President Pavel at the Thank you, America! monument: The policy of appeasement does not pay in war, and it is still true today

According to President Peter Paul, the Second World War led to the realization that the policy of appeasement does not pay. This experience is also very relevant today, when there is another aggressive war on the European continent, Pavel said today at the Festival of Freedom in Pilsen. Before that, he and King Philippe of Belgium laid wreaths at the Thanks, America! monument on the Avenue of the Americas. Pilsen is commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the liberation of the city by the American army, which included a regiment of Belgian volunteers.

"Once again, we realize how important it is to stand together, to have allies and to not back down to evil," Pavel said. He said World War II should be remembered not only as a historical fact, but also as a reason to reflect that peace and freedom are not automatic and need to be cherished.

"Thank you America, thank you Belgium, thank you to all those who participated in the liberation of our country. Honour their memory," the President concluded his speech. The Belgian 17th Rifle Battalion was also part of the 3rd American Army units that liberated Pilsen. It consisted of volunteers who were mostly members of the Belgian anti-Nazi resistance during the years of occupation.

King Philippe pointed out that the immeasurable bravery of the American, Belgian and Czech soldiers will never be forgotten. "On this day, my thoughts also go out to the young Czechs of the 11th Infantry Battalion who fought bravely for the liberation of Belgium," Philippe said. "These soldiers paved the way for a free Europe, a Europe of peace, democracy and human rights. On the foundations they managed to build, we were able to build solid institutions such as the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the European Union," he said.

These achievements, he said, are now being directly attacked and rejected in the name of 'might makes right', in the name of quick profits and territorial ambitions. "Now that we stand united in this place at the heart of Europe, we do not feel like prisoners. We feel full of hope. Europe is increasing its security and defence capabilities like never before. We celebrate 80 years of peace in our Union and we stand firmly behind our neighbours in difficulty, namely Ukraine," Philippe added.

Belgian war veterans from Liege initiated the partnership between the two cities after 1945. The first contacts were established in 1947 and continued until 1965, when a partnership agreement was signed in Pilsen. After 1989, representatives of the 17th Rifle Regiment began to visit Pilsen every year for the liberation celebrations.

The commander of the 3rd US Army was General George Patton. His grandson, George Patton Waters, also spoke in Pilsen today. "My grandfather had a deep respect for the people of this region. He saw your strength, your determination. He would be honoured that you continue in that spirit," he said. "Thank you for reminding the world what true courage looks like," he added.

The commemoration began with a flyover by Air Force aircraft, President Paul and King Philippe then conducted a short parade of representatives from the Czech, Belgian and U.S. militaries and greeted guests, including World War II veterans Miloslav Masopust and Harry Humason from the U.S. Pavel laid a wreath with flowers in the colours of the Czech tricolour, while the Belgian King's wreath was dominated by yellow and red flowers and a ribbon in the national colours of Belgium.

The main act of remembrance at the Thanks, America! monument concludes this year's five-day Freedom Celebration. Held since May 2, tens of thousands of people attended the weekend. It offered cultural programming, acts of remembrance and commemoration, military history camps, and a large parade of more than 400 pieces of military historical equipment on Sunday, the Convoy of Liberty.

The act at the Thank You, America Memorial is always held on May 6, the day Americans liberated the city in 1945. The Belgian 17th Rifle Battalion was also part of the 3rd U.S. Army units. It consisted of volunteers who were mostly members of the Belgian anti-Nazi resistance during the years of occupation. The Rifle Battalion unit was established in January 1945 in the small town of Peruwelz in the area of Liege. On 28 April 1945 it was reassigned to the 3rd Army.

In Pilsen, the Belgian 17th Rifle Battalion is commemorated by a memorial plaque on the steps of the town hall. The memorial plaque dedicated to the battalion was unveiled by the representatives of Pilsen and Liege in 2022.

Information source: https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/