VETERANS

My name is Otto V. Koos, and I was born on December 3, 1915, in Szekesfehervar, Hungary. My father served as a soldier during the First World War, or as we called it back then: The Great War. Who knew at the time that even a greater one was coming in the near future.

At the end of the First World War the country was racked by internal chaos. After a few political decisions, the Hungarian government became committed to the Germans as they awarded us some parts of Transylvania. That explains the close political ties with Germany before the outbreak of World War II.

My name is Endre Mordenyi, and I was born on June 10, 1930 in Godollo, a town situated in Pest County, Hungary. I belonged to a traditional military family. My father also served as an army officer and moved to Godollo after the First World War. I believe that I had the innate qualities of a soldier as I have always observed a military environment in my home. When the war began in 1939, I was very young. I applied for the military school in 1940, but I did not get selected because of my poor health. In 1944, I applied again and got admitted to the Gabor Aron Artillery School.