Harry Humason, a 99-year-old World War II veteran, recently experienced a hero’s welcome in the Czech Republic, a place he helped liberate from Nazi Germany.The outpouring of gratitude from the Czech people was so overwhelming that Humason, overwhelmed by the adoring crowd, had to use his left arm to support his fatigued right arm as he waved.

A Parade of Gratitude

Humason, wearing a U.S. Army jacket and a hat displaying his World War II regiment and division, rode in the passenger seat of a truck through Pilsen, Czech Republic. An estimated 50,000 people lined the streets, cheering, waving Czech and U.S. flags, and throwing lilacs from balconies as the truck slowly passed synagogues, apartments, and stores.

A Dream Realized, a Debt Repaid

Humason initially funded the trip, his first return to Europe since 1945, using his emergency fund. His daughter, Linda Humason, created a GoFundMe campaign to help offset the costs, but initial contributions were minimal. However, the situation dramatically changed after the celebrations in Pilsen. Hundreds of grateful Czech citizens donated to the GoFundMe, which ultimately reached nearly $30,000, ensuring Humason wouldn’t have to bear the financial burden of his travels.

A Humble Representative

Humason expressed his surprise and gratitude for the reception he received.I went over with the idea that it was a trip of a lifetime for me, Humason told the Washington Post. And I soon discovered from the Czech people that really I was a token representative of all the veterans that had fought in World war II to liberate Europe and Czechoslovakia, and I took that very seriously. He added,I was just so moved by the people there. It was just amazing.

From Alhambra to the Front Lines

Humason, who grew up in Alhambra, California, volunteered for the Army in December 1943 as a teenager. Serving as a private first class under Gen. George S. Patton Jr., he carried a Browning automatic rifle.He saw combat for over four months in Europe near the end of World War II, participating in the liberation of Frankfurt, germany, before his division was sent to a mountain range in Czechoslovakia in May 1945.

A Close Call at the River

Humason recounted a tense moment during his service. He described walking approximately 50 miles through woods, small towns, and a swamp, carrying playing cards used to assign tasks within his division. Upon reaching the Teplá Vltava river, he faced a daunting sight: German bunkers, an 8.8 centimeter flak gun, and machine guns positioned on the opposite bank. He could hear gunfire from Russian liberators engaged in combat with German soldiers.

if we had to cross that river, Humason said, I might not be here.

A Ceasefire and Surrender

Fortunately, before crossing the river, Humason’s division received orders to remain on the hillside.A white plane carrying the German delegation to sign a ceasefire agreement would be flying overhead. Humason and his division later captured surrendering German soldiers and held them at a hunting lodge with a large, fenced courtyard.

Life After War

After the war, Humason earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. He than worked at a Naval Ordnance Test Station in Pasadena, California, building missiles and rockets. He met his late wife, Jean, in college, and they started a family. Returning to Europe was something he never anticipated.

A Chance Encounter on facebook

The journey back to Europe began unexpectedly in october when Jiri Kluc, a czech historian who interviews World War II veterans and Holocaust survivors, spotted photos of Humason on Facebook from a recent Puget Sound Honor Flight, a nonprofit organization that flies Washington state veterans to Washington, D.C.

Kluc recognized the red diamond on Humason’s helmet, a symbol of the division that liberated Czechoslovakia before its split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993. kluc, 28, contacted Humason via email, inviting him to pilsen’s liberation festival in May.

A Daughter’s Determination

Linda Humason’s determination to make her father’s dream a reality led her to create a GoFundMe campaign in December. The funds were intended to cover flights, transportation in Europe, hotels, travel insurance, meals, tickets for public attractions, and pet sitting for her two dogs and cat.

I wanted to make sure he made this trip because it was going to be a once-in-a-lifetime shot, I thought, said Linda, 56. And I didn’t care what it took to get him there.

Celebrations in Pilsen

Despite raising only $2,605 by the end of April, Humason and Linda traveled to Europe. After visiting relatives in Amsterdam, they arrived in Pilsen on May 1 for four days of liberation celebrations. The event was attended by family members of other veterans, including George Patton Waters, Gen. Patton’s grandson. Humason noted that he was the only U.S. veteran present. Czechs dressed in makeshift U.S. uniforms and set up tents to recreate a U.S. Army encampment and a reenactment of the May 1945 liberation convoy through the city. Humason made an effort to attend every event, even those honoring divisions he wasn’t part of.

A Speech and an Ovation

Humason participated in the convoy and delivered a speech in Pilsen’s Republic Square before approximately 5,000 people, emphasizing the futility of war: no one wins, everyone loses.

Following his time in Pilsen, city officials arranged a 50-mile drive to Prague for Humason and Linda. Kluc shared a link to Linda’s GoFundMe on Instagram, resulting in an outpouring of support from Czechs who donated $20,000 within days, reaching Linda’s fundraising goal. Humason expressed his relief at being able to reimburse the money he had spent from his savings.

Concert and Monument

Humason’s recognition extended beyond Pilsen. He attended a concert at the Municipal House, where a symphony orchestra performed famous songs from World War II movies. Before playing the theme song from the 1970 movie “Patton,” the conductor introduced Humason to the audience, who responded with a standing ovation lasting about a minute. After the concert, attendees approached him for photos and autographs.

Kluc’s father, Aleš, drove Humason and Linda approximately 80 miles south to the Teplá Vltava river, where a diamond-shaped monument had been erected in honor of Humason’s division. The German bunkers that Humason had seen across the river decades earlier were now covered in vegetation.

Frankfurt Revisited

Humason and Linda then flew to frankfurt, where Humason was struck by the city’s change. In the spring of 1945, the streets had been filled with rubble from demolished buildings. Now,he saw a clean,lively city with modern buildings.

Souvenirs of Gratitude

Before flying home on May 13, Linda purchased an extra suitcase to carry the approximately 39 pounds of gifts that Humason had received.

Among the items he brought home were a small granite pillar that had broken off from Pilsen’s Thank You America Memorial, dozens of challenge coins and badges (including one from the U.S. Embassy featuring intertwined U.S. and Czech flags), and Pilsen police patches that officers removed from their uniforms to give him. He also received World War II books, even though he couldn’t read the ones written in Czech. The U.S. Embassy is mailing him a U.S. flag that flew there on May 6, the 80th anniversary of U.S. troops liberating Pilsen.

Looking Ahead

Linda estimated that she and her father spent approximately $24,000 on the trip. With the additional funds raised through GoFundMe, she plans to donate to her county’s veterans assistance center and save some money to plan another trip to Pilsen with her father.