President receives delegation of WW II veterans

President Miloš Zeman on Wednesday received a delegation of Czechoslovak WWII veterans at Prague Castle, members of a branch of the Czech Association of Freedom Fighters. The president had earlier promised to do so and – according to Czech TV - will continue to meet with veterans on a regular basis.

Miloš Zeman, photo: CTK

Czechoslovaks who fought abroad on all fronts during WWII were honoured at Prague Castle on Wednesday by President Miloš Zeman. Ahead of meeting, they gathered at a Prague venue to share greetings, prepare a gift of a pipe for the Czech head-of-state, and to remember days past. One who fought in World War II was Pavel Vránský, who saw action at Tobruk in northern Africa, and later flew with the 311th (Czechoslovak) bomber squadron in the RAF. He briefly recalled the experience for Czech TV:

“Tobruk was the toughest and there was danger at every step. By comparison, being in the bomber wasn’t nearly as bad. Inside the plane, one felt less at risk.”

Fellow veteran Miloslav Masopust, also present on Wednesday, explained he had fought on the eastern front under General Ludvík Svoboda, alongside the Red Army.

“I was with the submachine gunners on a tank desant. The worst fighting was at the Dukla Pass although it wasn’t supposed to be the case, originally.”

At Prague Castle, the group of veterans met with the president for an hour, with Mr Zeman praising their contributions and sacrifice. It is the first time that ‘solely’ members of the delegation of Czech Foreign Fighters were invited to meet with the head-of-state. Here is what Mr Zeman had to say:

“You lived dangerously and led your lives to the full. Let me thank you with all my heart.”

311th (Czechoslovak) bomber squadron in the RAF, photo: Public Domain

Praise for veterans of WWII, who fought for their country, is obviously well-deserved. Curiously, though, the president was unable to resist a harsh ‘dig’ at the broader population on Wednesday, suggesting that many Czechs today leaned towards cowardice, which raised a wave of negative comments from many news site readers online. Some argued that Mr Zeman was himself hardly an example of courage, while others suggested his words were not a fair criticism, arguing periods of great difficulty always brought out individuals who rose to the challenge. In the Second World War, more than 50,000 men and women served in Czechoslovakia’s foreign army, 1,100 of whom are still alive today.