Alfred Riekstins Memorial Stone Memorial site

On September 11, 1952, tragic events took place in Dreimani farm. USSR security forces knew that on 30th of August 1952, Alfreds Riekstins and two other men had landed in Kurzeme as part of a mission led by USA Intelligence Services, and on September 11, they were followed and surrounded in the barn of Dreimani farm. A capsule of poison took the life of Alfreds Riekstins.

Aina Pupola is the granddaughter of Alfreds Riekstins' stepmother, and in 1952, she was 18 years old. She recalls:

"When Uncle Alfreds came to my grandmother's and mother's house, he said that he has come to help liberate Latvia and that it cannot remain under Russian occupation forever. Alfreds was like a father to me, and he used to call me Buddy. We found out that the whole neighborhood was surrounded. We saw large army trucks near the Kretuli farm. It was hard to imagine that all of this had been brought for only two people. There was no shooting. Alfreds came out and collapsed by the barn. Cheka operatives carried him here, near the well, and covered him with some fabric."

My parents were taken away to Vorkuta. My mother died there, longing in vain to come back to her motherland. I was not allowed to return to Dreimani farm for three months. A Cheka lieutenant, Krumins, followed my every step. He even followed me to my school in Sabile. They were waiting and trying to capture the third man for about three months.

They completely demolished our house and even knocked over all of the beehives. Cheka took all of our and Uncle Alfreds' photos and gave an order to the local collective farm known as Kolkhoz to take all of our belongings. Several Sabile teachers helped me. This was a horrible time.