Pilsen Celebrates

[czechsonofagun]

Plzen or Pilsen was the biggest Czech city liberated by US Army in WWII.

Pilsen celebrates this event every year - officially since 1990.

Welcome to the Czech Republic - Freedom Festival Pilsen

 

[czechsonofagun]

Pictures

Those are guys from military clubs, they maintain military vehicles and haul it to Pilsen every year to be in that parade.

 

[czechsonofagun]

More pictures

The last picture is the crash site of Lt. Virgil P. Kirkham, the last recorded American USAAF pilot killed in Europe during WWII. It was Lt. Kirkham's 82nd mission and one that he volunteered to go on. At the time, this 20-year-old pilot's P-47 Thunderbolt plane was shot down, a young 14-year-old Czech girl, Zdenka Sladkova, was so moved by his sacrifice she made a vow to care for him and his memory. For 65 straight years, Zdenka, now 79-years-old, took on the responsibility to care for Virgil's crash site and memorial near her home.

 

[czechsonofagun]

Even more pictures

 

[czechsonofagun]

and more and more

Here is what the city of Pilsen thinks of General Patton's grandson. George Patton Waters

 

[czechsonofagun]

See those decorations.

I was there in 1990, when it was first time official, before that you could get locked up for taking flowers to the memorial.

There were even some desperate propaganda when communists said it was the Russian Army with white stars on their vehicles. LOL!

 

[moored4]

In the news you see all the anti American stuff, burning the flag, effigies and stuff; it's good to see that what the Gi's did is appreciated. My Uncle is over there someplace. The Price of freedom is not cheap! Thanks!:thumbsup:

 

[keegs]

Prokop,

The Plzen tribute apparently isn't unique.

My wife's uncle, John Wegener, was a US Army bomber pilot during WWII. He was on a mission over Poland when his plane was shot down. http://www.wondersofwwii.com/bomber-vets.html Lt. John J. Wegener is about halfway down the page...he's the one in the yellow golf shirt on the left.

About a year ago cousin Louise, uncle John's daughter, emailed us a newspaper article. The article told the story of a Polish man who organized a memorial for the crew of the plane he witnessed as a boy in occupied Poland, crash land in a field near his home. Uncle John piloted the plane, his co-pilot was killed and several of the crew were injured. Uncle John spent the rest of the war in a POW camp in Germany. Unfortunately I couldn't find the email that would give some more detail to the Polish man's story. John Wegener turned 90 in August.

I don't know that the cold war government in Poland limited acts of appreciation for America's contributions to end **** occupation. But it makes sense to me now why it took so long for this person to do so.

 

[czechsonofagun]

I don't know that the cold war government in Poland limited acts of appreciation for America's contributions to end **** occupation. But it makes sense to me now why it took so long for this person to do so.

Yes, that's exactly what they did, there was no trick dirty enough to be used for propaganda.

 

[k0ua]

Thanks Prokop for posting this. We need to remember.

James K0UA