Anton Facuna
ENG
Anton Facuna (1920 – 1980) was born in Horné Jaseno in the Martin district. He took part in the Slovak National Uprising and was the first Roma in the US military intelligence service. He entered the Slovak army on 1 October 1941, where he served in the artillery regiment and with it, as part of the Rapid Division, took part in battles on the territory of the Soviet Union. In December 1943 Facuna was sent to a reconnaissance division in Italy, from which he managed to escape to the Rinoldo partisan group, operating around Perugia.
After undergoing parachute training in June 1944, Facuna, together with other American colleagues, took part in a secret mission designed to support the creation of the Slovak National Uprising. He flew to the partisan airfield at Tri Duby together with fourteen members of the OSS secret service. Together with other volunteers he was assigned to the Day group. He worked as an interpreter, guide and intelligence aide. His role was to provide information regarding the movements of German troops.
In the 1950s Anton Facuna publicly criticised the government for its handling of the “gypsy question.” Together with Dr. Ján Cibuľa he founded the Gypsy – Roma Association in Slovakia and the Bútiker enterprise (1969 – 1973). He was the first chairman of the Gypsy – Roma Association and director of the Bútiker enterprise (1969 – 1970).
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