Memorial for last American Soldier
to die in Europe

PFC. Charles Havlat, 803^rd Tank Destroyer

5^th Infantry Division

Volary, Czechoslovakia 1945

Another historical incident from the Fifth Infantry Division occurred in Volary, Czechoslovakia 1945

The last official WWII casualty in Europe

Last American soldier to die in Europe

The last official casualty of World War II occurred here; a Czech-American soldier Pfc. Charles Havlat was killed and three slightly wounded when the reconnaissance company of the 803rd Tank Destroyer Battalion, Fifth Infantry Division, was ambushed by German troops, who were ignorant of the "cease fire" order, just 9 minutes prior to the effective time of the surrender terms on May 7, outside Volary. This has been established as the final clash with enemy troops in the 5th Infantry Division zone and the last known American soldier to have died in the ETO.

803^rd Tank Destroyer

Memorial for Pfc. Charles Havlat a Czech-American in Volary, Czech Republic

Jointly with Milan Dlouhy, president military car club Plzen, Mr. Raddim Košíček from Vlachovo Brez, Gaylord J. Toole, military car cub members and representative for the Society of the Fifth Division, US Army, Europe initiated the idea of building the memorial.

THE CITY OF VOLARY and the City Council contributed greatly to the implementation of this memorial.

The memorial was officially unveiled on May 4, 2002.

THIS SOLDIER WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN

Milan Dlouhy, President MCCP

Gaylord Jerry Toole, Milan Dlouhy, CWO 4 Erick Peterson, 16th Armored Division WWII veteran and mayor of Volary

HONORING THE MEMORY OF AN AMERICAN SOLDIER

803^rd Tank Destroyer Battalion

The memorial reminds the present and future generations of the tragic death of an American soldier who died at this place at the very end of World War l l. During the second half of April 1945, the Allied Forces delivered one deadly blow after another upon Hitler’s Army. General G.S. Patton’s Third U.S. Army, the V and Xll Corps in particular, were on the move to liberate southwestern Bohemia.

The order to start the attack on the territory of our country was issued by General Eisenhower on May 4, 1945. Both Corps started advance the following morning from Aš to Ceskz Krumlov along the šřé Km-long front line screen. The sector from zelezna Ruda to Dolni Dvoriste was in the sphere of the combat activities of the XII Corps, which was under the command of Major General S. Leroy Irwin.

The area from strazny in the direction to Prachatice and vimperk area was entrusted to the units of the 5^th Infantry Division-Red Diamond. The northeastern section was entrusted to the 2^nd Infantry Regiment, which was reinforced by further supporting divisions, i.e., by the 737^th Tank Battalion and the 803^rd Tank Destroyer Battalion. On the 4^th and 5^th of May, Lenora, Volary and other municipalities in this region were liberated by these units.

On May 7^th at approximately 7.45 a.m., the 803^rd Tank destroyer Battalion received a reconnaissance order to survey the German positions. The 2nd and 3rd Reconnaissance Platoon of the Reconnaissance Company under the command of 2^nd Lieutenant Donald T. Warren was charged with the task. Both Platoons advance in tandem along the road from Volary to Lenora. At this place where the memorial stands the soldiers of the German 11^th Panzer Division SS, who were hiding in the forest along the road, suddenly opened fire on the American patrol.

Pfc. Charles Havlat, who was sitting in the first Jeep, was killed instantly; the other four members of the crew of the M 8 armored vehicle suffered minor and serious injuries after the vehicle had been hit by a concussion-type rocket (Panzer Faust). Firing on both sides ceased just ten minutes before the Rheims accord on cease-fire by all combatants in Europe became effective. This accord determined the cease-fire on all of the European front lines to become effective at 8.30 a.m. both armies received the delayed message at the last moment. The consequence of this neglect, however, was the entirely unnecessary death of an American soldier. This death was made even more tragic by the fact that he lost his life when liberating a country from which his ancestors had come to the USA.

Charles Havlat, an American with Czech ancestors, was born on November 10, 1910 as the first son of the Havlat family in Dorchester in the State of Nebraska. His grandparents came from a Moravian village near Osová Bítýška. His younger brother Rudolph served with him in the same Battalion; Adolph, the youngest of the brothers, also witnessed the end of war campaign in Germany. Charles, however, sacrificed his most precious possession – his life – in liberating the country of his ancestors from the fascist terror and occupation. His place of eternal rest is now in France in the Saint-Avold cemetery in Lorraine. Here, under grave number seventy-five, he dreams his eternal dream together with the tens of thousands of his buddies who also sacrificed their lives on the vas European battlefield.

