"Czech Freedom Tank" and three key personnel . . . (left-io-righl) Vaclav Uhlik, the master mind; John Beger and Josef Pisarick. mechanic and soldier.
Ewing News
Christine and Diana Baum
went to O’Neill on Tuesday, July
13, where they took examina
tions for driver’s licenses. They
were accompanied by their moth
er, Mrs. Henry Baum.
Mrs. Henry Baum and daugh
ters, Christine and Diana, drove
to Norfolk Tuesday afternoon,
July 13, to meet David Baum,
who had been visiting his broth
er, Henry Baum, jr., at Lincoln
for a week.
Marcus Pierson and Miss Bon
nie Jo Jefferies were O’Neill vis
itors on Tuesday, July 13. Miss
Jefferies took an examination
for a driver’s license.
Several families in Ewing,
who raise poultry, recently re
ported losses in their flocks due
to intense heat. Farmers also in
the vicinity have had losses in
livestock. The cool wind from the
northwest on Wednesday, July
14, brought a welcome relief
from the high temperatures of
the previous 10 days.
Mr. and Mrs. Victor Mar
quardt of Creighton were Ewing
visitors on Wednesday evening,
July 14. They formerly lived in
Ewing and operated a grocery
store here.
Mrs. Irvin Cloyd returned
home Monday, July 12, from
York where she had spent a
week with her daughter, Mrs.
George Gar hart, and family.
Ronnie Cloyd, better known as
“Butch,” is vacationing this week
at York as a guest at the home
of his brother-in-law and sister,
Mr. and Mrs. George Garhart,
and family.
The Ewing and Clearwater
congregations enjoyed a fellow
ship picnic dinner on Sunday,
July 11, at the parlors of the
Ewing Methodist church follow
ing the morning services. There
was a “good” attendance from
Clearwater.
Valgene F. Krieter, AD3, navy,
Mrs. Krieter and their son, Jer
ry Lee, left Monday, July 12, to
return to Kingville, Tex., after
visiting with her mother, Mrs.
Martha Hill, for a few days. En
route they stopped at Fremont,
where they were guests at the
home of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley
Merchant. Mrs. Merchant and
Mrs. Krieter were classmates,
both being graduated from Ew
ing high school.
The Golden Gleaners 4-H club
is busy working on summer pro
jects. On Wednesday afternoon,
July 14, the group taking sewing
met at the Ewing Methodist
church to work on dresses. Those
taking cooking met at an earlier
date. Mrs. Robert Tams is the
leader.
Army Maj. and Mrs. E. D. Mc
Donald will go to Camp McCoy,
Wise., for the summer camp and
Mrs. McDonald and children are
spending two weeks as guests of
her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ray
Butler.
‘Czech Freedom Tank’
Builder Visits City
(Continued from page 1)
chanics is the territory. Even a
year later, his hands and nails
are those of the village mechan
ic. Skilled, trained hands.
Theoretically, Uhlik was to
stay on in his own shop and
work for the state. He didn’t like
it. To put it bluntly, it was a
hell of a way to live.
Now, here he was, just a few
miles from the Czecho-German
border town of Waldmuenchen,
Bavaria. Uhlik, the skipper,
knew the lay of the land. No
military expedition ever had
been planned more thoroughly.
As the black skies began to
turn to grey ash, it appeared the
mission was working out perfect
ly. Only a few more endless
miles lay ahead—and the border
barrier.
Would the machine hold out?
Would we be intercepted, ac
cidently or purposely, by police?
Would the barbed wire fence
yield without creating serious
injury to the armored car?
These and a hundred other
grim questions paraded through
the minds of the tiny contingent
of escapees.
Everything was going perfect
ly ’til now. Maybe a bad omen.
The engine performed well—
too well. The treads and all the
movable parts stayed intact.
Tank trades have been hexed by
gremlins since the first vehicle
of its type was built. Uhlik knew
the weaknesses of all types of
tanks—especially did he know
the shortcomings of his own
“homemade” machine. Never
mind. Everything was okay now.
It was nearing 5 o'clock in
the morning. The armored car,
still responding properly to the
will of its master, rolled down
the road curving close to the
barbed wire barrier at the
frontier. The border police
were on the alert.
Vaclav Uhlik breathed a pray
er. So did his wife, their two
children, and four other com
panions.
Uhlik firmly gripped the steer
ing mechanism, applied the pow
er, and the tank wheeled sharp
ly, headlong into the barrier. The
complaint of the heavy wire
against the hull of the tank must
have been audible for several
miles.
The Czech deserters, who were
inside, kept their weapons train
ed through rear peep holes. In
an instant they would mow
down anyone coming from be
hind to upset the timetable now.
The tank rumbled onto West
Germany soil, still in high gear.
