. r NO. 11 CARPATHO-RUS, ALLENTOWN, N.J., OCTOBER 8, 2004 VOL. LXXVii Translated from Zahoroda, 2003, is this "Oh, my God! Mother of God!" I Continued from #10,_ September 3, '04 2nd World War story by resident of Lemkovina. shrieked. "What can I do now? Godfather will a kill me." Petro turned white and didn't say a A fine story of the life of a young Lemko Recollections of a Frontline Soldier word. lad growing up in a village with strict parents. Andrei Hrinenko of Tylawa "0 Lord, Petro! What should I do?" In Service In 1939, the world was enveloped in a "You can't do anything," he replied. terrible war, which became even worse in 1941 After supper, aunt Ksenya gave me a when Germany attacked the Soviet Union. "But you should have put more wood on the cup of butter mixed with cheese and covered Millions of soldiers died at the front lines, and fire. The wolf won't come around when the with a horseradish leaf. I put that, along with a the civilian population -- old folks and children fire is burning good. We'll have to tell the chunk of bread, into my bag. I put on an old - suffered adversities beyond description. coat with a ragged fringe that had belonged to owner about this." Timko's father, got up on Kato, took the mare From Moscow and Stalingrad the I won't go. They'll kill me! Oh, my on a lead rope, and went off th Zdzhar. The eastern front moved westward through Ukraine God, my God!" I wailed. colt ran along side of us, sometimes behind, and Belarus and approached the borders of and sometimes way ahead. "Ee-ha-ha" Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and "Stop your blubbering," said Petro, whinnied the mare anxiously, when the colt Romania. By the end of July 1944, Soviet angrily, "Stay here. I'll go and tell them what went too far away. "Ee-hi-hi" came his troops entered eastern Poland and in August response, more shrilly. happened." they neared the Carpathian Mountains. Battles with the German armies came close to Sanok When I got over Debro, I could see H~ ~n.l:lg!?pled his horses, and rode like and eastern Lemkovina. lI'ko's Petro in the pasture. He already had a mad for the village. fire gOing. His horses -- Kashtan and Siwiy, The Soviet army command formulated were hobbled and grazing. Petro himself was I was left all alone. The mare kept a Carpatho-Dukla Operation, which was nosing up to the colt, although I tried to drive lying on a blanket beside the fire and smoking intended to help a Slovak uprising. This tobacco he had stolen from his father. He was her away. In anger, I beat her with a stick, but operation began at Krosno on September 6, only two years older that I. she didn't want to go. 1944, under the command of General Kiril Moskalenko. He was in' charge of the 38th The sun was beginning to set behind "We tt , " said Petro. "Hobble your Army, which was part of the 1st Ukrainian horses and go get some wood out of the brush Debro when godfather Timko appeared with Front commanded by Marsha'I Ivan Konev. there." his meighbor "'ko. Timko was walking rapidly. However, fighting had begun even earlier south He was barefoot, and his pants were rolled up of Sanok in the Komancha -- Lupkow area by So I hobbled my horses, and they because there was a heavy dew. He walked the 1 st Guards Army, which was part of the 4th hopped over closer to Petro's. The colt right up to the dead colt. Ukrainina Front commanded by General Ivan switched its tail and went after them. Then I Petrov. dragged up some dead branches, which Petro "See what you did, you scoundrel? broke up into short pieces to add to the fire. I May the Lord punish you, you cursed devil, .for After heavy fighting at Dukla, Soviet spread out my cloak close to the fire and lay the loss of my colt." units approached the Czechoslovak border. down on it. And so the -two of us laid there and They occupied northern Tylawa on September talked for quite a while. Then we dug into our 22. Reconnaissance groups reached lunch bags and ate every thing we had. nOh, God! My God!" I wailed at the top Zyndranowa on the 23rd. On October 6, of my voice. I couldn't do anything else. I did elements of the Czechoslovak Army Corps, It was a warm night. The moon came have sense enough to