot of forest strawberries in the meadow. They started looking over there and fidgeting. And I looked at him and thought if he wanted to jump the stream. And he suddenly jumped the stream and went towards the wires. I couldn´t believe my eyes that he was serious. I did not understand what the person wanted to do in the meadow - he was three hundred metres away from me. And then I realized that it was because of strawberries. He was picking strawberries there and his wife holding the child was waiting on the other side of the stream. I was on duty alone; we rarely were there alone and at that moment I did not know whether I should call my company or climb to the tower gallery. It was too far to shout at him, it was difficult to point the gun at him, and it is really difficult to hit someone at three hundred metres. The thing happening was really difficult. I ran out and was looking at what he was doing. The woman saw me when I came out of the booth into the gallery. And I saw her pointing to him: ’Get back, get back.’ He looked up, saw me, ran with the strawberries towards the stream, and jumped it. Of course, I could shoot, I was supposed to shoot according to the rules. But I knew that he was there to pick strawberries. It was luck that he went there to pick strawberries and that he brought the strawberries to his child. He jumped back with those strawberries, and they vanished into the forest. And I was standing there near the railing with a machine gun in my hand, and of course with live ammunition in it. What was I supposed to do at that moment? Was I supposed to call the company and tell them that he was there and that I did not shoot at him? Or was I supposed to call the company and say that he crossed the border and came back without punishment? If that had been reported to the company, it would have meant a border alert, it would have been such a bustle. It would have meant full combat alert, action, and neighbouring companies. You would be amazed how many people would have to be put into action. And that is why I was sitting there alone, and seconds and minutes passed, I was holding a phone in hand, wondering what I was going to do. I looked up through the binoculars at the second tower - another company was there - the tower was empty, and nobody was there. (I looked) the other way – I was there completely alone. It was a beautiful summer Sunday. I asked myself whether I was supposed to call the company and tell them I had let him go. At least I said to myself that nobody could have seen it. That is why I risked not saying anything. I came to the company and the first thing the supervising officer asked was: ’What about the duty?’ - ’Everything was all right.’ The commander came from the office in a moment: ’So Beláň, did anything happen?’ And I told him that nothing. It ended like this. I did not say it to anyone in the company since some people from the company reported that kind of stuff!”