My journey in preserving the stories of World War II veterans began when I was 15 years old. At that time, my country still had a few surviving heroes, whom I visited and assisted as a volunteer. However, I never recorded their testimonies. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I realized that many of these veterans had passed away, and with them, their invaluable stories were lost. That realization became a turning point—I decided that, regardless of the time and financial cost, I must do everything in my power to honor their legacy.
I started in the Czech Republic, meeting nearly all the remaining veterans there. Then, I had the opportunity to travel to the United States, where I conducted interviews with 35 veterans in Iowa and Illinois—half of whom had never shared their stories before. At that moment, I thought to myself: If I, as a foregneir, do not preserve these stories, who will?
Since then, my research has taken me across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Uzbekistan, Slovakia, Poland, and Spain. To date, I have met and documented the experiences of over 600 World War II veterans and Holocaust survivors.
I have also worked to uncover and honor forgotten veterans from my homeland, Czechoslovakia. One such veteran, Ervin Hoida, was 104 years old when I discovered his story. To celebrate his 105th birthday, I wrote a book about his life and collected birthday cards from around the world, a gesture he told me he would never forget. In December 2024, I did the same for Antonín Fajkus, the last living Czech fighter pilot from World War II. Alongside a book and other gifts, I personally delivered nearly 1,000 birthday cards to his home in Chicago—one of which came from the President of the Czech Republic.
All of my research is self-funded and supported by Czech/Slovak diplomatic missions around the World.
For me, this is not just a passion—it is a duty. The stories of these heroes must be preserved before they are lost to history forever.
My research is self-funded and made possible by those who join my tours in Prague or send a donation. Your support means the world to me.
