I3 Six were held hostages

Narrator: Olinda Marcon Reporter: Rudy Sartor

I’m Olinda Marcon. I’m eighty-two years old. At the beginning of the Second World War I was eighteen. I was a teacher but, because of the conflict, I was working by the town hall of Vedelago. In 1942 I was evacuated at Via Montegrappa.

One day a senseless person, cut the telephone wires near some houses to interrupt the connection between the military headquarter, situated in a beautiful villa nearby, and the town hall of Vedelago. The morning after the Germans, in reprisal, arrested six family heads and they wanted to shoot them.

So I implored them: "What can we do to save the lives of these six people?" The Germans answered: "If, within two hours, the telephone line is repaired we will let them free."

I rushed to the town hall to look for help, but, for fear, nobody wanted to come. A man in a wheel-chair came forward and, helped by his son, succeded in repairing the line within the time allowed. While I was looking for an electrician my father, who was a tailor, promised a civilian dress to the commander, trying to persuade him to release the six people.

The man and his son repaired the line and finally the people were released.