What Followed Vail’s Letter in My Journal

“As the above letter indicates, war is being waged. The Soviets took Budapest several days ago. Five thousand refugees are to come to the United States, but I heard over the radio that 30,000 men from Budapest alone are on boxcars headed for Siberia. Many will die from exposure on the way. Tonight we heard that 40,000 more are to go. It is so terrible I can hardly write of it. On the night (night it was here) the communists took the city, John and I listened to the radio till the wee hours on Sunday morning. Reports were that the Hungarian radio operators left their stations with these words: ‘We are leaving our posts. The Russians are too near. Help us, United /states. The U. N. is too late. God save our souls.’

“It was so sad, hearing this in the night especially. Election news a few nights later, was not nearly so time-stealing.”

I have vividly recalled that night many times, as one of the worst and most important in my life—indeed in the history of the world. Those Hungarians calling for our help seemed to be shedding heart-breaking tears. I was proud, in a sense, that the Hungarians rated the ability of these United States over what the U. N. could do in a positive way. And such has always been the case. Our young people don’t learn about this sort of tragedy in their schools. Not to know history is a guarantee to repeat it. ♥