Too late now for shouts and
shots from the guard. Finally,
the nondescript car crunched to
a stop a few hundred feet inside
West Germany.
There were prayers on each
set of trembling lips.
Uhlik wiped beads of sweat
from his forehead and clambered
to the ground. His wife, Marta,
fell to the ground and kissed it.
Uhlik handed his tommygun
and pistol over to friendly,
dumbfounded officials and ex
plained he was on his way to
the United States. Glory, head
lines and receptions followed,
everywhere they went.
Mrs. Cloud, who arrived in
New York last September, has
rejoined her husband, a meat
cutter, in Sioux City. The armor
ed car reached the U.S. the same
month and is now on display
in the Ford museum.
Uhlik finally went to work
in Springfield, Mass., helping
build bus bodies. From friend
ly workers slowly he is learn
ing the language. The kids are
learning English, too, from
neighborhood children.
Vaclav, jr., and Eva romped
and played in Halva’s yard when
The Frontier reporter called at
the house. The Halvas and Uh
liks were seated around the din
ing room table chatting in their J
native tongue. Mrs. Halva had I
served an ambitious meal, and
we came along during the period
of dallying over interminable
cups of coifee.
Mr. Uhlik, who was besieged
in New York by reporters, news
paper, newsreel and television
camermen, wasn’t exactly anx
ious to go through an interview
and speak to “Voice of The Fron
tier” listeners. But he finally
obliged.
It’s difficult conducting an in
terview in which there is a lan
guage obstacle and Mr. Uhlik
speaks only bits of English.
With the help of the Halvas,
however; who served as inter
preters, we pieced together the
story for Frontier readers. Sto
ries like this one, with interna
tional ramifications, seldom pre
sent themselves to a weekly
newspaper editor in a small Ne
braska city. But here was heroic
Vaclav Uhlik — a visitor in our
own town!
It’s an amazing story — one
that has been well told by scores
of writers far more capable than
we are. But it’s a story that can’t
be retold too often. Because Vac
lav Uhlik is only one of millions
of people in iron curtain coun
tries who have known freedom
and who have fought for the
democratic way of life. Yet Uh
lik is now free and the millions
of others still are captive, re
strained from physical contact
with the outside world.
Probably there will be no
other "Czech freedom tank,"
as such, because the Soviets
no doubt have mended their
border defenses to prevent
such embarrassment occurring
again.
But in our book, Vaclav Uh- |
| 1 i k ’ s perseverance, heartaches
| and indomitable courage in the [
i_
face of tremendous odds long
will stand as a classic in the an
nals of freedom-seeking people.
POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT
1“-—---“|
Vote for
JACK ARBUTHNOT
Republican Candidate for i
CLERK OF THE DISTRICT COURT
if Lifetime Resident of Holt County
★ Overseas Veteran of World War II
if Education: College and one year law; knows the duties
of the office and can perform them
| Your Vote and Support Appreciated J
Primary August 10. 1954
—■——■■■■■■■ —
HAY PRODUCERS
ATTENTION!
IF YOU WANT to sharpen your sickles in
the hay field, saving costly time and
trips to town, here is the hay grinder that’ll
do the job and pay for itself in a jiffy. It’s
the B&N Sickle Grinder!
NO VIBRATION, driven with a flexible
shaft, very fast and efficient.
We slock these models (illustrated above). The new, improved
electric model (at left) has an automatic set to gauge adjust
ments for various sickles.
Call and See Them
We Gladly Demonstrate for You
B&N Sickle Grinder Co
Phone 49 Ewing, Nebr.
POLITICAL ADVLttiLsLMLN I POLITICAL AUVC>nlU)C>MLr4 1
KEITH NEVILLE I
• FORMER GOVERNOR
• BUSINESS MAN
• FARM OPERATOR
• CATTLE FEEDER
. . . with a fine record
of both private and
public administrative
efficiency.
Democratic Candidate for
UNITED STATES SENATOR
Primary August 10v 1954
THIS AD PAID FOR BY KEITH NEVILLE
POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT
C. H. SWITZER
• Republican Candidate for
HOLT COUNTY SUPERVISOR
FIRST DISTRICT
Comprising O’Neill First and Third Wards
Primary Election Tuesday, August 10, 1954
Your Vote Will Be Appreciated
POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT POLmCAL ADVERTISEMENT POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT
An Able Woman Leader
.
4
- Nebraska's Only
Republican Woman Candidate
For U. S. Senate
For the "Short-Short" Term
(2 Months—Nov. ’54 to Jon. ’55)
United States Senator
Vote For '
Mrs. G nrge P. Abel
• A church/ civic and community leader
• A recognized Republican leader
• An Abie woman leader
. • *
Mrs. George P. Abel
tu Ad Paid for by "Abe! for Senate Committee." Mr*. John Doan, Cbatrmaa. LAtrola, KaW.
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5
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