Sunday, August 1, 2010

The Czechs Remember....too bad so many at home have forgotten.

May 6th, 2010, was the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Pilsen by General George Patton's 3rd Army. The city of Pilsen celebrated as shown in the photos below because they love America and the American Soldier.

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even 65 years later.......by the thousands

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the citizens of Pilsen came to say thank you...

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lining the streets of Pilsen for miles.

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From large crowds...

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To quiet reflective moments...

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Including this American family's private time to honor and remember their American hero.

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This 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, Zdenky Sladkove, was so moved by his sacrifice she made a vow to care for him and his memory. 

For 65 straight years , Zdenky, now 79 years old, took on the responsibility to care for Virgil's crash site and memorial near her home.

On May 4th, she was recognized by the Mayor of Zdenky's home town of Trhanova , Czech Republic, for her sacrifice and extraordinary effort to honor this American hero.

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Another chapter in this important story.....the Czech people are teaching their children about America's sacrifice for their freedom.

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American Soldiers, young and old, are the ''Rock Stars'' these children and their parents want autographs from ..

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Yes, Rock Stars ! ... As they patiently waited for his autograph, the respect this little Czech boy and his father have for our troops serving today was heartwarming and inspirational.

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

George Patton Waters ( another Rock Star! ) .

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And it's front page news.. not buried in the middle of the social section..

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  God Bless America and may God look favorably on the Czech Republic.

 
''Life's tough ... it's even tougher if you're stupid.''  -  John Wayne

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