Czech farmers and American soldiers

In May 1945, the 18-year-old Josef Jehlík had a great time. After the long war, he could finally devote himself to his motor passion and ride his motorbike, as the generous American soldiers would provide him with petrol. The liberators were enthusiastically welcomed by all inhabitants of the Úboč village. The Americans not only brought the longed-for peace, but they were also very friendly and generous, giving away chocolate to children and scarce cigarettes to the local men. However, the social life of the war heroes - celebrating the end of the fighting - soon turned out to be incompatible with the everyday duties of the villagers and their field work. Jehlík recalled: “We had some trouble with the Americans. May was a time for haymaking, so we had to get up early. But they brought a keg from the brewery in Pilsen, tapped it and wanted everyone to sit and talk with them. They had a projector, (there were very few cinemas open so soon after the war), hanged a canvass on the farmhouse, and screened films. They wanted us to sit and talk with them till the morning. But the soldiers then went to bed, whereas we had to feed the livestock. My father said: ‘If they came for Christmas, we would be happy. But they came at a time when there was so much work to be done...’”