2005 Press Releases

60th Anniversary of the Liberation of Pilsen
Participation by U.S. Presidential and Congressional Delegations
in Anniversary Events

May 5 – 6, 2005

Prague, May 3, 2005 On the occasion of the 60^th Anniversary of the Liberation of Pilsen and West Bohemia by the U.S. Army, President George W. Bush has named U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs R. James Nicholson to lead a delegation to travel to the Czech Republic to participate in events commemorating the end of World War II.  Other members of the Presidential Delegation will include The Honorable William Cabaniss, U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic; Linda Maynor, Legislative Consultant, Balch & Bingham LLP; Patrick Brady, Major General, U.S. Army (Ret) and Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient; and The Honorable Julian Niemczyk, Former Ambassador to then Czechoslovakia.

Two delegations from the U.S. Congress will also come to the Czech Republic for these commemorations, including Congressmen Jack Kingston of Georgia, Spencer Bachus of Alabama, David Scott of Georgia, William Shuster of Pennsylvania, Tim Holden of Pennsylvania, Clay Shaw of Florida, Joe Wilson of South Carolina and Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo of Guam. 

A delegation from the city of Birmingham, Alabama, including representatives of the Birmingham mayor’s office and Sister Cities Commission will be in Pilsen on Friday, May 6 for the official signing of an agreement establishing a Sister City partnership between Pilsen and Birmingham, Alabama.  They will be joined by a delegation from the Rotary Club of Alabama.

Members of these delegations will participate in the following events taking place in Pilsen on May 5-6:

 

Thursday, May 5

09:00–09:30     Opening of the “Plzen Talks” (Mestanska Beseda, Kopeckeho sady 13)

• U.S.-Czech Alliance: Legacy of Liberation
• Introductory remarks by U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic
• William Cabaniss and Czech Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda

11:30-12:00     Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony to open the American Corner – INFO USA (Dominikanska 9)

• U.S. Ambassador William Cabaniss and Lord Mayor of Pilsen, Miroslav Kalous to make brief remarks

12:30-13:00     Official Opening of “Patton Memorial Pilsen – U.S. Army 1945 Memorial” Muzeum (Peklo – Pobrezni 10)

• Hon. Jim Nicholson, Amb. William Cabaniss and Mr. George Patton Waters will attend

17:15-18:45     Joint meeting of Czech and Alabama Rotary Club members (Mestanska Beseda)     

• U.S. Ambassador William Cabaniss will attend

 

Friday, May 6

9:30 – 10:00     Members of the U.S. Presidential Delegation led by Hon. Jim Nicholson will meet President Vaclav Klaus  (Prague Castle)

11:00 – 11:30   Signing Ceremony for Sister Cities Agreement between Pilsen and Birmingham, Alabama (Plzen City Hall – Obradni sin)

The agreement will be signed by Miroslav Kalous, Lord Mayor of Pilsen; Ruth LaMonte, Chairperson of the Birmingham Sister Cities Commission; and R. Scott Colson, representing Birmingham City Hall

17:00 – 17:45   Commemorative Ceremony at Thank You America Monument (Americka St.)

• Will include remarks by U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson and U.S. Ambassador William Cabaniss

 

For more information please contact Office of Public Affairs, U.S. Embassy Prague, Helena Stehlíkova - tel: (420) 257 535 160 or GSM 602 298 513.