Shooting from the tower of PlzeňRichard Smola

On 6 May, 1945, at 8 o'clock, first tanks of the U.S. 16th Armored Division under the command of Colonel Noble rolled into Plzeň. At the main square, they were soon greeted by enthusiastic crowds of the citizens of Plzeň. At about 10 o’clock, the relaxed atmosphere was suddenly interrupted by gun…

The American army’s goodbyeMojmír Fencl

After the liberation, the American army stayed in Western Bohemia until November 1945, when the soldiers left Czechoslovakia. As a goodbye, on 20 November 1945, a grand military parade was organised in Pilsen, which was attended, among others, by US ambassador Lawrence Steinhardt and the…

The snow-white uniformsJosef Vlach

Even after fighting, the American soldiers cared deeply about their neat appearance and took pride in their uniforms, which were always snow-white. Josef Vlach remembers being in Pilsen when the Americans pitched two huge tents on the riverside. One was used as a shower room, and the other as a…

Welcoming American soldiersLiberation of…

The end of World War 2 meant a great relief and joy for everyone after six years of German oppression. At the time, Ida Milotová lived on the third floor of the former Elektra cinema in Plzeň and, together with her sister, watched the streets from the window. “The first time that we saw American …

American soldiers attending massJosef Vlach

Josef Vlach spent the end of the war in his hometown of Pilsen, where he met many American soldiers. He truly appreciated the approach of their commissioned officers, who proudly served as examples to common soldiers. They were always front and center in the battles, making them most vulnerable…

US military turned me into a smokerLuděk Dembovský

Luděk Dembovský remembers how US Army soldiers moved in their house at Nová Hospoda in May 1945. They had to secure the entire liberated territory and they chose the house for their headquarters in the village. “They had a Jeep in front of the gate that was running all the time; they just kept re…

Before the Americans entered PlzeňLuděk Dembovský

The US Third Army entered Plzeň in the morning of 6 May 1945, liberating the city. Luděk Dembovský watched the convoy near a gentle curve in Nová Hospoda, a village within sight of Plzeň. “At first there was this dark humming that kept getting louder. The sound was made by an immense number of ta…

Premature celebration

Luděk Dembovský was fifteen years old when the Third Army liberated Plzeň on 6 May 1945. One of his memories of the day involves St Bartholomew’s Cathedral at Náměstí Republiky. “There is a gallery on the church tower, about sixty metres above the ground, with a beautiful view. When the square wa…