September 1, 1962, I had to report to Prague’s main train station for military transport to the city of Tabor. Every Czech male 19 years old was drafted for 2 years military service. The exceptions were males attending a university – they attended ROTC-like program in the university and after university was completed they were drafted for 6 month military service.
At the train station in Tabor military trucks were waiting, which transported us to the army base. There were several military bases in Tabor and I was assigned to the 18th tank regiment. When we arrived at the tank regiment barrack complex, we went through the initiation process; getting army clothing, surrendering civilian clothing, getting military style haircut, etc.
The first month was grueling basic training, where, besides normal training, we learned not to question stupid orders from superiors who tried to break the spirits of anyone questioning them. After basic training, we were assigned to specific military groups. I was assigned to the communication/signaling group within the tank regiment, because I graduated from 2 years electronic trade school, after graduating from high school.
Next to my assigned bunk bed was Jan Kotva (Honza) and we were sharing information about each other and became really good friends. Honza was born April 28, 1943, in Hradec Kralove, a small town east of Prague. He moved to Prague, after graduating from high school in town of Jablonec nad Nisou, to attend theater academy (DAMU) in 1960. In 1962, there was a first ever spontaneous student demonstration in the afternoon of May Day, May 1. Students marched in small quarters of Prague chanting political rhyming slogans, like ‘we don’t want Gagarin (the Soviet first astronaut), we want bread and kmin (carraway seeds), highlighting food shortages. There were some disruptions caused and some cars were turned on their sides. Police and secret police rounded up and arrested all the students they could catch, who were in the march. Everyone who was caught, was expelled from school. Among them was Honza, who was not, in general, politically active or a political dissident; he was there just for fun. Anyone who was 19 or older was immediately subject to start 2 year military service on September 1, 1962, since they no longer were attending school. That’s how Honza ended up next to me in bunk bed in Tabor.
In October 1962, during the Cuban crisis, we were in a constant state of readiness, to the point where for almost 2 weeks, we were told to sleep in our uniforms to be ready to clear all tanks, vehicles, and personnel out of the army barracks within 20 minutes. During that time and for about another year, officers were constantly reminding us to report anyone listening to Radio Free Europe station or spreading different news than what we were officially told. Throughout the 2 years in army, we had 2-hour political schooling every week which everyone had to attend. In November or December, I was sent to another town, Pisek, about 30 miles from Tabor, for 3 month to learn and become proficient in maintaining and repairing army transmitters we were using. There I met and became friend with Petr Rampir, who also was rounded up in the May day student demonstration and was kicked out of the film academy (FAMU). These 2 friends, Honza and Petr, remained my friends after the army, since they lived in Prague.
Life in Czech army for draftees was very different from what one would experience in the US army. We did not experience an active war. We were not allowed to wear civilian clothes for the whole 2 years. Only 25% of soldiers could have a free pass in the evenings or Sunday; this included soldiers being on vacation (2 weeks after one year). The pay was 75 crowns a month (a pack of 10 cigarettes were 2 crowns). Fortunately, when we went to a beer pub, civilians would frequently buy us a drink. Because we could not get a free pass to go to town very often, many times we skipped over the wall to be with girlfriends or have a fun. The other soldiers would cover up for it, if they could. Once in a while, officers at night would get everyone up and do a count, in which case, whoever was out would be sentenced from a few days up-to 2 weeks into army jail, sometimes only after duty time. Honza very often got into trouble, talking back to his superiors and skipping over the wall at night. I was in a good position, since I was the only electronic technician; I was responsible for keeping radio transmitters in operational order, charging batteries for electronic equipment, cars, and tanks, and for maintaining warehouse of all electronic and signaling equipment. Also, I set up amplifiers and speakers for any outside gatherings and parades. I used to cover up as much as I could whenever Honza could not be found, by saying that I sent him on some errand. But he was often sentenced to do time in the army jail. I was caught only 2 times for being out with my girlfriend and each time I was sentenced to 2 weeks after duty, which I never started, since they always needed me to do something that only I could do.
The second year in the army, in 1964, the political situation improved. Apparently, on orders from Kruschev, the communist party gave orders that was OK to question the state of the government, everyone should be able to freely discus their opinions, and that people should not be punished for the deeds of their parents and family (which I was personally familiar with). This was kind of similar to what Gorbachev did as ‘glasnost’ 25 years later. Not many people took advantage of it, thinking that it was a ploy, to gather information on undesirable people and after a few years they would tighten up again.