THE SOCIETY OF THE FIFTH DIVISION
UNITED STATES ARMY, EUROPE
Plzen, Czech Republic
June 29 - 30. 2008
Freedom Team Salute
Society of the Fifth Division, US Army
Presidential Personal Private Tour
City of Plzen
The Society of the Fifth Division,
US Army, President, Col. Jim Spiller (Ret.), arrives for his personal and
private first visit to Plzen and Western Bohemian.
“Thank
You America “. One of the first monuments to welcome him and his
wife was unveiled in 1990, during the first celebration, after the fall of
communism, also known as the, “Velvet Revolution”.
“Thank You America”
American Street
Colonel Jim Spiller, US Army
Chaplains Corps (Ret.) with his wonderful wife Joanne of 55 years of marriage.
Colonel Spiller was the Battalion Chaplain for the 1st of the 77th
Tank Battalion, “Steel Tigers, “1st Bde, 5th Infantry
Division, during his tour of Vietnam. 1968-1969.
Bronze plaque with liberating
units of General George Patton’s, Third Army
Col. Ing. Ladislav
Sornas, Czech Veterans Association (Left). Members of
the 4th Armored Division Military Club of Plzen.
The 4th Armored
Division, military club provided ,WW II military vehicles to transport the
president of the society around to many different memorials and monuments; this
would be his first visit for him and his wife to Plzen
and Western Bohemia.
Colonel Sornas,
Czech Veterans Association (far left) members of the 4th Armored
Division Military Club Plzen, extending their
greeting to the Society of the Fifth Division President, Jim Spiller on his
arrival for his tour of the city of Plzen and
surrounding areas within Western Bohemia.
Men of the 5th Infantry and 4th
Armored Division fought as teammates in Gen. George S. Patton, Third Army.
So ironic as it might seem during
this special occasion on the visit of the President of the Society of the Fifth
Division “Together Then” and “Together Now”.
Remnants of wars from long days
past carry memories that
“We Will
“never forget.
“We Provide” from our remembrance
of places and people that “We Will” always remember.
Col. Spiller looks over the Willie
(MA), one of the very few early WW II model Willys to
still be in service today.
Miroslav
Kraus, cold war veteran and member of the Society of the Fifth Division.
Has owned and cared for this Jeep
for well over twenty six years.
2nd Infantry Regiment,
Fifth Infantry Division, US Army
Honorary Bumper Marker 5-2-I
(Fifth Infantry Division, 2nd Infantry Regiment and HQ-1, being the
number of a vehicle registered in a units property books.
Headquarters, 2nd
Infantry Regiment was commanded by, Colonel Graham to which he would give the
surrender orders to the enemy commander in Volary,
Czechoslovakia, 1945 and would see two other tragic events unfold under his
command during the remaining last few days of WWII, in Volary,
Czechoslovakia 1945.
Victims of the “Death March”
Last known American Soldier to die in
Europe
One unbelievable experience that
will never be forgotten by Jim and his wife, during their visit to the Czech
Republic, being their first time to ride in WW II military vehicles.
A true realistic experience as
experienced by soldiers who liberated Czechoslovakia during 1945, with many
long small winding roads with only rough canvas covered seats to sit on.
Traveling routes used by the
American liberating force during their liberation of Plzen
and Western Bohemia in 1945.
Colonel Spiller’s wife first and true
feeling of what it was like for soldiers riding in a Willys
and experience the reality of traveling in a convoy, slow moving vehicles and
of course the experience of waiting in the hot sun during one of the vehicles
break down.
Typical life of a soldier is to be
able to repair a vehicle anytime or anyplace.
Due to heavy aerial bombardment by
the 8th Air Force to soften up Plzen, a
good many aircraft were shot down. One of the primary targets was the Skoda works, a steel manufacturing company that produced
weapons for the enemy.
The main train station and area
around the brewery were hit to include the water supply to the brewery, so
after the liberation of Plzen in 1945.
In the very first few hours after
liberations, the very first job assignment for the American Civil Engineers of
the liberating forces, 16th Armored Division and 97th Infantry
Division was to restore water flowing to the brewery.
