For several years now on Memorial Day, I post photos of my dad, Ronald A. Myers. He was killed in action while fighting in Czechoslovakia on May 6, 1945...just two days before German forces surrendered to the Allied Forces on May 8th. Unfortunately, I don’t remember my father as I wouldn’t have my 3rd birthday until another 2 ½ months after his death.
I have
just a handful of photos of my dad after the time I was born, a couple just
with me, a couple with me with both my mom and dad and 2 or 3 of my dad in
uniform or in street clothes. So, I was somewhat stunned when
I received an email that included the following photo!
It is an official military photo showing my dad. It is titled “S/Sgt. Ronald A. Myers advances down a road towards the German town of Riefensbeek”. The photo is dated 14 April, 1945, just 22 days before he was killed and just 12 days after his 34th birthday.
I received the photo from a dedicated amateur historian named David Foud, who lives in the city of Pilsen, in what is now the Czech Republic. He was seeking more information for his WWII commemoration project.
Can you guess what day of what month I received
this email and memorable photo. It was on May 6, 2021, exactly 76 years to the day when my dad made the final sacrifice!
From David
Foud’s email I also learned that my dad may have been killed near Tesov
Czechoslovakia. Further research is pending. S/Sgt. Myers was part of the 18th
Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division (Big Red Division), of the US
Army. The family story I’d been told was
that my dad had been put in charge of his company or unit after his Lieutenant
had been killed. Looking at some of the information included as part of David Foud’s efforts and website, I discovered that the day before my dad was
killed, 7 others in the unit had also died and one of them was a
Lieutenant.
To commemorate
the others in his unit who were KIA a day earlier, here is a list of their
names and ranks:
· 1st Lt. Joseph L. Droz
· Sgt. Wallace H. Gaucher Jr.
· T/S Gerard T. Hughes
· Pfc. Elza Mosher
· Pvt. Bruno C. Pioterek
· Sgt. William W. Smith
· Pfc. William A. Spain Jr.
What I
discovered through my contact with David Foud was that the city of Pilsen holds
a major celebration every year commemorating the liberation of Czechoslovakia
by allied troops in May of 1945. On May
6, 1945, American soldiers arrived in Pilsen and it became the furthest place in
Eastern Europe that was reached and liberated by American and Allied troops. Under Soviet influence and subsequent repressive
governments, the memory of fighting or dead Americans were forgotten or even disparaged. Any official celebration marking the arrival
of the US Army in Pilsen was unthinkable before 1989 and the so called “Velvet
Revolution” in Czechoslovakia.
Beginning
in May of 1990, Pilsen has held a Liberation Festival in honor of the US Army,
its soldiers and airmen. People from
around the world come to celebrate.
Military veterans, their families and of course townspeople have all
been involved. I’ve reviewed photos and
videos of this annual commemoration and it is a big event! To learn more, just go to https://www.slavnostisvobody.cz/en/online-studio-2020/.
David
Foud also has a website dedicated to the American liberation of Pilsen. His site includes a list of those Americans
who gave their lives in this effort… Many Army Divisions, Regiments, members of
the Air Corp and others are included in this long list. It could be a valuable resource for those seeking
information about family members. Just
go to David’s site at Monumenty
neznámých (mnofu.com) for more information.
Many
thanks for the appreciation shown by the City of Pilsen and specifically David
Foud for the efforts to remember and commemorate the sacrifice of American
troops in Czechoslovakia at the end of World War II.
We owe so much to the many Americans who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom and our way of life. God Bless America...
Thanks
for stopping by for visit…
Take
Care, Big Daddy Dave
A great tribute to your dad, and honour all the soldiers. Let's hope there's no WAR in future...really, all the blood and wars, what for????
ReplyDeletePeace,
Angie
It is so sad about your dad.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing post about how that photo of your dad was sent to you Dave and about that photo itself showing your dad serving. It was sad to read about his death such a short time after the photo was taken and after his birthday too. And for you to have received it to the day, some 76 years later was even more amazing. It's so sad that you missed growing up with you dad who died so young and is just one of the so many we honor on this Memorial Day.
ReplyDeleteHello, Dave. I’m visiting from Beatrice’s blog. I appreciated your post and am so sorry that you never got to know your father. But I’m glad a new photo turned up, which I’m sure was a happy day for you.
ReplyDeleteI’m also a former May Company employee, as a section manager in the mid-80’s. Always loved our security team!
This is so fascinating - Wonderful that the town of Pilsen still honors me he American soldiers who helped liberate them. I’m astonished, and so happy, that you received this picture of your heroic Father exactly 76 years after he was killed! The loss is so many fathers, brothers, sons in WWII, as in all our wars, should be remembered always. I salute your father!
ReplyDeleteDavid,
ReplyDeleteYou put you words together so very well with kindness, love and compassion.
Thank you,
Nathan
God Bless Sgt.Myers and all his fellow soldiers that gave their lives for the liberation of this country and for their defense of freedom !! Jerry DiMaio, Sr.
ReplyDeleteThank God for all who fought for our freedom.
ReplyDeleteWhat a moving story. He was a true hero and to have this photo so many years later is such a blessing and a tribute to him.
All of our fallen heros must never be forgotten.
I'm deeply moved by this post, friend David! Sending love, c.
ReplyDeletestunning.... your dad was a real hero... his sacrifice for our freedom.
ReplyDeleteGod bless your dad, his fellows and your families.