The last words that froze on Loreta Asanavičiutė's lips were:
- Doctor, will I live?
It was very difficult to answer the 23-year old's question. Loreta's destiny, run over by a tank, was predetermined... Her heart only beat for several hours at the hospital.
But let's console her mother Stasė Asanavičienė, her sister Renata, her brother Bronius and his family: Loreta, just as those twelve men who died as heroes on the bloody night defending Lithuanian independence, will live. As long as at least one Lithuanian lives, as long as the Nemunas flows and its banks resound with song.
I don't recall songs accidentally. Those songs, which her mother taught her from childhood, rang on Loreta's lips until the tragic hour of her life. Loreta Asanavičiūtė - a fragile, reserved, modest and shy girl. She was not a leader at school. She didn't like loud music. Folk music called her for light reflection. She sang in a folk ensemble at the Tradeunion Palace, where she worked.
When she had a free evening, she would sing with her sister Renata, who was in the choir „Eglė". They both liked to compete to see who would sing better, or play the accordion or the piano better.
After she finished high school, she wanted to help her mother who hadn't had an easy time bringing up three children by herself. She began working at the enterprise „Dovana". At the same time she studied at the financial-credit technical school. More than one of us are wearing sweaters knitted and decorated by Loreta even today.
Stasė Asanavičienė is shocked by her daughter's death. It's difficult for her to speak. We are talking with Renata, sitting at a table covered with a cloth which was knitted by Loreta.
-When the rebirth started, we couldn't miss even one meeting. We used to all go together. Both the nights of January 11th and 12th we kept vigil at the TV tower. I sang together with Loreta, and danced with other young people. Then mom and I went home to warm up. My sister stayed there with her friends. When we heard the thunder of guns, we got ready to run back to the tower.
Then the phone rang. A man told us that Loreta had been hurt and was in the hospital. When we saw her, she had been quieted forever.
- Your sister was probably very brave, wasn't she?
- I don't know, - says Renata thoughtfully. - Often she would get upset easily and used to burst into tears. Once I was in the hospital and she never left my side... One morning recently she told me that she had had a dream: a dark cloud and a black creature were trying to catch her. Who could believe that horrible presentment?
Loreta, we shall remember you in our songs...
Lithuania, 1991.01.13 : documents, testimonies, comments. - Vilnius : State Publishing Center, 1992, p. 39.