The annual Liberation Festival today in Plzen was excellent. I could not believe the number of original WW II Army vehicles in the parade and then parked all around one of the biggest squares in the Czech Republic, around the church of St. Barthalomew.
Three Sherman tanks, 6 Half-tracks, and troop carrying trucks, and over 150 original WW II jeeps! over 200 vehicles in all. The parade itself took over one hours and was filled every moment with vehicles with occupants all dressed in period dress for the Second World War.
The parade started by a fly-by of a US Army Piper Spotting aircraft of WW II vintage, followed by two Czech Air Force Gripen Jas-39(Saab-made) Fighters flying over the crowd at low level, then screaming off in an arc to repeat in the opposite direction. Then over an hour of one WW II vehicle after another, many with original US Combat veterans on the Conflict in Plzen back in 1945.
All the vehicles then surrounded the square, 2 or 3 vehicles deep, and the square became filled with US flags and soldiers in original fatigues, while a live band filled the air with 1940's music, mostly Gleen Miller and Tex Beneke. Plzen really showed its appreciation to the soldiers who liberated their city 65 years ago.
Although overcast, it was perfect and an experience I will never forget.
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