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Monument “Operation Cowboy” Bělá nad Radbuzou 15. September 2006 |
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http://domazlicky.dek.cz/domazlice/zpravodajstvi_krdo/PD20060915000035.html
They flew from America to Bělá because of the monument
Bělá nad
Radbuzou, uniforms of all kinds will come
tomorrow morning to Bělá nad Radbuzou.
In a recently reconstructed
center of this small frontier town will be unveiled at 12 o'clock a monument
for soldiers killed with many important guests who will be present.
Monument for soldiers who were killed
Its authors are academic sculptors
Jan Fiala and Martin Hron. Authoress of the statue, which presents a boy, is a
sculptress Michaela Absolon. "The statue represents a soldier as a boy
because every soldier is at the same time also a child of his parents, who
worry about him," is said in the description of the work.
A boy laying down perhaps sleeping and having dreams about
beautiful horses and famous victories, running horses reminds of the herd of
Lipizzaner horses and operation Cowboy, during which in Bělá region died two
American soldiers, members of Patton’s 2nd Cavalry.
Because of honor to their
memories there will be also placed on the monument an inscription with their
names next to the city coat of arms and of the
A Civil association named Zvon tried to build the monument
in 2002. His initiators but did not have any official information from any
American archives.
So American veteran G. Jerry Toole, Society of the Fifth Division,
US Army (Left) and Rudolf Bayer ( Middle), president of Military Car Club
Pilsen, met in mayor Picka´s (Right) office in November last year. "It was
not even in my dreams then in November, that we could go so far in our effort,
that in some time we would unveil the monument," says Bayer today.
"Personally I really appreciate it, because it was a lot of work from many
people interested in researching for circumstances of the death of both these
soldiers.
We all did it with enthusiasm for this matter,"
continues the president of the club. A lot of valuable information that was
inaccessible at this time was gotten from the American archives by G. Jerry
Toole, Vietnam War veteran, who has lived in Pilsen for several years and who
is a memorial activity specialist. Searches in Czech for circumstances, during
which Americans lost their lives while liberating western and southern
Distinguished visitors
Already since yesterday there
has been being put up a
They would be taken from the
airport to Lány castle, where they had been invited by the president’s office,
discloses Rudolf Bayer from Military Car Club program for the precious
visitors.
On Saturday the
Manz family will observe in Bělá nad Radbuzou members of the Army of the
Present will be also priest
Prchal who will bless the monument and also army attaché from American Embassy
in the
Representatives of Czech
legionaries, Czech Veterans Association and plenty of politicians
Major General Antonín Špaček ,
Československá Obec Legionářská
There has already been placed
and unveiled memorial marker on the wall of local ruinous village building in
April this year.
It remembers the place, where on
30th April 1945 was a tough battle between American and German soldiers.
Description of the events that took the lives of Pfc. Raymond Manz and Tech-5
Owen W. Sutton, so that tourists can read this information on a new information
sign, which will be unveiled there Tomorrow about 14:00.
"On the sign is described
the course of “Operation Cowboy”, during which was liberated from captivity
about 150 British, French, American and Polish prisoners of war, but also about
670 high valuable horses from the Hostau stables," tells historian Richard
Praus, honorable member of Pilsen Military Car Club.
The preparation of the texts to
the sign in Rosendorf and at the monument in Bělá took him about two months of
work.
"During the preparation
based upon data from historian from 2nd Cavalry David Gettman.
Some from archives of the military
museum in Žižkov, some I had at home," continues Praus, and some good
information he also got from Czech-American Manuel F. van Eyck, who was
searching in Czech and Slovakia for American pilots, which died on the grounds
of then protectorate.
