Richard Pieper passed away on Sunday March 6th at the age of 99 years. He was the liberator of southwestern Bohemia.

Richard Pieper enlisted in the US Army in 1943, when he was 19 years old and a college freshman. Originally he was trained for the African battlefield, but ended up in Europe with the 97th Infantry Division, 303rd Regiment, Company K. He went through Germany with his division,f ought for example near Cologne, liberated the Flossenburg concentration camp and also Cheb. He recalled, for example, how he went from Teplá by jeep to Pilsen to take care of something and brought back five barrels of beer for his company from Pilsen brewey. 
 
 
After leaving the army, Richard Pieper became the owner of a funeral home. Later he worked at the post office, in the sales department of a chemical company, he was also the owner of a restaurant and a marble processing company. He ended his working career dealing in household appliances associated with kitchen remodeling.