UNITED STATES ARMY FREEDOM TEAM SALUTE

Society of the Fifth Division, United States Army

History is the greatest teacher to society of humanity from lessons learned from the involvement with the creations of the destruction of man through war.

From these lessons a roadmap has been generated by the many pathfinders in our history.

Great men of freedom, time after time, have given with their humanitarian sacrifices and commitments that have succeeded in liberations of nations to insure the freedom of others.

Throughout history of man these great leaders of men have helped to liberated those that have been oppressed and who were less fortunate to be able to enjoy these freedoms that all men should be free. From the sacrifices and commitments that have accumulated from different times and places as being the teacher that has taught great scholars and men who have played a major role of these endeavors in the history and survival of our Nation.

Leadership is the tool for enhancements that causes the development of the infrastructures that is necessary to build a foundation for peace and freedom.

To in which all free people in a democratic society can enjoy and benefit from the seeds that have been sowed by our soldiers and veterans, that has caused us to acquire and obtain the pursuit of happiness that has been given to us to defend and protect.

From all these wars, which are pretty much the same, as to the changes in our seasons that makes up our ever-changing world. With seasonal changes, where there’s not any choice, because it’s regulated with time of the seasons and the factors are nearly the same year after year.

War after war is always the same; it’s the young men and women, who leave their home to go to some foreign far away piece of soil to where they sweat and shed blood form their toil. The only reward that they receive is of the people who they have helped to be free.

From these human sacrifices that we all each bear, is from the mental and physical wounds that we all share, and for those who die, is of their memory and their families who cry.

To this the Officers and Men of the Fifth Division, United States Army, that can say and to be proud of their historical acclaim.

To perpetuate and memorialize the valiant acts and patriotic deeds of the Fifth Division.

World War One

Fighting in the trenches of France, that it was the German enemy in the

St. Mihiel campaign who gave the men of the division the name by which they are known today.

They called them "Die rote Teufel"- -which in English is "Red Devils!"

World War II

In 1939, with the war clouds forming over Europe, the 5th Division was called on again for service to our country.

On 9 July 1944, the 5th Division dropped anchor off the coast of Normandy.

That evening just before the Fifth Division landed at Normandy, the regiment was inspected by Generals Eisenhower and Patton.

General Patton remarked, “This unit is the fittest, roughest, readiest outfit that I’ve ever inspected”.

The Fifth Division would fight across France and Germany crossing many rivers the Sauer and the Rhine to bring the Fifth Division into their next movement on 30 April, 1945.For the “Red Devils” as a part of a screen that had been formed with the “Ghosts of Patton’s Third Army” to bring the Fifth Division near a point where Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia joined borders.

Picture provided by 2^nd Cavalry Assoication .

27 April, 1945, would be the start of “Operation Cowboy” and within the next few day’s soldiers of the 5^th Infantry Division knew the war would soon be over as units of the Fifth Division moved into position not knowing what they would find later as they entered into the town of Volary, Czechoslovakia.

Liberating 118 starving young Jewish ladies in a barracks, finding 93 young Jewish women bodies buried in shallow graves shot by the SS on their final Death March to their death, that had begin in Poland.

Little did the Red Devil soldiers not knowing that it would be one of their own who would be the last soldier to die in the Fifth Division front, some nine minutes after the cease order and 5 hours and 59 minutes after the unconditional surrender of the Germans came at 0241 hours, May 7, 1945, that was signed in a railroad car near a schoolhouse in Rheims, France, from Colonel General Jodl to Lieutenant General Walter Bedell Smith, who signed for General Eisenhower

The ceasefire order was officially released at 0831 hours at 5th Division Headquarters by Colonel Graham, Commanding officer of the 2nd Infantry Regiment; Fifth Infantry Division, who gave the surrender terms to the enemy in Volary, Czechoslovakia.

That would bring the end of World War II in Europe and liberation and giving freedom to the citizen of Czechoslovakia from the terror of Nazi Germany ands some nine minutes after the surrender order had been received at 5^th Division Headquarters.

The last known soldier to die in the ETO would be Pfc. Charles Havlat, 803^rd Tank Destroyers, Fifth Infantry Division in Volary, Czechoslovakia.

Picture provided by Sgt. Robert Paulson, Anti-Tank Company, 10th Infantry Regiment, 5th Infantry Division, was with the Fifth Division for five years.

One year he spent with division in the United States before the deployment of the Fifth Division to Europe. Sgt. Paulson would be two years with the Fifth Division in Iceland, before the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Sgt. Paulson and his unit landed on Utah Beach in France and he was hit and wounded by a German railroad gun in France.

