Beautiful ethnic costumes, lively music and dance, story-telling and ethnic food are ways of keeping ones heritage, traditions, and culture alive in today's modern world.
Beautiful original ethnic costumes worn by two young Czechs during a National Czech Day held at NATO Command Headquarters in Norfolk, VA. Each year we are honored to be invited to attend special events honoring the countries of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Austria. Col. Jan Girith and Lt. Col. Marek Popelar are our gracious hosts at these events. These two Czech officers and gentlemen are among many at NATO who shower our organization with hospitality and are fine personal examples of how our two countries mutually enrich each others heritage.
Goodbye Lt. Col. Marek Popelar
heOur dear friend Marek, standing in the center of the photo in uniform, has left for his homeland Prague as his extended tour with NATO in Norfolk, VA has ended. We will truly miss him and his gentle kindness and friendship. He is a dear friend of our SVCS Heritage Society and always displays an exemplary example toward Czech Americans and our shared heritage.
Our blessings go with him as well as our best wishes for a life full of success, happiness and joy. May peace always be in his presence. Aug. 2009
Our Journey Continues
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Journey into Books
A good book should leave you... slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading it. ~William Styron, interview, Writers at Work, 1958
No man can be called friendless who has God and the companionship of good books. ~Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Tomorrow will be Better by Zdena Kaprol (note: this is a first person true story of a Czech family's encounter during the communist invasion of Czechoslovakia)
"Where our Heritage was Born", Pearson, Marie B., Nasě rodinaQuarterly of the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International,September 2008, Vol.20, Number 3.
LIFE - The American Immigrant - An illustrated History 2004.
Below is a list of articles that was researched and acquired from the National Immigration Library in MN. Most of the articles include photos. All are awesome to read.
Description Subject / Title of Paper
House Resolution Paper Refugee Children Loan to Cz- Discussion see paragraph in House Resolution Para re: slicing up Europe see paragraph in House Resolution Displaced Persons/Refugees Application document For Immigration to US Letter Fund raising, bringing exiles here Written in Czech Language The Czechs in St. Paul, Minnesota Statistics: Refugees 1939 Promoting Displaced Person Czechs Give Blood to Red Cross US Czechs/Slovaks Czech Gift Given to Red Cross 1949 Masaryk Institute Czech folk Dress- To give Benefit Benefits for Cz. Relief Give Czech Christmas Program 1938 Newspaper Article Two Little Dancers American Relief for CZ/Slovakia Press Releases "No equipment in CZS Medical Schools "The Veseliks" "Jedlicka Institute -Crippled Children-" Child-feeding Ladies Seeking Hospital Equipment Mobile X-Ray unit Children Hospital Bombed Women baking bread in oven Disastrous Effects of Malnutrition Receipt for CARE Pkg. to Czech Camp List of food /clothing collected for camp Flyer America Remembers Czechoslovakia Letter hoping to establish relief fund Letter appealing for help thru CARE Letter w/quotes from refugees Clipping: Dinner to Aid Czechs Czech Editor Tells of Escape from Nazis National Committee for Free Europe Help Halt Communism 1949 org.list Fight Communism Crusade notice Articles Help Czecho-Slovakia "buy handmade." 1949 Letter to Sen. Masek : 1949 CZ refugees Letter re Speaker:note members NCFE Draft of speech re: cz/sl "bleeding again Czechoslovak National Council of America Help Fight Communism(letter in Cz)'52 Clipping: Czechs to form Anti-Red Group Help Fight Communism(letter in Cz)'55 YOUR GIFT AT WORK, AT HOME….. 1943 $ war fund distributions Clipping:"Iron Fist Urged for Reds CSA How is it we have C.S.? (Czechoslovakia) "Truth Will Prevail" Pledge by Society Brief History of CSA 1926 Czechoslovak National Council of Amer letter Flyer Fight Communism Convention Release Czech Speaker/witness to Hitler's invasion Clipping: Czech tell Forum How Nazi… Newspaper Article Clipping: Czechs See Nazi Defeat,… Fight Communism List of names contributing to Relief Fund WCCO News Commentary 1948 - "Can you sleep when free nations die?" Czechoslovakia & History Czechoslovakia Shall be Free Again fund-raising, bring Cz/Sl here in English front - in Czech The Great Betrayal-Political Testament 20th Anniversary of the Cz Freedom
Letters Immigration/Census Press Release re 1940 census of people born in Europe- place of birth Formal Address U.S. Immigration Laws How to tell History of races/minorities Students,…History of Old Immigration NEWS FLASHES FROM CZ 1932 General Information Czechoslovakia Under Nazi Control Perspectives 1977 (News coming through despite Nazi censorship!) Release No. 79, April 28, 1941 Sokol Property Seized sections Gestapo Seals all Buildings American Sokols Denounce Persecution Sample of some Articles Czech Cardinal Dead Prime Minister Churchill Visits Cz/Sl troops Release No. 94, August 18, 1941 CZ/SL in U.S. Elated over American Recognition Recognition of CZ/SL gov't by US Severe Blow to Nazi 520 Czech Newspapers Suppressed …Monasteries Confiscated by Nazis New Migrations of of Prominent Nazi We Shall Rise With The Czechs/Austrians Release No. 99, September 22, 1941 Nazis Close Czech Schools Sabotage Among Czech Foresters Jan Hus Name Banned Nazis Attack Catholic Procession Jan Masaryk Speaking to America Czech Publisher..sent to concentration camp Release No. 211 Jan 31, 1944 Czech Workers Whipped in Factories Three Czech Women and Two Men Executed First Cz/Sl liberated in Ukraine Release No. 224, February 14 1944 1943 Under German Occupation Before and After Munich 419 czechs Executed Secrecy of German Secret Weapon Exposed