PLEASE NOTE: This book contains graphic description ... - HUNSOR

67ADORJAN, NADRIJAN, THE UNFORTUNATEThe village of Adorjan was given a new name signifying "unfortunate" by the Serbianadministrative authority in memory of the events of 1918.On a pleasant morning during the takeover, two easy-going Serbian soldiers on a spree,took a short trip from Kanizsa to well-known, prosperous village of Adorjan. They had a littlefood and drink, for free of course, and probably also happened to meet some waitresses whowere happy to satisfy their desire for women without violence. They were occasionally firingtheir weapons into the ceiling of the bar, for the sake of maintaining their reputation.The two heroes' bullyboy notoriety had spread in the village. The bar-owner heaved asigh of relief, when at dusk the two tipsy soldiers made ready to set out for Kanizsa by carriage.They found a man keeping horses and frightened him after his initial refusal to lend them hishorses. It was late and he was afraid that his horses would be stolen, they might even shoot himon the way. In the end, however, a very different result transpired. He hitched the horses to thecarriage for the benefit of the two drunks. The carriage was standing in the yard and the two"travellers" climbed on board, keeping their guns between their knees. The horse-owner was anex-serviceman and kept a gun at home under the crib. Mortally afraid of being killed by thesedrunks on their way to Kanizsa, he shot his boisterous guests in the head. That night, with thehelp of his neighbors and ex-comrades-in-arms, he took the two bodies to the Tisza river andthrew them in.Within the next few days, the Serbian military commander ordered his men to try to findthe two missing persons. What had taken place at Adorjan somehow came to light. The armyburned several parts of the village. The villagers were prohibited from dousing the flames.When five of them ignored this command, the soldiers shot them in cold blood. Furthermore,fifty men were taken away from the village."In 1941, two "dobrovoljacs" were captured in this village by Hungarian soldiers. Thetwo unfortunate men were on their way home from the Serbian army, probably to Velebit. Athird, a Jewish physician, was also captured. They wanted to shoot the three men then and there.My father warned the sergeant that he should do everything legally and before a court. TheHungarian officer went to him and said, "You, why are you defending them?68Are you a Jew too?" The three men were executed. This was the only bloody event in Adorjan in1941.In November, 1944, the relatives of these two dobrovoljacs may also have returned to revengethe spirits of their fallen dead.On about the 30th of October, terrible Serbian and Hungarian cries could be heardcoming from Banat on the opposite bank of the Tisza."Get a boat! We want to cross the river!"They were partisans. No one moved because there was shooting everywhere around the river.The bullets were hissing and fizzing over our heads. As yet, no one told them that the fishermenhad knocked out the bottom of the boats to prevent the use or theft of them by the opposingarmies.