The first day we came there we were watching the parachute jumps. And we saw that some parachutist´s chute did not open. Only the parachute canopy flickered above him as the torch. In that time this was called "the dead torch". Since today I can remember his name. It was private Černý. Well, and the day after we went to make parachute jumps. With one parachute. You know, we were no heroes. Because each parachute jump is a risk. Even now I can sometimes hear somebody´s parachute did not open. In that time we jumped with one parachute only. After that we got soviet parachutes. Instead of our V-1 we got soviet PZ-47. And it had both, the main and the reserve parachute also.
He spoke his opinions and I think they were right. He wanted to change communism into something more acceptable. That´s why I liked it - because it really was humane. That´s clear. And regarding the occupation, it was clear a man should condemn that. But even the condemning was prohibitted. So I condemned the occupation of our country ...they called it "the help of allied states", but it was an occupation. And I disagreed with that. That´s why I was excluded. My exams were completed, my dissertation thesis was finished but I was disabled to present and defence it.
I was expelled from the army in 1971. It was known I was a supporter and (as a member of college comittee) also a promother of Dubček´s ideas of socialism and humanity. That I didn´t agree with entering the armies of Warsaw pact our country. So I was called the "right-wing opportunist" during the party screening and my membership was cancelled. In consequence of that I was relegate from senior lecturer to technical assistant. Few moths later I was expelled from the army.
I witnessed an airraid to Ostrava there. It was the only one. It probably should strike ironworks in Vítkovice. The spifires came, that means fighter pilots, and they made kind of circle. Apparently on a place where should aim the bombing. But, accidentally or intentionally not a bomb fell on the ironworks. It all fell on a populated part of the city, near the ironworks. I watched the bombing on the bank of the river, it was Ostravice I guess. About three hundreds meters behind us were the FLAKs - anti-aircraft artillery which shot at the bombers. We saw just a smoke under the bombers. Obviously the FLAKs weren´t able to shoot so high so they can´t shoot any bomber down. By contrast, small pieces of grenades hissed into the water behind us. There was a huge piece of stone. It had a weight of twenty maybe thirty kilos. And I held it above my head all the time to protect myself from the pieces of grenades. If some would hit me, Iwouldn´t speak with you right now.
In 1961 was in the Military academy of Brno established a post of the older mentor of parachute tactics. It was offered to me and I accepted gladly. Regarding to mobilisation, I belonged into the staff of czechoslovakia front in that time. It was determined to plan airdrops. That´s why I took part in all front command-staff trainings compulsorily. Under these trainings I planned dropping of the parachute brigades on the Neckar river, on the Rhine and on the french-german borderline also. We made all these plans during the cold war. I´m glad the cold war didn´t develop into the real war and so these and other plans couldn´t be realized. Because every parachutist who should be dropped in the enemy´s rear knew it´s fifty fifty chance to come back home.
Ivan Kutín was born on 4th February 1923 in Zareč (SSSR) into Czech-Ukrainian marriage. In 1929 due to grandfather´s request the family moved in Skořenice near Choceň. After finishing basic school the contemporary graduated from Business school in Vysoké Mýto and then Business academy in Choceň. Briefly after starting to work in Choceň dairy was called up into Technische Nothilfe in Ostrava. After injuring his leg he was hospitalized here. After discharging from the hospital he was treated at home. On the grounds of psychological and technical testing and testing of physical competence was accepted to 2nd year in Military academy in Hranice na Moravě where he graduated in 1946.
In May 1948 was accepted as a platoon commander of 71st parachute battalion in Zákupy. After graduating from Military University of Prague in 1951 was appointed as the chief of operative section of Ministry of national defense - The Command of parachute armed forces. Since 1952 served for eight years as the staff chief of 22nd parachute brigade. In June 1961 was appointed as the older mentor of parachute tactics in Military academy in Brno. He made no secret of disagreeing with the occupation of Czechoslovakia and concured with Dubček´s ideas of socialism and humanity. Therefore in 1970 he was called “right-wing opportunist” and expelled fromt the Communist party and after that from the army. Untill retiring he worked as the inspector and then shop-manager in Brno where he made good use of his business education. In 1991 Ivan Kutín was completely vindicated. Now he lives in Brno and still is an active member of Jan Kubiš´s parachute veterans club.
Family photo - upper row - aunt, mother and father, second row - cousin, grandmother and grandfather, bottom row - František, Viktor, Ondřej a Ivan Kutínovi
Family photo - upper row - aunt, mother and father, second row - cousin, grandmother and grandfather, bottom row - František, Viktor, Ondřej a Ivan Kutínovi
