This Morning if it stops raining, I Am planning on Venturing an hour and a half by Train to Plzen in order to experience this 20th annual event in this city which puts on quite a celebration remembering their liberation from the Germans in the 2nd World War by George Patton and his 3rd Army. Plzen is a Medium sized city about 100km southwest of Prague. But don't really wish to stand in the rain all day...we will see.
On 4 May 1945 General Patton resumed his offensive in Southwest Bohemia, and the 2nd and 97th Infantry Division of Patton's 3rd Army as well as the 16th Armored Division pushed forward into Plzeň. On the morning of Sunday, 6 May, American tanks appeared on the streets of Plzen at eight o'clock, to be greeted with immense enthusiasm by crowds of local inhabitants of the city.
Patton was ordered to stop in Plzen even though he wanted to push forward to beat the Russians to Prague. Of course, war politics reared their ugly head and the Russians liberated Prague several weeks later. Just think of what the world might have been like if Patton had gotten his way. He hated the Russians. Of course, many here do as well, since they lived under their thumb for 44 years.
Photo: Caught this US WW II Jeep in Prague in a large Convoy of original WW II vehicles on Friday as they were all heading for Plzen. It was quite a site, American Flags rippling in the wind and with a full Police escort.
No comments:
Post a Comment