We knew we meant difficulties to these people. But they were so kind, they would do everything for us.
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Július Kusý was born on February 4, 1926, in Omastina near Bánovce nad Bebravou. He comes from a peasant family and had 8 siblings. He was trained as a locksmith. As early as 1943, partisan and resistance groups began to form in the vicinity of Bánovce nad Bebravou and Uhrovec. Before the outbreak of the SNP, he helped to process new documents, find clothes, food and medicine for people in illegality. After the declaration of the SNP, he received a weapon and joined the ranks of the newly formed Partizán Brigade of Jan Žižka. The brigade operated mainly in the Strážovské and Inovecké mountains and guarded the entrances to the Rajecká and Turčianská valleys and mountain passages. In November 1944, together with about a hundred other people, he was detained at home in Omastina by members of the German army with the help of PO HG. Julius was brutally interrogated, tortured, and imprisoned for two weeks. Together with two other prisoners, he managed to escape and get back to the mountains to the partisans. After fleeing to the mountains, he became a member of the 9th PBJŽ battalion under the leadership of Commissioner Vladimír Sedlář. In his ranks, he got as far as to Poprad, where he was transferred to the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps on March 24, 1945. The end of the war caught him near Vsetín in Moravia. After the war, he married Elena Pšenáková and they had two sons. In civilian life, he worked as a locksmith in Tatrovka in Bánovce nad Bebravou, later in Most and in Dubnice nad Váhom. For his services, he was awarded many awards for bravery, dedication and helping people during the SNP. He spends the autumn of his life in the Center of Social Services in Bánovce nad Bebravou.