Big piece of work also did Patrick Biddy, representative of
the Cavalry Association in the
“Operation Cowboy”
In the famous stud farm in Hostau,
from where comes also the famous horse Hector of the first republic president
T. G. Masaryk.
But in the grazing pastures in Svržno, Tasnovice and
Hoštětice Germans gathered at the end of the war not only aircraft engines and
hundreds of prisoners of war, but also valuable horses. It is said that there
were horses of Jugoslavian king Petar, Nazi minister of foreign affairs
Ribbentrop and about 250 Lipizzaner horses from the famous imperial riding
academy from
Remains of what use to be the village in the area of where
Pfc. Raymond E. Manz and Tec-5 Owen W. Sutton would lose their lives.
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Mrs. Louise Lennox. Pfc. Raymond E. Manz first cousin from
Davie,
Peter A. Manz, Sr,
Lawrence R. Manz, first cousin to Raymond from Port Huron,
MI. Mr. Lawrence R. Manz is a Korean war veteran who was with the 8th
US Army, he received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart while in the
Acknowledgements to:
Mayor Libor Picka, Bela nad Radbuzou, Czech Republic
Vaclav Tauer, VLTAVA-LABE-PRESS,
Keith Short, historian Society of the Fifth Division, US
Army
Jeff Tuttle, secretary Society of the Fifth Division, US
Army
David Gettman, 2nd Cavalry Association,
Patrick Biddy, 2nd Cavalry Association,
Ing. Miroslav
Mrs. Beverly Westrick, Pfc.
Raymond E. Manz's cousin
Manz’s family in attendance for
unveiling of monument:
Mrs. Louise Lennox. Pfc. Raymond
E. Manz first cousin from Davie,
Peter A. Manz Sr.,
Mr. David L. Manz, Marathon,
Florida Keys, son of Peter A. Manz
Lawrence R. Manz, first cousin to Raymond
from Port Huron, MI. Korean War veteran.
Paul Manz, Bloomfield Hills MI, son of
Mrs. Nan Manz,
Mrs. Margie Evans, TEC-5 Owen W.
Sutton’s niece
Due to medical problems the Sutton
family was unable to attend but sent their thanks and thought of the monuments
being unveiled in honor of their loved one who was killed during this operation
Tec-5 Owen W. Sutton.
Československá Obec Legionářská for hosting the Manz family during their
stay in prauge with a tour of Prauge, lunch and invitation to attend the
cermony at the cementary in Lány for the president of the first republic
Thomas G. Masaryk. A very special heart
felt thank you to Major General
Antonín Špaček and his wife.
My sincere thanks and grateful appreciation goes to LTC.
Ladislav Sornas, president of the Czech Veterans Association for his leadership
in coordinating through the minister of defense the presents of the army of the
Czech Republic, Colonel Vladimir
Beneš regional headquarters in Pilsen with the honor guard.
My sincere debt of gratitude and thanks to:
Christen Wheeler, Freedom Team Salute Ambassador
Lead
Headquarters Department of the
COL. Jeffrey S. Holachek,
LTC. Myron J. Reineke, 2nd Squadron, 2nd
Cavalry Regiment, commander.
CSM. Frank C. Wood, 2nd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment
To all officers, soldiers and veterans who were in
attendance
Mr.
Merritt H Powell, with his wonderful bagpipe playing of Amazing grace” that was
very touching and most appreciated, thank you ever so much for you’re sharing
with others this traditional moment of spiritual remembrance to our fallen
comrades. It was very precious to all that was present.
Eliška Hašková-Coolidge
JUDr. Jiří Pospíšil – ministr spravedlnosti
Rudolf Bayer and members of the Military Car Club Plzen,
Richard
Praus, honorable member of Pilsen Military Car Club
Thanks to all who were behind the
scene and who’s help to made this memorial possible
As a special
thanks to our Nation's veterans, the Army would like to send a Freedom Team
Salute to veterans for their dedicated service and continued support of today's
Soldiers. Sign up today and the Army will send you a Freedom Team Salute
Commendation, which includes an Army lapel pin, an Army decal, and a
certificate and letter of appreciation signed by the Secretary of the Army and
the Chief of Staff of the Army. All material is provided at no cost to either
the nominator or the recipient. To nominate yourself or another Army veteran
get the details by visiting www.freedomteamsalute.com
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