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What began as a financial struggle for a 99-year-old American WWII veteran who helped liberate Czechoslovakia in 1945 has turned into a deeply moving story of gratitude and solidarity.
After news broke that World War II veteran Harry Humason had gone into debt to attend the 80th anniversary of the Liberation Festival in Pilsen, Czechs quickly mobilized to raise funds to cover the cost of his trip. Within hours, contributions poured in from across the country.
An initial goal of USD 20,000 (roughly CZK 550,000) was not only met but exceeded overnight, as donors left heartfelt messages thanking Humason for his service. For many Czechs, the gesture was a symbolic repayment for the freedom he and his fellow soldiers had fought for eight decades earlier.
A long-awaited return to Czech soil
Harry Humason served in the 5th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army, which played a key role in liberating southwestern Czechoslovakia in the final days of World War II. In May 1945, his unit operated in the Šumava region, near the towns of Stožec in the Teplá Vltava valley.
Humason planned to attend the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII at this year's Liberation Festival in Pilsen, but the journey that proved too costly for the family to afford alone. His daughter Linda launched a GoFundMe campaign last December to help finance his trip.
“This trip meant everything to him,” she said. “But we couldn’t plan ahead—the invitation came suddenly—so we asked for help.”
The 99-year-old veteran, accompanied by Linda and a caregiver, arrived in the Czech Republic earlier this month. Despite his age, he expressed great joy at the warm reception from locals.
“I’m absolutely thrilled. I appreciate the way people shake my hand, thank me, ask for autographs and photos,” he told Czech news server Seznam Zprávy. “I’m deeply honored by how much you value the contribution of American soldiers.”
The journey, however, had come at great personal cost. The GoFundMe campaign had only raised about a quarter of its goal, and Linda emptied her father’s retirement savings and took out a loan to make it possible.
A nation’s gratitude repaid
A turning point came after Seznam Zprávy published Humason’s story on Friday. While the veteran had already gone into debt to undertake the trip, his long-dormant GoFundMe campaign was still active.
Czechs readers responded en masse, many contributing modest sums but flooding the campaign with messages of thanks and admiration. Donations surged and surpassed the initial goal within hours.
“Dear Harry, we gave just a few dollars, but you gave us our future,” wrote one donor.
"We thank you for your courage," wrote another. "We thank you for our freedom. We thank you for allowing us to live in peace. Because of you—we can."
In an emotional video message from her hotel room, Linda Humason thanked donors, calling them “generous, noble, and kind.” She added, “My dad never saw himself as a hero, but he is one to me. Now, thanks to you, we can repay the debt and restore his savings.”
