Much More - Summer of Tanks = page 9.

Second or third day I did meet on Vaclavak my old friend from my home town ( Kladno ) I can't recall where or if I did had any sleep that first night or if I had again anything to eat or drink. Since those generous old ladies from the building near Hradcany.
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My body Rudolph did tell me that he came to Prague to get some Resistance news print material. He said that he had through Resistance arranged place where to get it and his mission was to smuggle all the newspapers and so on back to Kladno.
Rudolph did ask me to give him a hand since in two we would be able to carry more material then he all alone.
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It was for my hometown so I had no other alternative.
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Rudolph in 60s.
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It did show that our resistance was getting to be better organized. At first under the instructions we did go to Bila Labut ( white swan ) Department Store - it cas closed. But by fron entrance we had waiting for us several heavy duty large shopping begs.
We each did take two largest begs and with them we did go to another address in downtown where i front entrance by the door in the corner we found waiting for us several stacks of resitance newspapers and fliers.
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Loading our begs to the top and covering the contents with some of our clothing on the top we were ready to go.
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And since there was not any public transportation we had to start walking cross whole Prague.
When we did came to the Vltava river we did discover that bridge across was obstucted by tanks and only sidewalks were open for the pedestrians.
Sidewalks were on both sides guarded by the Russian soldiers.
Rudolph and me had short conference. Rudolph decided to go first and he told me that if he will get arrested for me to ignore him and leave him to his faith and search for me some other way to get cross the river.
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And there he went. It did seemed easy he went cross with now problem.
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When he was on other side it became to be my turn to go. Not knowing to me I did cover content of my one bag with my ( sustak ).
Italian made spring coat what one of my aunts did buy for me.
Coat material was still not seen even in Prague on too many people. I was probably on in five in whole Prague.
To my surprise as I did approach the guards one of them did jumped up and went straight to my bag and did begun with his fingers start testing my coats material.
I was afraid that he will remove it in out of my bag and discover whole load of resitance print hidden in under neath.
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To my luck he did not. Rudolph told me when I did reach him that he did see me arrested without the doubt.
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Well after that rest of our way we did not encounter any incidents. Our bags were very heavy and for that we had to make number of stops to rest. But eventually we did made our way all the way to Ruzin. As we did get closer to Kladno highway we did run in to the traffic jam on the street.
There were standing some people on the sidewalk. We did learn from them that Russians were not letting anybody to leave Prague.
Kladno is from Prague 32 km. So our prospect of future burden to carry our heavy bags for another 32 km on our feet did sound very scary.
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We did told to the people what we were up to and did ask what would be for us best way to get in out of Prague ?
In among the people was one man who said that he was transporting to Kladno Cable Factory load of wires. And said that he was stucked in Prague over 2 days. In Kladno he had prepaid hotel and food.
So for that reson he was determined to get of Prague and offered us to get as out.
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Parade.
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People from the sidewalk did give each of us Czechoslovakian flags. Me and Rudolph did place our bags in between the wires climb on to the trucks and were on our way.
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Short distance behind te turn off to the Ruzin International airport Kladno highway was blocked by several tanks and armored transporters.
In front of those were soldiers redirecting all the traffic back in to Prague.
This meant that every vehicle had to turn from right lane in to the left lane and start returning.
No one was allowed to leave the city.
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And so even our truck did begun turning but instead of turning all the way our truck did go straight on to sidewalk and turned again to the right. Then drove around the tanks on the Kladno highway.
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Our truck had heavy weight for all the load of wires. My biggest concern was for prospect of blowing our tires.
But we did survive even turn on to the highway behind the tanks.
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AND SO SUDDENLY THERE WAS NOTHING IN FRONT OF US. JUST EMPTY ROAD.
FROM BEHIND THE TANKS ON TO OUR SIDE CAME RUNNING SOME HIGHER RANKING RUSSIAN OFFICER SCREAMING SOMETHING AT US AND WAVING HIS ARMS.
WE COULD NOT HEAR THE THING
NEXT THING WE DID SEE FROM TOP OF OUR TRUCK HOW THE CANNON BARREL FROM ONE OF THE TANKS BEGUN TO BE TURNING AND AIMING AT US.
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WE DID FLY OUR FLAGS I DID LOOK AT RUDOLPH - RUDOLPH DID LOOK AT ME.
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IT WAS GOOD TO KNOW YOU MY FRIEND - TOO BAD THAT OUR LIVES WILL BE SO SHORT.
WAITING FOR TO BE BLASTED OUT OF THIS EARTH THERE WAS ONLY EMPTY HIGHWAY IN FRONT AND SMALLER AND SMALLER TANKS IN BEHIND.
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For all those years that Soviets were involved in Afghanistan I kept saying that if that Russian officer did end up in that conflict. Then no harm would come to him because he did display such humanity toward me.