Czech Republic — American families and friends joined Czechs and Slovakians on Monday to commemorate 80 years since a tragic air battle that took the lives of 41 Army airmen during World War II
The memorial in this southeastern Czech town near the Slovakian border honored the service members of the Army’s 15th Air Force
now known as the Battle Over the White Carpathians
Attendees spent four days visiting museums
crash sites and cemeteries across the Czech Republic and Slovakia
where some of the American service members were buried by the residents who first found them
to pay respects to the fallen in this relatively little-known battle
Soviet domination over Czechoslovakia through 1989 meant that this chapter in WWII history was largely concealed
It wasn’t until recently that some of the attending family members said they gained closure by hearing what really happened over the mountains of Czechoslovakia
“It was probably three years ago … we found a video in Slavicin of the ceremony
and I saw [my great uncle’s] name on the gravestone,” Air Force Lt
“It’s not D-Day or some huge battle that we all know about
but it matters to [the residents] because it’s their country
and I can’t get over how welcoming and appreciative people are here,” Heath added
four squadrons composed of B-24 Liberators and B-17 Flying Fortresses with the 2nd Bomb Group departed from Foggia
Nazi forces were warned of their arrival and mimicked American escort flyers to stave off detection
By the time the rear squadron became aware of the deception
All eight planes in the 20th Bombardment Squadron formation were shot down
along with two from the 429th and 49th Squadrons
The bombers were able to warn three forward groups
who successfully bombed the vital Nazi armaments
About 100 airmen fell from the sky that day
40 were from the 20th Bombardment Squadron
Czechs and Slovaks continue to commemorate the battle
Many residents have constructed memorials at the crash sites
tend to the graves and continue to search for lost artifacts within the mountains
“I don’t know if words can describe how meaningful and heartwarming it is that [the Czech and Slovak residents] recognize the sacrifice of the Americans
and all Allied service members throughout the entire war who fought for their freedom,” said Kellylynn Charles
a bombardier on the B-17 bomber ‘Tail End Charlie’ who was killed in action
“To see the local Czech people continue that commemoration
and bring their children every year to remind them of the sacrifice is something you don’t see often in the States,” Charles said
Amid Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine and tensions on NATO’s eastern flank
speakers urged others to stand up against evil by remembering the sacrifices that led to the freedoms of today
where 28 of the service members were initially buried by enemy forces in a mass grave
“The lesson we can all learn is that our democracy and our freedoms cannot be taken for granted,” Sabet said in an interview Saturday
“[The commemoration] serves as a stark reminder of the importance of standing up for liberty and freedom and the fight against tyranny and occupation.” 
Czech Republic — A trip with his parents to a local church four decades ago set Roman Susil on his quest to bring recognition to a group of American service members killed in a little-known World War II air battle
when his country and nearby Slovakia were still joined as Czechoslovakia under a Soviet-dominated communist dictatorship
The marker honored airmen from four squadrons of the Army’s 15th Air Force
2nd Bombardment Group who fought in the Battle over the White Carpathians
Nazi forces had been warned of their arrival and mimicked American escort flyers to stave off detection
along with two from the 429th and 49th squadrons
Suppression of information in Cold War-era Czechoslovakia left many generations in the dark about the WWII combat in their lands
But five years after the 1989 Velvet Revolution toppled the communist regime in Prague
a new headstone was erected at the Slavicin church
this one bearing the names of the 28 American airmen
the search for their family members commenced
all he had to work with was signatures from a handful of veterans who showed up at various commemorations
his efforts to research the airmen involved in the Battle over the White Carpathians and give closure to their loved ones have been greatly extended
Dickinson shared the letters with his fellow surviving crew members
a right waist gunner with Tail End Charlie in the 20th Bombardment Group who had been taken prisoner by the Nazis after the downing of his aircraft
… He was like a grandfather to me,” Susil said of Owsianik
Owsianik’s request to have Susil accompany him to hug his former enemy pushed the Czech to continue his search
Susil has since been in touch with over 40 families
“My father somehow came across Roman’s name and we joined (his) Facebook group
which is what started everything,” said Air Force Lt
the great-niece of “Lovely Ladies” co-pilot 2nd Lt
one of the 28 Americans buried in a mass grave in 1944
to organize the annual commemorations and share information about the battle
Other residents take to the White Carpathian Mountains with metal detectors in search of crash remains and artifacts
hoping  to return items to families or display them in local history museums
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