were killed and 9 wore wounded. Two days before, on the 29th July, also in
an ambush organised by tho guerrillas on the road between Miteda and Mueda,
one of ny best friends, belonging to another Company, has his logs cut-off.
In that ambush, a captain v/as also killed. In another ambush I suffered, I
saw tho sergeant, connandor of ny section, fall dead at ny side. On that
occasion I had to take command of the section. Tho sergeant was JOSE GARCIA
HENRIQUE. I myself v/as already wounded by a nine".
(JOSE CATARINO brought v/ith him some photographs of lorries blown up
by our nines, of houses where Portuguoso soldiers lived which wore destroyed
by FRELIMO guerrillas in August 1965 in MUATIDE, aid also photographs of
some of his colleagues who wore killed in our anbushos - among then tho
sergeant v/ho v/as chief of his section.)
Kept in ignorance 	
"Our officials never tell us anything about tho war. I never know directly that we v/ero fighting FRELIMO troops. I v/as aware of what FRELIMO
was bocauso I used to listen to Radio Moscow secretoly. I know that FRELIMO guerrillas had killed many Portuguese troops, otc, and I knew it v/as
true, because I could see many of ny colleagues being killed. I nyself was
once in a lorry which v/as destroyed by a nine. Tho driver was killed in ny
presence. Luckily I escaped. When v/e were on march, if ono of us saw a paper on the ground, ho could not pick it up: he had to report to the officer!
only tho officers are allowed to read those papers. But I sometimes road
thorns it was thus that I became more informed about FRELIMO".
The decision to desert
"V/hat gave no courage to desert and to contact the people and FRELIMO
guerrillas v/as the fact that I had many friends anong the people, who could
intervene in ny favour. I had very good relations v/ith the people.
Whon I deserted and surrendered to FRELIMO, I was very v/ell treated, both
by the people and tho guerrillas. Thoy never tiod no up or mistreated no.
I oven slept in the sane huts where they slept. I liked it very much."
Contrast with the colonialists
■ "The Portuguese officers beat, torture and kill the people. Once, I
asked why thoy v/ere boating a poor woman who know nothing abouth v/ho had
attacked us in the bush. Thoy answered* "Look hero, if they get you, you
will not stay alive5 thoy will boat you and kill you." I knew it was a lie.
Now I have proved it through experience."
The only way    .......
"I would like to be able to speak to all Portuguese people, in particular to the soldiers, and toll then that what tho officers say is not true,
that we do not fight to defend Portugal but to steal the land which belongs
to other peoples, that those who fight against us aro the true owners"-of
the land who want to reclain what belongs to then; and that the only way
we can avoid being criminals, is to refuse to fight ."
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