Bosnia: How this guy's family survived

The story in this link is bare, stark and dramatic. The guy is direct and straight in telling what it took for his large family to survive three years of lawlessness in Bosnia in the early 1990s.

He will put a lot of the tough-talking machos on this list to shame because he talks sense--from experience.
I don't think it needs anymore promotion than that.

Well, yes, I will add something. He reminds us more than once that you can't be too careful of those around you unless you can trust them completely and never allow yourself to get in a compromised position without firepower..

silverdoctors.com...-26477

reply to post by Aliensun


I am skeptical of how real this is, given the source and the lack of information about the author. That said, I think it is a thought-provoking article regardless of its authenticity. I especially like the focus on the importance of having others on your "team" in this sort of situation:

Strength was in numbers. A man living alone getting killed and robbed would be just a matter of time, even if he was armed.

Too many preppers seem to have this philosophy of "I'll lock myself in my house with 50 guns and everything will be fine", as if being alone with 50 guns is a good position to be in. If anything it just makes you a target for the gang of 10 guys with 5 guns who need to arm the rest of the crew.

The article was presented for "what it's worth...."
It is filled with good advice.
Why you would question the veracity of the story itself is beyond me.

reply to post by Aliensun


Wow, there are some great lessons there, right from the horse's mouth...someone who's been through a year of a SHTF collapse, and lived to tell about it.

Some important bullets I took away from it....

1) Have a skill, something you can use for trade.
2) Lighters, cigarettes, booze, and batteries make great currency.
3) The need to have a weapon (or more) for the early days of the crisis.
4) There WILL be gangs, cooperation is the only key to thwarting them.
5) (one I didn't really think of as much, but will now) The importance of hygiene and sanitation supplies (cleaners, etc.)
6) He saw many lone survivors die, armed or not. Strength in numbers only.
7) Antibiotics are important.
8) Registered guns may be seized.
9) He valued his guns and weapons the most, as without it, couldn't protect what he had.
10) Organization is key, always had somebody on watch.
11) Appear humble, and like everyone else, don't scream "Rambo" with your clothing choice.
12) The biggest and most beautiful homes get looted first.

That was one heck of a story...It was worse than Argentina and that in itself was bad enough. He was certainly big on the family being armed.

Was it difficult to purchase firearms? What did you trade for arms and ammunition?

After the war, we had guns in every house. The police confiscated lots of guns at the beginning of the war. But most of them we hid. Now I have one legal gun that I have a license for. Under the law, that’s called a temporary collection. If there is unrest, the government will seize all the registered guns. Never forget that.

So many arm chair warriors have no idea in their wildest fantasies what a true SHTF situation can turn into. Interesting about the armed gangs trying to rule the day.....Man what a story.

reply to post by Aliensun


Wow, it is crazy what this guy went though. The information he gave, in case something like that happened here, is good to know, and it made a whole lot of sense. The things that we consider valuable now would be totally worthless under these circumstances.

Originally posted by Slugworth
reply to post by Aliensun

 

I am skeptical of how real this is, given the source and the lack of information about the author. That said, I think it is a thought-provoking article regardless of its authenticity. I especially like the focus on the importance of having others on your "team" in this sort of situation:

Strength was in numbers. A man living alone getting killed and robbed would be just a matter of time, even if he was armed.

Too many preppers seem to have this philosophy of "I'll lock myself in my house with 50 guns and everything will be fine", as if being alone with 50 guns is a good position to be in. If anything it just makes you a target for the gang of 10 guys with 5 guns who need to arm the rest of the crew.

Hi slugwoth

I was little sceptical so read all the comments following the story.
A poster came up with a link to a story almost identical
Here it is.....www.shtfplan.com...

True, half true, doesn't matter though there is still good info in the story.

reply to post by Aliensun

Why you would question the veracity of the story itself is beyond me.

Because that is what I always do when I read something written anonymously on the internet. Because the article has been posted all over the web but never includes an author or source. It still has value, regardless of its factualness. The article may be fictional and still contain truth. I didn't question the truth of it.

I hope nothing like this happens in our lifetime, although it probably will, but encase it does here is a tip I ran into the other day on how to open canned food without a can opener. It's a real easy method.

I imagine finding a can of soup and not having a thing to open it with would be torturous.

reply to post by TheLieWeLive


Cool idea but why didn't he just use his knife? It could come in handy if you didn't have a knife.

