The Embassy Participates in Liberation Commemorations

April 28, 2011

Convoy of Liberty 2010

The Embassy commemorates the 66th anniversary of the liberation of Western Bohemia by U.S. Army at the end of World War II. Traditionally, the Convoy of Liberty is the first event. The convoy of historical vehicles, mainly of American production, starts its route on Friday, April 29 at 10 am in front of the U.S. Embassy Prague, Tržiště 15, Praha 1 – Malá Strana.

Liberation Festival in Pilsen

U.S. diplomats will at the end of April and in the first half of May participate in commemorations in many municipalities in the west and south of Bohemia. There will be a delegation at the main ceremony at the “Thank You, America!” Memorial in Pilsen on Friday, May 6. A detailed schedule of Pilsen commemorations is at www.liberationfestival.com.

Geocaching with the Embassy
Follow the steps of the U.S. soldiers and pilots in the Czech Republic!

American Center initiated new geocaching series called "Air Battles 1944" which takes you to five crash sites of American planes in Northern Moravia during WW2 air battles. You can also walk in the steps of General Patton as he passed through Western Bohemia and look for seven caches of the "U.S. Army 1945" series set up last year. If you hurry up, you can find U.S. Embassy items in these caches- such as pins or pens. More at www.aic.cz/osvobozeni/geocaching.

On Tuesday, May 3, there will be a screening of biographical film “Patton” in the American Center, starting at 6 pm. On Monday, May 9, film historian Karel Čáslavský will present his documentary series “What Did American Cameras See” showing clips filmed by American soldiers during liberation of Czechoslovakia; the screening will be followed by a debate with Čáslavský and publicist Karel Pacner. Also the book “500 Hours to Victory” will be presented. More at www.americkecentrum.cz.

The U.S. 3rd Army approached the Czechoslovak territory on April 18, 1945, commanded by General George Patton, and liberated 9.025 square kilometers (ca. 3484 square miles) of west and north Bohemia. Before 1989, the American contribution to the liberation of the country was officially ignored. The U.S. Embassy in Prague aims to describe this forgotten chapter of Czech history in its special website www.aic.cz/osvobozeni.cz