European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

I deserted the army in September 1945.

I wanted to study and I believed that I fought for that too, for my own personal freedom, for the right to decide for myself what I would do.

I didn’t want anybody else deciding for me.

I wanted to study Slovene; as I had never attended Slovene schools, my knowledge of the language was deficient, and I was a poet.

That was all just retold rather harshly, but they understood. There were no charges brought against me.

I had deserted in September and it was December before I received my certificate of discharge.

For three months I had been de facto, and I might very well have been charged with desertion before a military court.

It was another of my crazy maneuvers that had simply worked out well.

They had understood this powerful desire of mine to study

and they turned a blind eye towards the fact that I had broken the law, that I had deserted the unit without anyone’s permission.

I just left.

Our unit was the Gubcev brigade with its seat in Postojna.

Every day I tested: I have to go studying, leave it alone,

we have other worries, and you know how invaluable you are to us.

I was immediately nominated for some medals, but I just didn’t stop.

Once the commander finally lost his temper and said: I’m sick of you! Just get out of my sight!

He only meant get out of his room at headquarters, but I played dumb and said: Ok, Ok, I’ll go to hell!

And I went straight to the station in Postojna and I hopped onto the very first train.

Relationships back then were much more humane.

He understood that I hadn’t really deserted, but rather that I’d gone to study.