This is good info for city people. I imagine it would be different in the country side.

reply to post by billy565


Still easier than just the knife alone (and a lot less likely to cut yourself)...ever try that? It's a pain. Nice trick!

reply to post by skorpius

This is good info for city people. I imagine it would be different in the country side.

I'd think most of those lessons would still apply.

Originally posted by TheLieWeLive
I hope nothing like this happens in our lifetime, although it probably will, but encase it does here is a tip I ran into the other day on how to open canned food without a can opener. It's a real easy method.

I imagine finding a can of soup and not having a thing to open it with would be torturous.

edit on 13-5-2013 by TheLieWeLive because: (no reason given)

Link removed. Any way you can tell us how it was done?

I'm certainly curious. Reminds me of back when I smoked, and had a cigarette but no lighter.

reply to post by chasingbrahman


Basically, he smacked the can down on the concrete, upside-down, then rubbed it back and forth to grind the top lip of the can down, to where it met the seal. This allows you to insert a knife there, break the seal, and peel back the lid. A bit easier than trying to use the knife as a can opener (which works, but you really risk hurting yourself if you slip, and it's a pain). This method is much easier. Without a knife, you could just keep grinding until you get past the seam, and still open it this way (as long as you were careful enough to not spill the contents).

Edit:

I didn't read Gazroks post before I explained how the can was opened. (insert Homer Simpson Doh here)

Thanks Gazrok.

Dear ATS Readers, Writers,

I found the story informative, and had good for real logical info in it.

In my little mountain town here in Oz I met a man from that part of the world, who came to Oz as a refugee.

He was from Bosnia, and Sarajevo area.

He was a mountain of a man, weighed about 250 lbs, and his arms were as big as my legs. Someone you for sure would not want mad at you.

We got to talking over a beer and a smoke on the deck outside the Irish Pub..and I asked him about what it was like, if he could talk about it.

I then see this huge man get a shakey voice, and begin to describe the situation he was in, and how he hid like a wild animal to stay alive. Much of what he said to me in person was echoed in this story.

I finally asked him if he had to shoot anyone... to stay alive...

He dang near broke down into tears, this huge strong man... He told me he did shoot one person dead, not to save his life; but to save the lives of a family down the street. A man was going from home to home dragging the families into the street, and shooting them because they were a different religion than his.

They had one rifle hidden in his home. He said you always heard shooting but it got close to where they lived, and someone ran by saying a family was shot up around the corner..

He got his rifle and got on his roof, and waited..he said not long, a man was marching a family into the street, with 3 kids. And just as he was getting ready to kill another family, he let the SOB have it, in the head..and killed him.

By the emotion in this man voice, and in his eyes, I had no reason to doubt his story at all. That was quite a long time ago, 95 and 96 I think it was...but it obviously still haunted this poor guy.

He managed to leave the area not long after that, and came to Australia as a refugee a month or so later.

He also said that the streets kind of hung together, and watched out for each other, families and their relatives lived on the same street sometimes he said.

He lost family members there during those terrible times. He wanders the streets up here, looking for part time work. Really nice and gentle guy, but haunted by what took place a long time ago now.

I saw him just last week again, so he is still hanging around here. I seen him a St Bernards..a resort place, with cabins to rent, etc..

After we finished our visit, I told the man, "Hey, it might not mean anything to you, but you did the right thing".

"Sometimes people get disaster thrust upon them, and you gotta do what you gotta do. Imagine how you would feel if you did nothing in that situation? Could you live with that any better?"

He just shook his head NO, and said it was all wrong, all of it. He said they never rebuilt his area, and where they killed people in a wagon being pulled by a tractor, and blew up the bridge they were on at the same time; he said a oil pipeline is where the bridge used to be...

Believe it or not, that's what he told me...I shook his hand and we said our good byes.

Pravdaseeker

Great Thread and an excellent reminder of the true meaning of survival

Not excitement

No Macho BS

Just people doing what they need to in order to live another day

Understanding that what they do is in order to survive; not with ill intent or malice.

reply to post by Slugworth


"strength in numbers"...yes,absolutely correct! During the war,I worked with a bunch of croats,they all thought Croatia was the center of the world....Anyway,Serbia set up posts on the border,50k troops if I recall.The Croats took rakes,shovels,pitchforks..sounds like a frankenstein movie,and overrun the guards.1 million to 50k .The serbians ran out of ammo cutting them apart! Just the way I want to die,waving a rake at a machine gun