Together Then -Together Now
Freedom Team Salute
Home of the World’s Most Famous Beer
Colonel Jim Spiller (Ret.) President of the Society of the
Fifth Division, United States Army (Left) Miroslav
Kraus, Society member of the Fifth Division (Middle) G.J. Toole, SOTFDUSA and
US Army, Freedom Team Salute , Ambassador (Right) (FTSA-20).
Colonel Spiller, having the
honor’s of pinning the US Army lapel pin awarded to Miroslav
Kraus, in his recognizition
as a supporter of the U.S. Army. For his
outstanding support and for his many contributions and personal sacrifices in
preserving freedom.
Freedom Team Salute
Miroslav Kraus
Society of the Fifth Division, US
Army
Czech Republic
The Fifth Division, United States Army
Coin presented by the Society president, Jim
Spiller to members of the Society
of the Fifth Division here in the Czech Republic.
2nd Infantry Division
Memorial, Plzen
16th Armored Division
Memorial, Plzen
Methodist Church of Plzen in the background
Society of the Fifth Division, US
Army
8th Air Force Memorial
for B-17 airmen shot down over Plzen in the last few
days of WW II in “Křimice” a small village on
the outskirts of Plzen.
8th Air Force Memorial
in a small village “Čemíny” located outside of Plzen where the pilots were shot down tortured and killed
by the enemy.
Gen. George S. Patton Statue and
Elementary School “Dýšina”
Czech Republic
Society president and members of
the 4th Armored Division military club
Plaque where General Harmon 22nd
Corps Headquarters was located
Dýšina
Czech Republic
Patton’s Memorial
Plzen
Society of the Fifth Division, United
States Army
The Famed Red Devils “Ghost of
Patton’s Third Army”
“We Will”
General Patton’s Service Cap with
ribbons donated to the Patton memorial by the Patton family.
Remnants of wars displayed parts
of a soldier’s life during WW II.
City of Volary
Volary, Czech Republic
Holocaust Memorial and Cemetery
Only Holocaust cemetery in Europe,
where victims from the, “Death March”, are buried by name.
Soldiers and medic’s of the Fifth
Infantry Division recorded personal information as to the identification of the
deceased victims. First hand accounts from survivors of this horrible
atrocities that befell these young ladies on the “Death March.
The Holocaust Cemetery in Volary is the only Holocaust Cemetery in Europe where the
victims of the “Death March” are buried by name.
Mayor of Volary,
Martina Pospisilova (Left) Jim Spiller, Society of
the Fifth Division president and Society member, G.J. Toole, and Czech War
Veterans Association.
Entrance to Volary Holocaust Cemetery
Memorial for last
known soldier to died in Europe during WW II.
PFC. Charley Havlat
803rd Tank
Destroyers
5th Infantry Division, US Army
Society of the Fifth Division,
placing of flowers
(English version as translated
from Czech.)
Charles Havlat
PFC. 3rd Army U.S. Army
Date of Birth: 10.11.1910 in
Dorchester, Nebraska, USA
Date and place of Death: 7.5.1945 Volary, Czech Republic
“We Not Forget”
Bela nad Radbuzou
Czech Republic
Memorial
“Operation Cowboy”
Picture courtesy
of Don Stivers
Rescue of the Lippizzaner
Horses
“Wild Western Cowboy Style”
Remnants of what was a building
where an American soldier would died alone on the 30th of May 1945,
PFC. Manz and Tec. 5 Sutton, shot while on patrol
would died of wound the following day.
Both Troopers sacrifice their lives during one of the most daring rescue of all
times “Operation Cowboy” to saving the Lippizzaner
horses “Wild Western Cowboy Style”.
Laying of flowers by the Society
of the Fifth Division President
Acknowledgements
to:
Kaitlin Merritt
US Army Freedom Team Salute
City of Volary
Mayor, Martina Pospisilova
Bela nad
Radbuzou
Mayor, Libor Picka
4th
Armored Division Military Club Plzen
Colonel Sornas
Czech Veterans Association
Miroslav Kraus
Society of the Fifth Division, US
Army
Society of the Fifth Division
President and his wife
Jim and Joanne Spiller
Pictures provided by
Col. Sornas
(CVA)
Pavla Lenerová
Webmaster
Ing. Miroslav Schubert
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