U.S. Embassy Prague Starts World War II Commemoration Season

Monument commemorating US airmen from the 490th Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force, who perished in Benešov on April 19, 1945. Benešov Deputy Mayor Jaroslav Duras (second from right) withU.S. Embassy representatives

April 21, 2009

The Embassy began its World War II commemoration season for 2009 on April 17 in the town of Benešov.  The Embassy team spent the morning visiting the local high school and represented the U.S. at a commemoration ceremony in the afternoon.

Embassy Foreign Service Officer Saul Hernandez, Air Force Major Jason Gross and his wife Shannon visited the 102-year-old Gymnazium Benešov Friday morning and were warmly greeted by the town Deputy Mayor Mr. Jaroslav Duras and the high school’s Principal Zdeněk Zahradniček.  Major Gross then spoke to 70 students in a beautifully restored auditorium about his experience with President Obama’s visit and his impressions about life as an American.  Mr. Hernandez and Major Gross also fielded numerous questions from the students about everything from personal life and experiences to world events and the quality of Czech beer.

The afternoon commemoration ceremony was also attended by Ms. Ivana Truhlařová representing the Office of Defense Cooperation, Ms . Zuzana Kučerová  from the Public Affairs Office, and Corporal Chasse Cossairt representing the Embassy Marine Security Guards.  The ceremony took place at a granite memorial for 9 American Prisoners of War who perished at the hands of the German Secret Police on 19 April 1945.  The event also commemorated the death of seven airmen who were killed in a nearby village when their plane was shot down.  The memorial is located near the road in a beautifully wooded area at the foot of Konopište Chateau, famous as the hunting lodge for Archduke Ferdinand of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire.

The memorial was flanked during the ceremony by two WWII era jeeps restored by local jeep and history fans.  Deputy Mayor Jaroslav Duras, Senator Karel Šebek of the Benešov region and Major Gross presented wreaths at the memorial.  The ceremony concluded with brief remarks and discussions with local historian Jan Hartmann.