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Whether you’re a filmmaker seeking a historian consultant, a colleague historian in need of research support, or someone delving into genealogy, do not hesitate to contact me anytime! I am here to help.
Did you know that one of the soldiers in the iconic photograph of raising the flag during the Battle of Iwo Jima was originally from Czechoslovakia? That Czechoslovak paratroopers successfully carried out the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, the architect of the Holocaust and the third-highest-ranking Nazi? That Czechoslovak soldiers played a crucial role in the liberation of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, in November 1943?
Czechoslovaks also fought along the Allies in France in 1940, thousands of them served in the British Royal Air Force (RAF), in Battle of Britain in 1940, in North Africa (Tobruk), sieged the French port of Dunkirk in 1944-45, and engaged in numerous intense battles on the Eastern Front. Czechoslovak soldiers, following the Soviet Union, were the second nation to actively combat Nazi Germany on the Eastern Front from March 1943 onward.
These are just a few of the captivating stories I have to share. Explore more within my books or join me on a tour for an in-depth journey. You can also follow me on social media where I publish all the news!
Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima is an iconic photograph of six Marines raising the U.S. flag atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in the final stages of the Pacific War. Sergeant Michael Strank, originally from Czechoslovakia, was killed in action during the battle.
With Leonard Gaj, The Bronze Star Recipient, veteran of 82nd Airborne Division who was dropped as paratrooper in Normandy on D-Day 6th June 1944 and was taken as a POW. He was liberated in Czechoslovakia. Buffalo, USA, September 2023.
With Nikolaj Pechorkin, a Russian-Uzbek WWII veteran who served in the Red Army on the Eastern Front. He was seriously wounded during the Battle of Donbass in August 1943. Tashkent, Uzbekistan, March 2024.
I deeply respect the heroism of war veterans. I’ve had the privilege of personally meeting dozens of them, and the moments from these encounters remain among the most cherished memories of my life.
I travel the World to meet and interview last living WWII veterans. I had chance to visit USA several times, Belgium, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan and Ukraine.
I had big honor to meet more than 500 WWII veterans.
If you would like to help me to preserve their stories for future generations and interveiw more veterans, donation would be highly appreciated!
Several articles about my research have been published in the media, with reports featured on Czech TV as well as in American outlets, including CBS and The Gazette newspaper.
I also send personal letters expressing gratitude for their service in World War II to veterans living in the United States. Additionally, I actively collect autographs from war veterans, amassing several hundred signatures in my collection.
In my homeland, the Czech Republic, the tradition of venerating veterans is not as prominent as in the USA, but this trend is steadily improving. Unfortunately, some veterans have lived in obscurity without receiving the recognition they deserve, and some haven’t even been granted official veteran status. I dedicated one of my books, ‘Forgotten War Veterans,’ solely in Czech language, to four of them. I’ve had the opportunity to rediscover World War II veterans, including those in Israel. Among them, I wrote a book about an extraordinary individual, Josef Muller, titled ‘The Story of a Czechoslovak Jewish Soldier.’ This book is soon to be translated into English.
With Maurice Brook, Royal Air Force veteran who flew operations as an Avro Lancaster navigator with 625th Squadron RAF (heavy bomber). Guildford, United Kingdom, November 2022.
Naturally, I am immersed in the broader history of World War II, with a particular fascination for the untold stories that I diligently uncover in archives. Actively conversing with eyewitnesses, I document their memories for preservation.
What captivated me the most was the Battle of Sokolovo – a pivotal episode in Czechoslovak history. Set on the Eastern Front, not far from the Ukrainian city of Kharkov in March 1943, our ancestors of diverse nationalities and political beliefs fought shoulder to shoulder. United by a shared commitment to defend our country’s independence with arms in hand. Whether Czechs, Slovaks, Jews, Carpathian Rusyns, Ukrainians, Poles, Hungarians, Romanians, Russians, Latvians, or Germans – they all stood together in the battle at Sokolovo. Men and women. Communists, anti-communists, social democrats, and those without political convictions alike. They all fought for a liberated Czechoslovakia, and yet, we know so little about them!
This battle is the focal point of two of my books, which have been published in the Czech language. One delves into the life of Captain Otakar Jaroš, who commanded the Czechoslovak defense and heroically fell in battle, receiving high honors for his sacrifice. The second book explores the unfolding events of the battle itself and is titled “Sokolovo: In the Shadow of Propaganda.”
The cover of one of my books, recounting the incredible story of Josef Muller, is titled ‘The Story of a Czechoslovak Jewish Soldier.’ This book is soon to be translated into English.
During my historical research on Czechoslovak soldiers in WWII, I am deeply grateful to all the families and descendants of veterans who generously share their family archives with me.
With Irene Lehniger and her family, I had the honor of connecting with the forgotten heroism of Irene’s father, who was born in Czechoslovakia. He served in the British Commandos and tragically lost his life in action in Normandy in 1942. I am eager to publish his story in more detail.
With one of the British WWII veterans whom I had the privilege of meeting at Remembrance Sunday, the celebration of Veterans Day in the UK, in November 2022.
Jan Kubiš and Josef Gabčík are WWII heroes. These two individuals were members of Operation Anthropoid, successfully assassinating Reinhard Heydrich, the No. 3 ranking Nazi official, architect of death, and founder of the Holocaust. This historic event took place in May 1942 in Prague’s 8th district, which happens to be the place where I currently reside.
Trained in England and Scotland, Jan Kubiš and Josef Gabčík, before being parachuted into occupied Czechoslovakia, took a photo at a wall in one of the residential buildings in London. Remarkably, this wall still exists today.