| Show HAL BOYLE r. r r Every very Yank Finds a Friend 1 And Jug of Beer in Pilsen l WITH THE U. U S S. S SECOND INFANTRY IN PILSEN Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia Czech Czech- Dela Delayed ed P f Bat JP-Bat- Bat Battered Czechoslovakia the stubborn stubborn stubborn stub stub- born little democracy that Hitler Hitler Hitler Hit Hit- ler conquered but could not bribe or kill was reborn to tonight tonight to to- night as ns her sons paraded in army uniforms through the streets of Pilsen for the first time since the Germans overran overran overran over over- ran ran the country in in 1 1938 8 It was one ole of the great sc scenes nes of ot the war war this this return to the homeland of Czech soldiers under under under un un- der their own red white andI and I blue flag who had been fighting fighting fight fight- ing for years under the banner of Great Britain There were only a few of them one one company of tired and dusty men who had not seen their native land since before Dunkerque where they fought with valor The population of Czechoslovakia's second largest city gave them a conquerors conqueror's welcome They were a symbol of the Czechoslovakia of old the old the little country with seeds of greatness greatness greatness great great- ness proud democratic and progressive Stand for Hours For hours thousands of Pilsen civilians stood massed In the city square waving their flags under the brilliant banners flapping flapping flapping flap flap- ping from every window like lUte Camelot on tournament day For the first t time me since the American troops left Belgium every Y Yank a n k soldier found a friend Pretty Czech girls ran from jeep to jeep to collect autographs autographs autographs auto auto- graphs or toss in bunches of sweet scented lilacs And in fn this home of famous beer it was an unusual soldier who didn't get a bottle of good brew brewto to wash down his K Not since Paris has the American army had a more enthusiastic welcome There was no formal parade by American units though the Czech crowds loyally cheered every Yank motorcycle messenger messenger messen messen- ger truckload of gasoline or jeep that drove past But you could feel they were waiting for something something something-something something they hadn't seen in almost seven years A Czech army marching through a Czech city under its own flags Czechs Eye Ee Food An army mess kitchen was set up near a corner of the vast crowd It was painful to see with 11 what longing interest scores o of 1 1 Czech men and women watch watched cd 1 the soldiers consume double portions por por- por of fat wieners potatoes bread brend butter and coffee co cof- cof fee Many Czechs have had difficulty dif dlf staying alive on Iron is W rations dished out by their German Ger Ger- man masters and there ha hat has j t been some actual starvation Shortly b before e f for o r e dusk word word t swept through the waiting thou sands like an electrical impulse impulse- that a Czech army unit had entered en- en en 4 the city A few later the first car rolled Into the city square Three Czech girls in brightly colored native dresses waved the j flag nt at at atthe the crowd and they went wild I have heard many crowd demonstrations but none like like the tho peculiar sound that rose from these oppressed people eel eel- their first full day dy of liberation Tho The column contained only about 50 cars cars cars-a a few ack ack guns some Bren gun carriers carriers carriers car car- some civilian cars and a number of ot wheezy old old derelict trucks decked with flowers and and banners Three German tanks tank could have destroyed it in 15 15 minutes Sound Compounded But as a symbol that column was matchless A cry burst from every throat as the first vehicle ve ve- hicle hide entered the parade area and as e each cach ch car limped past the the- volume of sound grew greater It wasn't staccato like the yells of a cheerful American crowd This sound had corn compounded compounded com com- pounded in it sadness and and pride pride and and hope too It sang in the ears cars like a strong wind pushing across a tumultuous tumultuous ous surf Old men and women who have havel 1 seen the birth and death of two world wars wept together and young girls and children seeing them were Vere ere moved and they wept too without exactly knowing why I didn't see any American soldiers in tears but I heard hearda a a. half-dozen half say that if t they knew how to cry they would have They arc are saving their team for the Pacific 1 cI |
