“Very interesting was that nobody, not even the elder soldiers, remembered vehicles being loaded with full gear. Actually, we also were fully armed, although we didn´t have automat and gun cartridges, which were in the vehicles. [ ] It was quite unusual. The second thing was that in one company there were about ten vehicles (in our case, battle vehicles of the infantry). Out of those ten vehicles, two were used for testing, and others were stored. The testing ones were used for exercising at the training area – away from the unit we had a track, where … the soldiers used to train. And those eight vehicles were stored, and checked as for maintenance, batteries…, but they were supposed to remain untouched. … We suspected there was something extraordinary going on, when also the stored vehicles were ready to leave. And of course, even though it was prohibited, at our unit we listened to the “Voice of America” and we knew in Poland there was a new movement being formed, called “Solidarity”, what was accompanied by demonstrations, riots, etc. [ ] (Š. Haško: “I also read that allegedly, some men rejected to participate in this action? I only read this, but have you met with such an attitude?”) Well, in my surrounding, I didn´t meet with anything like this… I don´t know about anything. You know, we knew in Poland were some unrests, and also those soldiers knew it. We worried, the events of year 1968 that took place in our country would repeat. So nobody had any protests against it, although, on the other hand, we all were worried what would happen.”
“In 1981 there were elections and the whole unit made a promise to go and vote in a manifestation way [ ] – that you take the ballot-paper and you drop it into the ballot box without doing anything with it. [ ] But there were three of us, who went also behind the screen. What a ʻyoo-hooʼ this act caused in our unit - that we actually dared to do something like that and avoided manifestation voting… On a ballot-paper we crossed out that political party and its candidates… [ ] Never mind, that episode is behind us already. (Š. Haško: “And did it have any consequences?”) You know, it was just before the end of our military service… The deputy commander for political affairs was in a rage; he even said: ʻThey won´t hire you anywhere, not even as drivers!ʼ [ ] I never had any access to my personal evaluation… and I never actually searched for it. However, throughout my whole life I had problems with work and with any kind of job so that I could earn my living. [ ] I never had any great comprehension in authorities. [ ] When they deprived me of the travel permission, there was written that my journey was not in accordance with interests of the state. I cannot understand that until today – me, a common man, wanting to go somewhere and that was not in accordance with the state´s interest. I had many complaints against that regime.”
“We set out in the evening, it was snowing, and the weather was very bad. Nobody exactly knew, which way to go as we went in a line. [ ] In the morning we arrived to the town of Jaroměř. There we lined up on the field … they made us tea, gave us some food and in the afternoon we were divided into groups. Particularly we went back to the gym. [ ] Just for instance I mention; we slept there on airbeds, which were included in our full gear… we also had flasks… In the morning we got up and the water in our flasks was frozen. So, by happenstance, that December was very frosty. We stayed on that field for, I don´t know, maybe one or two days… and then they turned us back again. [ ] You know, there was certain nervousness in the soldiers as well – everybody worried, what would happen, whether we were about to cross the Polish borders or not. The statements differed. In 1968 when the soldiers came to our country, there was peace, nothing was happening and they came very unexpectedly. In Poland it was worse, because there were demonstrations, riots, and thus we feared if we invaded there, what would happen. You know, the soldiers are common men, they do not think about it. (Š. Haško: “Were there some men who literally wished to invade? Were there any exceptions?”) No, I don´t remember such cases. [ ] (Š. Haško: “Can you say, you were afraid?”) Yes, we all had fear. I can´t tell we were some great heroes. … Nobody wanted it and moreover, we were surprised that even in the professional soldiers´ faces we felt they were afraid and concerned, too. [ ] (Š. Haško: “Have you heard about trainings at places, where you were gathered within the Krkonoše operation?) (Wasn´t it atypical place for training?)”) [ ] I don´t know this, as we were gathered near Jaroměř on one big field and I don´t know if there were any other training places in Krkonoše. … We used to go to the opposite side, to Šumava. (Š. Haško: “USUALLY you used to go to the opposite side(?)”) Yes.”