Nazi Mass Murder of Inmates of Cz insane Slovakian Intellectuals Laugh at Nazi Puppet Release No. 231, April 3, 1944 Slovakia Resists the Oppressors Slovaks Join Cz/Sl Units in U.S.S.R No Coffee with Rat Poison for Austrians Slovaks Guessing date of Hitler's defeat Cz/Sl Underground Press Release No. 232. April 10, 1944 Czechslovak Resistance Stiffens Restless Students Demonstrate/Bratislava Slovakian Youth Rejects Nazism Shall Cross of Christ or Cross of the Rogue Win Europe The Victory Ship "Czechoslovakia" Masaryk Institute Plans …1944 Release No. 252, August 28, 1944 Reorganization of United CZ/SL Relief Rules Names Story of a Map -Letter protesting CZ as part of Germany Release No. 252, September 4, 1944 CZ/SL ..Humanitarian Democracy Hitler Will Not Surrender Masaryk's Grandson Killed in Action Resistance Movement..Stiffens 800 CZ Patriots Executed in 1 Prison … Release No. 254, September 11, 1944 General Uprising in Slovakia 4000 Children from CZ gassed by Nazi 67 Czech Intellectuals died in Nazi Prison Nazi Propaganda 10-Apr-41 Biennial of the Protectorate Three New Czech Theatres in Prague Benefits for Czech Workers Facts in Revies 6-Apr-41 Letter from Adolf Hitler (Berlin) To: Soldiers of the Southern To: The German People ZA radovymi dvermi Jana Stefanik 1933 U svateho Antonicka Czech Film Advertisements Lists 1926 St. Paul Membership List Names & Addresses/ St. Paul MN Page of Names - (familiar) Czech Party - List of Invitees Sokol Financial Records Dues List Festivals 1942- ref: Czech, foreign foods Notice of Conference (Immigrant flyer ) Cultures and the Performing Arts Festival of Diversity
Note: Many of the articles in the list above are from old newspaper clippings and were found in the archives at the library at the University of Minnesota. They are from the private collections of previous donors who kept historical records of the events taking place in Czechoslovakia during the Nazi invasion and occupation. I spent two days going through box after box writing requests for copies. They were sent to me weeks later. Needless to say, this is just the tip of the iceberg of what is available to researchers and other interested parties at that wonderful institution. (MBP)
This photo of two of my brothers, Frank, Jr. and Ronnie, and me was taken in 1941 at Dutch Gap, in Chester, VA. We were standing and sitting on a pile of rocks near the place where our daddy's tug boat was docked. We were almost 4,3, and 2 years old. Our other brother and sister were not even thought of at this time. Mom and Dad often took us here as it was a favorite place for us to play and explore. We were dressed up this day because it was Easter Sunday.
In Loving Memory of my brothers Frank J. Blaha, Jr. (December 24, 1937 - December 10, 2008), and Clyde Drexel Blaha, (October 14, 1952 - April 23, 2010).
Frank's pastime passion was Big Game Hunting, specifically Big Horn Wild Sheep of North America. Frank was an avid world traveler seeking his Grand Slam. Although at one time he was a licensed builder and contractor having built several homes and apartments, he will also be remembered as being an advocate for the preservation and restoration of historic buildings especially in his own hometown.
Drexel was the latest owner of Blaha Towing, Inc. This tugboat business was established by our father Frank John Blaha, Sr. in the late 1940's. Each of his sons earned their Captian's license and each, at one time or the other, had operated this family business. Drexel was the last son to own the business and during his tenure he had increased the fleet until it consisted of five tugs. The boats continue to work along the James River daily from Richmond to Norfolk. Drexel's pastime was spent in tending to his beloved horses and riding his motorcycles with his buddies.
The following verse has given me time for reflection......
He Is Gone
You can shed tears that he is gone, or you can smile because he lived. You can close your eyes and pray that he will come back, or you can open your eyes and see all that he has left.
Your heart can be empty because you can't see him, or you can be full of the love that you shared. You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday, or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember him and only that he is gone, or you can cherish his memory and let it live on. You can cry and close your mind, be empty, and turn your back, Or you can do what he would want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on. Author unknown
Beautiful original ethnic costumes worn by two young Czechs during a National Czech Day held at NATO Command Headquarters in Norfolk, VA. Each year we are honored to be invited to attend special events honoring the countries of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Austria. Col. Jan Girith and Lt. Col. Marek Popelar are our gracious hosts at these events. These two Czech officers and gentlemen are among many at NATO who shower our organization with hospitality and are fine personal examples of how our two countries mutually enrich each others heritage.
heOur dear friend Marek, standing in the center of the photo in uniform, has left for his homeland Prague as his extended tour with NATO in Norfolk, VA has ended. We will truly miss him and his gentle kindness and friendship. He is a dear friend of our SVCS Heritage Society and always displays an exemplary example toward Czech Americans and our shared heritage.
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
This photo of two of my brothers, Frank, Jr. and Ronnie, and me was taken in 1941 at Dutch Gap, in Chester, VA. We were standing and sitting on a pile of rocks near the place where our daddy's tug boat was docked. We were almost 4,3, and 2 years old. Our other brother and sister were not even thought of at this time. Mom and Dad often took us here as it was a favorite place for us to play and explore. We were dressed up this day because it was Easter Sunday.