Re: Memostory #2 - Bicycle 1941

diz (diz@NBNET.NB.CA)
Sat, 5 Apr 1997 23:35:54 -0400 

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Yes, Mr. Springer, I very much enjoy reading your stories. As I am only =
50 years old and grew up in the U.S. much of what went on during the war =
years is very interesting to me.

                        Yours truly,
                        Mary A. Kierstead

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From:   Zvonko Springer[SMTP:zzspri@COSY.SBG.AC.AT]
Sent:   Saturday, April 05, 1997 3:21 PM
To:     MEMORIES@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
Subject:        Memostory #2 - Bicycle 1941

                Hello to MEMORIES!

        The second of my life-stories is about my first-owned bicycle. =
The title I
choose for it is:
                =09
                *** MY BICYCLE IS GONE TO WAR 1941 ***

        I got the first bicycle for my 12th birthday a year after  the =
family
moved to a house father bought in 1936. Our house was a single standing =
and
two storied structure called a 'villa' then. The Krezmina street was a =
wide
tarmac road lined by Japanese cheery-trees with pedestrians walks at =
both
sides. At one street's side stood detached houses where as the opposite
side all were built as attached ones.=20

        The night before birthday I have crept in parent's bedroom. I =
heard that
something 'big' has been brought upstairs to that adjacent room. After I
made sure that parents went down to the living room - I jumped out of =
bed
and quietly went to their darkened room. There it was MY FIRST BICYCLE. =
It
was covered with colored papers waiting for me to touch it at least. I =
did
it very carefully not making any noise or change position of papers. I
could hardly wait to see IT in the day light of next morning mid June =
1937.

        On March 27, 1941 a military Coup d'etat dismissed the Yugoslav =
civilian
government. Military enthroned the under aged Petar II Karadjordjevic as
the King of Yugoslavia. This has happened in defiance to Hitler's =
Germany
with whom the late government entered in 'Three partite pact' few days
before on 23rd only. As the consequence of it German Armies bombarded
Belgrade on April 6th and subsequently occupied the country by April =
10th.
The Military Command announced a general mobilization by end of March. =
My
father got a letter from the Municipality Center ordering me to report
there with my bicycle immediately.

        The Center was at so called Citadel of Osijek which was within =
medieval
bastion' fortifications. I took a day of from the school -- luckily I =
could
stay away from a class-work in Latin held by a professor I didn't like =
at
all. On arrival at Center's  proper office I found a crowd there =
including
some youngsters waiting to get some orders. [We had to register the
bicycles and carry a number plate fixed to front and rear mud-breakers.]
After an hour of waiting I got some dozens of sheets addressed to =
various
persons at a certain city's part. With this bunch of letters I left the
Center after I had been ordered to return the undelivered ones next =
morning.

        I have pedaled whole day delivering letters of unknown content =
to people
living in streets or at places I never that they exists in my hometown. =
The
person whom I have delivered this ominous looking letter had to sign a
receipt. Otherwise I had to leave a notice at the address for person to
call at Center in 24 hours under threat of sever punishment. The next =
day I
have learned what letters' content are all about. Some of these were for
person to report to their army units and other were for vehicles of any
kind including bicycles to be delivered to certain Municipality's
collection places. I worked my ways for two days and picked up my third
bunch of letter of calls for that day. I was really fed up with this =
rather
unpleasant and dispirited courier's business returning home dog-tired =
late
afternoon that day.

        After my father has closed his lawyer's office he came to see me =
looking
rather uneasy. He had a rather unhappy mien on his face when handing =
over
to me the letter which form I have learned so well delivering in the =
past
three days. I opened this letter and my heard stopped beating for a =
moment
reading its content. I was ordered to deliver MY BICYCLE at Citadel's
Municipality Center the next day. Oh, of all the horrors, I did not want =
to
believe getting this letter at all.=20

        I couldn't sleep the whole night thinking about how to prevent =
my bicycle
to be dispossessed by the Center. I worked for the Center very hard for
three days and I just couldn't believe that it wants my bicycle. Why =
should
 the Government need it and for what purpose at all? Who would ride on =
my
bicycle - my beautiful black WANDERER touring bicycle? How could a bike =
be
used in defending the State? On the next morning my father took me by =
his
huge arms and pressed me sobbing at his big chest. He said: "Son, that's
one of life's hardships. Soon, many more would come - there might be =
even
more dramatic or tragic that this one. You go and deliver your bicycle =
at
the Center now."=20

        I gave up my first bicycle one day early in April 1941 and never =
saw it
after. This bicycle went to war just two years before his owner.

                                ******

        How do you like, dear readers, my MEMOSTORIES? Should I continue =
writing
them? Many regards from

                                CROATIAN SOLDIER alias Zvonko of the Oak =
Hill.
  =09

                        =09

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