Radana Květová

"My friends and I didn't have money or a car, so we hitchhiked on trips from Prague. That is how we got to Slapy once. By evening we got hungry. We saw a training center, so we went there and asked if they would sell us some food. We saw a lot of young guys there and wondered what it was. They were just about to have dinner and invited us to sit with them. We talked, and it later became clear that they were apprentices. They joined State Security and had training at Slapy. They boasted to us: 'We are doing very well! Wouldn't you like to join us?' One even offered to meet us at Charles Square. They told us all the benefits we could get: We would have a free cinema, swimming pool and I don't know what else. We didn't reveal our names or what school we studied at. We each made something up. By then, it was already dark, and they suggested we could spend the night at their place in a spare room. But then around ten o'clock they started knocking on us, we jumped out of the window and ran away. We ended up sleeping in a mow and were glad to get out of there."

"Jožek's uncle David was in the London provisional government, and there was tremendous glory when he and Beneš returned. Aunt Věra and I went to welcome the parade to the Charles Bridge. My aunt had her beautiful costume, and I wore a boyish costume after my brother. I was completely blown away by it, and I really liked the sight."

"During the war, my family and I were on our way to Lochovice. Fortunately, uncle Láďa was with us. He studied at a military school and spoke perfect German. The driving was slow, it was dark, the lights of the cars had to be dimmed, and we crashed into marching German soldiers. Three soldiers jumped on our hood. Their officer came and started yelling. Uncle Laďa got out and started shouting at him that the last row of soldiers did not have lighting, which was their duty. And he convinced him! The officer fell silent, and nothing happened. Our driver and the rest of us were terrified. It was an unforgettable experience."