But luck for Sgt. Paulson would not happen in any other way and he would be hit again for the second time in Bitburg Germany, from a round that was fired f rom a Panzerfaust Rocket.

While he was in the hospital recovered from his wound in a U.S. Army hospital, the rest of his unit was sent forward to form the screen that was made to corral the fleeing Germans.

When Sgt. Paulson was released from the hospital in Luxemburg, Germany, he was sent to Paris, France, where he was a driver and drove for General Jodl, to the signing of the peace treaty which was signed by Lieutenant General Walter Bedell Smith, who signed for General Eisenhower the order of surrender of the Germans in May 1945.

Picture provided from historical achieves from the Society of the Fifth Division of Sgt. Robert Paulson, taken in a park that was near Paris France, after the ending of World War II in Europe.

Sgt. Robert Paulson, would return to the United States and reenlist to go to Japan, but World War II ended with the surrender of the Japanese and he would get out of the army. Sgt. Paulson is a Life Member of the Society of the Fifth Davison, United States Army and today lives some 90 miles west of Chicago, Illinois.

Vietnam

Yet, once again with deployment of 1st Brigade, Fifth Infantry Division would send the “Red Devils” to the northernmost province of South Vietnam.

Conducting major combat operations with a joint combine force made up with the 3^rd Marine Division, in the DMZ, Quang Tri, Con Thien, Khe Sanh, and into the Laotian border.

Panama

When the time came for President Bush to call a halt to General, Noriega's repressive regime, the Fifth Infantry Division was standing in the wings and ready to be called.

A part of the division was deployed to the Panama City area in May 1989.

Today

The Society of the Fifth Division, United States Army, is the oldest divisional organization with continuous service since 1945.

Picture and letter from General Patton, provided by the historian for the Society of The Fifth Division, United States Army, Mr. Keith Short.

General, G.S. Patton, Jr., Letter to the Officers and Men of the Fifth Division

The objective of the Society of The Fifth Division, United States Army is to publish and preserve the history of the accomplishments of the Fifth Division and the Society, in war and peace and set forth the gallant and heroic deeds of it members.

In Memory

In memory of the late, “Convoy Master”, and his “Convoy of Remembrance”, Milan Dlouhy.

Milan Dlouhy as a young boy during the liberation of Plzen, would stay around the American soldier’s camps and his remembrance in his last few years of his life he brought back and help to restore the memorials and memories that had long since been destroyed of any American involvement in the liberation of his homeland by the communist.

Though the rivers ran deep he swam many a mile of rough water that today history has been restored with many memorial and monuments that were destroyed during the communist regime. For the youth of tomorrow for what now stands today.

It was an honor to stand by his side and it is with great sadness that he is not here, but we will meet again someday.

United States Army Freedom Team Salute

Mr. Martin Dlouhy

Son of the late, Milan Dlouhy, and his, “Convoy of Remembrance”.

“Certificate of Appreciation”, presented for the many years of service that both Martin and his father and their contributed to the remembrance of soldiers of the United States Army.

Today stands many memorials that honor the soldiers of the U.S. Army and liberations, which can now take a place in history for others to remember their liberators, which once had been destroyed by the communist.

United States Army Ambassador Freedom Team Salute and Martin Dlouhy.

For others it’s the joys of freedom that life’s that were lost have given them. Sadness is for the ills of society and people who make up and dwell within our society, who have done nothing to contribute to keep the spirits alive of those who have died. The only thing for these people is to Infringe on the right of those who have died and the ones who are living.

The true sadness remains with the families, who will never see their loved ones come home, who have given their live for others to be free.

The beginning of crossing of many rivers, “Once a Red Devil-Always a Red Devil” of what was not, but what it could have been, is what you have.

This was a hard day for history, to remember a great leader of men like, General George S. Patton who was a person for freedom.

This is the birth place of a memorial of a great leader of men, General George S. Patton Statue, who at the time of liberation and to the men who died, would have never thought of after having liberated the oppressed that such infringements, of the rights and freedom of others would continue.

To electrify and unify that invisible current of fellowship, friendship and comradeship molded in the throes of war and the exigencies of peacetime service and promote the interest and welfare of its members.

A tradition of tapping in memorial headstones local government officials from the Fire Brigade, who do so much for their community to server and protect.

Colors of the United States and the colors of the Third United States Army with Battle Streamers.

General, George S. Patton Statue and School

2 May, 2009

Dysina, Czech Republic

64^th year have past since the liberation of Plzen and Czechoslovakia by General George S. Patton, Third Army.