“There was a week-long training, we finished on Friday and in the morning we went from Liberec to Prague. In Prague we transferred and in between that we said: ʻLet´s go and visit the Wenceslas Square. We came there at about 3 p.m.; people were beginning to gather there. I don´t know, but within an hour so many people gathered there that I had never experienced something like that before. I was unable to even take a deep breath; I cannot imagine someone would have got sick or something. … (Š. Haško: “I guess everyone was feeling just fine over there, don´t you think so?”) Yes, yes, I do. At this Wenceslas Square we waited until Havel came, many different people gave speeches, musicians played, Kubišová sang there … Well, so I witnessed one manifestation, and it was a great experience for me.”
“There was also some international training going on, which we joined and Polish soldiers participated in it as well. And with the Polish soldiers… when we had free time, we talked about all of that. They came to say: “ʻYou know what? That Solidarity party is a good thing, you know.ʼ The Polish guys told me. … [ ] (Š. Haško: “Did they know what was happening right behind their borders?” (In December 1980, note of ed.)) No, they didn´t know that. … They lived by their demonstrations – riots and the development, which was in Poland. They lived this all out. I think they even didn´t expect something like that could happen. [ ] But the boys told them, for sure.”
“When they deprived me of the travel permission, there was written that my journey was not in accordance with interests of the state. I cannot understand that until today – me, a common man, wanting to go somewhere and that was not in accordance with the state´s interest. I had many complaints against that regime. [ ] (Š. Haško: “And what do you say on issue of meeting the ideals – on the development of after-revolution events, let´s say, until nowadays?” Well, I can state only one thing to that, you know, today are in power those, who deprived me of that travel permission. It has been a great disappointment.”
“On September 1st I was drafted at the compulsory military service. I got a draft card to Tábor. There we had a month-long training, after which we were divided into individual units in the surroundings. I was placed into the military base in Benešov, near Prague. [ ] In December we started to have different unplanned exercises and an unplanned training, when we suddenly received a command to pack our combat stuff and line up to the training area. Then we had to unpack all of the things at this area and those superiors… (There were various inspections also from other commanding units.) …they would come and check whether and how do we have everything packed. I even must say that they would smell soldiers´ socks if they had them washed, what was really kind of uncomfortable, since not even the elder soldiers remembered such inspections. And it was surprising also for professional soldiers what all was being inspected and done. [ ] On the other hand; those inspections were justified, but we found that out later in the future. (Š. Haško: “What do you mean?”) You know, the “Action Krkonoše”, started so innocently – with the line ups, inspections, and so on. But by coincidence, in December of that year, there were unbelievable frosts – twenty below zero, so the accoutrement had to be really good. So that no one would have any frostbites and the army would not suffer from loss, what we later on found out.”
“We all were excited that our military service had ended, that everyone was able to go to work and live normal life. On the other hand, however, when we still heard in news information about Poland, there was constant insecurity whether we wouldn´t be called back to join the soldiers. Yet in January 1982 the television interrupted its broadcasting and announced that the general Jaruzelski and the army took over all of the buildings, and so on, and that the consolidation of the situation in Poland occurred. So I felt real relieve that the whole situation probably calmed down and we wouldn´t need to be called back to army.”
Jozef Rauch was born on April 22, 1956 in Michalovce in a hairdressers´ family. In 1950s his parents had to surrender their hairdressing salon and they could work in their profession only within the community service. Jozef attended the elementary school in Michalovce and in 1975 he graduated from the Secondary Technical School of Mechanical Engineering. His passion for machines, especially for automobiles and motorcycles drove him to study of motor vehicles at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Bratislava. He successfully graduated from the university in 1980 and began to work in Bratislava Automotive Works. Based on a draft card, on September 1, 1980 he enrolled at the compulsory military service, at first in South Bohemian city of Tábor, and later in Benešov near Prague, as a company´s technician, where he trained drivers. By the end of 1980 he became one of the participants of the Krkonoše military exercise. He retired into civilian life on August 31, 1981. Firstly, he was again employed at the automobile industry; however, later after returning to the Eastern Slovakia in the mid-1980s, he worked in different professions. Recently he has been living in Michalovce, working in social sphere.
