Location in relation to the surroundings

The memorial is located in the city center.

Text of the inscription

TO THE MEMORY OF AMERICAN  SOLDIERS  PAMÁTCE  AMERICKÝM  VOJÁKŮM  ZA  OSVOBOZENÍ

CHEBU (to the memory of US soldiers for the liberation of city of Cheb on 25 April 1945 ) 25.IV.1945 VĚNUJÍ SOPV 1947 OF A ČSL 1990

97TH INFANTRY DIVISION LIEUTENANT WETZEL  WILLIAM  B. ,   PADGETT  RICHARD  P. ,MATTFELD JOHN P., POUND DONALD J. SERGEANT DEAN LEWIS, FOLEY RAYMOND T.,   TERRY EARLE R., BLASCO JOSEPH E., BROWN REX F., URDANOFF JORDON J., WRIGHT DONALD H. ,GILLHAM IVAN B., GRIFFITH ROY A. ,   GUTHRIE  JOHN,   SMITH  OTTO  A.   CORPORALGERLING WARREN C., GOLTMAN DAVID M., WEYHRAUCH WESLEY W. BROWN  VINCENT  J.FIELD STANLEY H., VAN VANKELNBERG J.G., VERON  GEORGE  E. ,   WHITE  HARRY  V. ,ZAHLER ARTELL F., ANDERSON ERNEST E., CADENBACH WALTER L.  GABROWSEK  CHARLES G., GASPER THOMAS M., TURNER ARNETT W., WAMSLEY HARLEY T.,  CONKLIN  LEWIS  W. ,KITTSMILLER LLOYD A., MCFALDA GEORGE J., LIPPS EDWIN F., MOFFETT  ROBERT  W. ,NEIDERT HENRY, PIPKIN GEORGE A., PODEMSKI  RICHARD  S. ,   STRANGE  DONALD  L. SWAROWSKY RUDOLF A. PRIVATE BOGAR JACK V., BORCHARDT MARLEN H., BOWSER RAY  F. ,BUTTERWECK EARL R., CLOUSE CHARLES R., HEICHELBECK B.J. ,   TAUBE  RICHARD  T. ,HUMPHRIES VERON R., FREY CHARLES M., PALLI BERNARD A., ROY  ROBERT  A. ,   SMART WILLIAM L.

1ST INFANTRY DIVISION LIEUTENANT  DROZ  JOSEPH,   BARKER  ELTON  SERGEANT  WIRA KELMER, KUTCH ANDY M., COBISKEY RAYMOND J., GOODLING  LEE,   HUGHES  GERARD  T. ,GAUCHER WALLACE H. JR., HASKINS GEORGE, MYERS RONALD  A. ,   DOMINIC  SAMUEL  V. CORPORAL MERRIL LEON M., HAYES TOMMY, MILLS ROBERT  A. ,   MOSHER  ELZA,   SPAINWILLIAM A. JR., MARSHALL LAWRENCE PRIVATE PIOTEREK BRUNO C.,   BRESCOACH  LOUIE

The memorial is dedicated to the US soldiers by Mr Aleš Kucera and his family with the help of the city of Cheb, the Union of Friends of the USA and other unnamed people, who were not indifferent to the concealment of the truth in times of non-freedom. March 1990

General description

It consists from two granite panels and one block. The first granite part has dimensions 200 x 100 cm. Second part is 200 x 60 cm. The block is 50 x 30 x 30 cm. On the panels are the names of the soldiers and the emblem of the relevant military unit.

Condition

Reconstruction

The circumstances of unveiling

The monument was originally unveiled on April 27, 1946, on the anniversary of the liberation of Cheb by the US Army. In 1951 it was removed and a limited, slightly modified copy was unveiled after the fall of Communism on April 27, 1990.

Later history

The monument was unveiled in the presence of the US Ambassador on April 27, 1946. During the Communist totalitarian regime in 1951, it was removed and destroyed. In 1990 it was restored. The monument was paid by a local citizen Aleš Kučera and the Czechoslovak People's Party contributed CZK 5,000. The monument was revealed again on April 27, 1990 in the presence of US Ambassador to Czechoslovakia Mrs Shirley Temple-Black.

Contemporary importance

During the Communist totalitarian regime, it was not possible to commemorate the liberation of West Bohemia by the US military. Many memorials were destroyed and removed. Instead, Soviet Red-army memorials were installed, even in cities where they had never stepped. Commemorative events are held regularly on the anniversary of the liberation of the town of Cheb.

Publications, sources, links

https://zivechebsko.cz/2014/05/08/jedno-misto-tri-pomniky/