Inscription as translated into English

Pfc Charles Havlat, 3^rd Army, U.S. Army, born 10 November 1910 in Dorchester, Nebraska

Died 7^th of May 1945 Volary, Czech Republic which in 1945 was Czechoslovakia

“We will”

Not forget

North of Volary on a road leading to Prachatice in the vicinity of Wallern, which is known today as Volary, Czech Republic.

A Czech-American citizen, PFC. Charles Havlat, from Dorchester, Nebraska of the 803rd Tank Destroyer Battalion, Fifth Infantry Division was killed when elements of the 11th Panzer Division SS, ambushed his reconnaissance platoon 4 km northeast of the town.

Pfc. Charles Havlat (34)

803rd Tank Destroyer Battalion

5^th Infantry Division

*: November 10, 1910 Dorchester, Nebraska

┼: May 7, 1945

Wallern, Czechoslovakia

Pfc. Charles Havlat, 803rd Tank Destroyer Battalion Fort Hood, Texas

On the morning of May 7, 1945 the 2nd RCT, in the area of Volary Czechoslovakia, was loaded and on the road ready to continue the attack. Leading as "point" for the regiment was the reconnaissance platoon of Company C, 803rd Tank Destroyed Battalion. At 08:20 the platoon was ambushed northeast of Wallern, Czechoslovakia by elements of the 11th Panzer Division SS.

Lieutenant Donald T. Warren

This event took place at 0820 hours on May 7, about 9 minutes before the "cease-fire" orders became effective. Colonel Graham, The reconnaissance company, headed by Lieutenant Donald T. Warren, was assigned the mission of screening the right flank of the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment and were leading a spearhead ahead of the town around 0820 hours when the Germans opened up from concealed positions in the woods along the road.

On a dirt road some 12 kilometers into Czechoslovakia, a reconnaissance platoon of the US Army's 803rd Tank Destroyer Battalion, Company C, is blindsided when the Germans opened up from concealed positions in the woods along the road when the 803rd Tank Destroyer Battalion was ambushed by enemy machine gun and small arms fire from concealed positions in the woods. Soldiers from the German 11th Panzer Division SS fire off four rounds of panzerfausts were directed at the lead vehicle, which explode around the lead American vehicle, an M-8 armored car, but no hits were registered. In evading the fire, the armored car got stuck in the ditch and the personnel were forced to evacuate the vehicle.

Machine gun and small arms fire killed Pfc. Charles Havlat, who was shot in the head, in the second vehicle, a jeep, and wounded Lieutenant Warren and Pfc Anthony Talik and T/5 Leonard Skoje in the hands and face.

The TD reconnaissance men of the 803rd returned fire on the estimated 30-man German force until their radio operator received word that the Commanding officer of the 2nd Infantry Regiment, Fifth Infantry Division, gave the surrender terms to the Germans in Volary, Czechoslovakia. The company got orders to withdraw back into the town of Wallern where it was learned that "cease fire" orders were in effect at 0830, some 9 minutes before.

Taken captive later, the German officer, who led the ambush, said he knew nothing of the cessation of hostilities until 30 minutes after their effective time and apologized for the incident and was ignorant of the "cease fire" order, just 9 minutes prior to the effective time of the surrender terms on May 7, outside Volary.

This has been established as the final clash with enemy troops in the 5th Infantry Division zone. It has been established that Pfc. Havlat was the last GI killed in action on the 5th Division front and possibly the last KIA in the ETO.

Pfc Charles Havlat oldest of three Czech-American brothers all three were member of the 803rd Tank Destroyer Battalion, 5^th Infantry Division, who were assigned to different company.

Adolph and Rudolph Havlats

803rd Tank Destroyed Battalion, 5^th Infantry Division

Pfc. Havlat had his training with the 803rd Tank Destroyer Battalion at Fort Hood Texas prior to his departure to Europe. Pfc. Charles Havlat was 34 years old at his time of death; oldest of the three brothers. Pfc. Havlat was buried temporary in a grave in the area where he was killed in Wallern, Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia. Both his brothers Adolph and Rudolph Havlat visited his grave after his death. Pfc. Havlat remains would be later transferred by the 5^th Division Graves registration to the Quartermaster collecting point in in Germany to await buried in the American Cemetery at St. Avold, France to which many of the soldiers from the Fifth Division are now buried.

Saint-Avold American cemetery in Lorraine, France

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