In a traditional unofficial gathering on a warm clear day a group of Veterans from World War II, paid tribute to one of the best generals of all times.

General George S. Patton.

As destiny is sometimes a part of history that often repeats itself and again the spirit of the Fifth Division and the Society of the Fifth Division, United States Army and Freedom Team Salute, would play a large part in the making of the rejuvenation of history that was given with sweat and blood by soldiers in the time of war and as veterans during the time of peace.

From the letter General Patton wrote to the Officers and Men of the Fifth Division, that would one day acclaim another part of history and to be present for this occasion.

On behalf of General, George W. Casey, Chief of Staff, United States Army and The Honorable Preston M. "Pete" Geren, III, Secretary of the Army.

Certificate of Appreciations and US Army lapel pin was presented by the United States Army Ambassador Freedom Salute to mark this place in history.

(Right) Mayor of Dysina, Mgr. Vaclava, Kuklikova

(Left) United States Army Ambassador (FTS) and

European Representative, Society of the Fifth Division, United States Army.

Veteran, Fifth Infantry Division, United States Army, Vietnam.

75^th Support Battalion

“Graves Registration”

Flags of the Czech Republic and of the United States.

Flowers and wreaths lay in wait to be placed at the statue of General Patton.

United States Army, Freedom Team Salute, presents to the Mayor of Dysina, Mrs. Vaclava, Kuklikova a Certificate of Appreciation and U.S. Army lapel pin.

Mrs. Marie Bousova, town hall secretary for Dysina receiving certificate and U.S. Army lapel pin.

Ing. Miroslav Schubert, IT teacher and webmaster for General Patton’s School.

Mr. George Patton Waters, grandson of General George S. Patton.

Certificate of Appreciation presented to Mr. George Patton Waters.

U.S. Army lapel pin placed onto Mr. George Patton Waters’s lapel.

Presented to, Mr. George Patton Waters on behalf of the society president, Pat Andreoni and society members, the Society of the Fifth Division coin.

It is with great admiration for the Officer and Men of the Fifth Division who were so greatly admired and respected by General Patton that they still today hold dear the letter written by him to the Officer and Men of the Fifth Division on the 17^th of November 1945.

Some 64 years later on this day in history that General Patton grandson, Mr. George Patton Waters,

would be presented with a small part of his family’s history, of his grandfather, General George S. Patton.

And to this would be done by a member of the Society of the Fifth Division, to which the spirit of long days past as a part of the Ghost of Patton’s Third Army. Still continues and dwells within each and every one of us who have had the honor to serve and be a Red Devil from the Fifth Division. Together then in history and once again now in history of the Society of The Fifth Division, United States Army.

Mr. George Patton Waters

Mayor, Mgr. Vaclava Kuklikova, Dysina, Czech Republic

Mrs. Marie Bousova and Ing. Miroslav Schubert

Mr. & Mrs. George Patton Waters

Veterans from World War II, who helped to liberate Plzen.

(Left front) WO-4 Eric Peterson, 1SG. George Thompson and Alan Bell (Rear left to right) 2nd Lt. Marion Kirkham, Army Air Corp and Col. (Ret.) Earl Ingram.

A heart felt gratitude of thanks to veterans of all wars for their service and unselfish sacrifices for the freedoms that we all enjoy today in a free and democratic society.

Acknowledgments:

Mayor of the Town of Dysina

American Center Plzen

United States Army

Freedom Team Salute

Society of the Fifth Division, United States Army

2^nd Cavalry Association

Library of Congress

Pictures provided from the historian archives of the Society of the Fifth Division, United States Army.

Letter to the Fifth Division from General G.S. Patton

The Fifth Division Historical Section, Headquarters Fifth Infantry Division. (1945).

THE FIFTH INFANTRY DIVISION IN THE ETO: ICELAND, ENGLAND, IRELAND, FRANCE, GERMANY, LUXEMBOURG, CZECHOSLOVAKIA, AUSTRIA. Reprinted by the Battery Press, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee: 1987: ISBN: 0-89839-274-8. (Page 37) .

Second Infantry Regiment, Fifth Infantry Division. (1946).

SECOND INFANTRY REGIMENT, Army & Navy Publishing Company: Baton, Rouge Louisiana. Page 5- Col. Graham 2d Infantry Rgt, Page 79-Volary-Col.Graham

Pictures of SGT. Robert Paulson, Anti-Tank Company, 10th Infantry Regiment, 5th Infantry Division( 1945).

Webmaster

Ing. Miroslav Schubert

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