stay as far away from aided by Soviet troops, crossed the Polish Godfather as I could. He knew very well he up and the stars sparkled brightly. Petro was Czech border, from Zyndranowa and Barwinek could never catch me, for I was swift of foot. the first to fall asleep. I tossed a few pieces of to Komarnik. The front soon moved to Svidnik wood on the fire, wrapped the coat around on the Ondawa River, while the village of He and lI'ko examined the colt, turning myself, and was soon sound asleep .. Myscowa in . the Dukla area remained in it over and shaking their heads as they looked German hands. _ There was such heavy and talked about it. I woke up to the sound of the horses fighting on the Iwla near Dukla that the area blaring and their hoofs pounding. We both came to be known as "The Valley of Death". "Well, all right. It's done. Come over . jumped to our feet. The fire was barely here," Timko said to me. "Don't be afraid. smoldering, and the sky in the east was Here.'s a bit of mush for you. Your aunt Continued on Page 4. Column 1 showing light. It must have been about three thought you might be hungry." o'clock. What in the world is going on? The horses, hobbled as they were, kept hopping Continued on Page 2, Column 1 and snorting. "Karo, Kashtan!" we shouted, running up to them. TO ALL MEMBERS OF LEMKO ASSOCIATION, YOUR FAMILIES Just then something like a sh'adow sped across the pasture and disappeared into AND ALL READERS OF CARPATHO-RUS, WE WISH YOU THE BEST OF a thicket. "Wolf, wolf!" we yelled. Lying there in HEALTH, SUCCESS AND WELL-BEIN~ FOR THE NEW YEAR, 2005. the meadow was my little colt, its throat slashed. Hot blood was pouring out on the dew-wet grass. From: the EXECUTIVE and PLANNING BOARDS of LEMKO ASSOC. - ,- -..~ "'- ............ - --,,- PAGE 2 CARPATHO-RUS OCTOBER 8, 2004 dO #-u. j'-.~ ~ ~~z t ~"- • _ 6: .i_}, , ,.' " , == *' . __ d ,me" Ie ' \ t .. ".- Continued from Page 1, Column 2 my pant iegs and saW the blue bruises from Striding vigorously, papa entered the , Timko's club. Those on my shoulders weren't house. He was wearing linen trousers, a white I wasn't hungry, but I was glad that it visible, since they were covered by my jacket. shirt, a blue vest, and a black hat. He was was all ending so nicely. I walked up to him, carrying a new jacket over his shoulder. but instead of food he pulled a short rod from "You see," said Mrs. Shlomo to her under his jacket. He grabbed me by the arm husband, "how he' beat this boy. Darn him!" "God grant, good evening," he said and started laying it on wherever it chanced. She turned to me, "You'd better go on home. and sat down on the bench without greeting Maybe I'll go over there this evening, or in the the hosts. He didn't even' glance at me. "You, foul devil! You unholy fiend! So morning, and I'll tell your father and mother not this is how you take care of things?! Is this to let them beat you any more. You didn't kill "Welcome to our house, kum," said my what I feed and pay you for?! God str~ke you that colt. The wolf did it." aunt, bustling about the room. here on the spot for the damage you've done," yelled my godfather, and he did not spare the "Lord, I hope that wolf dies, he made so Timko sat down at the table. He didn't rod. I screamed as though I were being much trouble." look very happy. It was clear that he wasn't skinned alive until lI'ko managed to tear me too pleased to See papa. My father was a away from him. I left Shlomo's and went up to the fairly large man, well built, while Timko was cemetery. It was quiet there, and nobody saw short and a little pot-bellied. Papa could "Hey, neighbor! That's enough of this me. I walked from cross to cross and read the handle two such Timkos, even though he was pounding! I ran like a rabbit, crying all the way inscriptions. They were all pretty much alike - quite a bit older. through glen .and brush, · on to the brook, and "Here lies so-and-so of blessed memory, born then across the fields to my own home. on such and such a date, died on such and A tense silence set in. Papa slowly such a date." packed some tobacco into his pipe, struck a Papa was home when I walked into the match, and lit it (Timko didn't smoke). He took house.