In between high school graduation and entering the Marines, I worked at a commercial photo processing company. There was a husband-wife team of artists who had escaped from Hungary. They were both vehemently anti communist.
She was a beautiful woman
Back in the 90’s I would sometimes make deliveries to the 7-Up bottler in Richmond, Va. The warehouse manager was a guy who escaped Hungary in his late teens. He enlisted in the US army and served in Vietnam. Pretty cool guy. Tough but pretty cool.
Much later, around 2010 or so I pulled for a company with about 300 trucks. I met a co-worker who escaped Hungary while the Soviet Union was still in charge. Big fun loving guy who loved to laugh. As conservative as anyone you will ever meet. He and I would run together whenever we got the chance.
He lived in southern Illinois. He loved the countryside in Illinois but hated the stranglehold that Chicago had on the political landscape.
I haven’t been in touch with him in some time, he must be losing his mind over politics these days.