Chapter 1 - It Begins

—Day shift Cloudy Weather—
No encounters on the way.

–Jakub’s Grandparents’ House–
As you draw nearer to Krasnik, Jakub becomes your guide, directing you to his grandparents' modest townhouse in Dąbrowa-Kolonia, a suburb situated about 7 kilometers to the east of Krasnik's city center. The unmistakable signs of Soviet military presence saturate the area, but there are no visible patrols as you drive through.

The locals' sentiments towards the Soviets remain unclear. However, your presence in a US Humvee doesn't go unnoticed; many passersby do double takes or pause to point and stare.

Upon arriving at Jakub's grandparents' home, the atmosphere is heavy with sorrow. They welcome Jakub with gratitude but are crushed to learn of the loss of the rest of his family.

Tearfully, they implore you to take the boy to America, convinced that it offers the promise of a brighter future. In their eyes, America is a place where dreams come true, and they firmly believe Jakub will have a far better life there.

Jakub, caught in the midst of this emotional turmoil, is scared and tearful. His says he want to be with his grandparents, but their somber warnings about life in Poland are clearly scaring him.

The Grandparents point out a couple of known checkpoints along the road, and then say that the Soviets have been capturing NATO troops and executing them in public spaces. They also warn you that their neighbors may have already informed the Soviet military of your presence.

They don't know of a safe route, but they warn you to stay off the roads.

The area bears the harsh scars of war – buildings damaged, services scarce, luxuries nonexistent. However, people aren't starving, and water is accessible. The Soviet presence, while providing some stability, expects allegiance and compliance, granting a degree of freedom.

They don't know of any less-used crossings at the river, only a couple of road checkpoints along the way that you can easily bypass.
Only the grandparents are willing to speak with you and only because you've taken care of Jakub.
It didn't take long to get to Kraśnik or talk with the parents. The next shift would start by the time you got to the river. (If you go that route)


This is the main crossing west.