Holub shares WWII historical findings

The Wharton County Chapter of the Czech Heritage Society held their quarterly meeting March 11 at the Taiton Community Center.

President Edith Molberg led the group in prayer before the meal was served and led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance. The following items were discussed:

• Minutes of the December meeting were read and approved;

• The treasurer's report was given and approved. Membership dues are to be paid to Linda Fitch, treasurer;

• Barbara Vacek and Barbara Milder will audit the 2007 books and report at the next meeting;

• Shirley Schneider, chairman of the scholarship committee, gave a report of that committee;

• The nominating committee will be chaired by Frank Milder, and nominations for awards will be chaired by Paul Sablatura;

• President Edith Molberg recognized Rita Vanek with a plaque, thanking her for being the organization's treasurer for 10 years. Vanek is now the state treasurer for the Czech Heritage Society;

• On March 30, the Harris County Chapter of the Czech Heritage Society will hold their annual Czech Spring Fest at the SPJST Lodge No. . 88 at 1435 Beall Street in Houston. The Spring Fest will be held from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m.;

• The Czech Heritage Society State membership meeting and the Miss Texas/ Slovak Pageant will be held April 18 in West. Molberg encouraged all to attend;

• May Fest will be held on May 17 at the Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center in La Grange;

• On July 26, the Summer Genealogy Conference and State Meeting will be held in San Antonio at the Institute of Texas Cultures.

Registration will begin at 8 a.m. This will give everyone an opportunity to view the updated Czech exhibits as well as other exhibits located there.

Dwight Holub gave a short lecture on Lidice, the village that disappeared. On one side, Richard Heydrich was a fencer, a musician and a pilot, but on the other, he was one the cruelest and most brutal mass murderers in Nazi Germany. He murdered thousands of Jews and other enemies of the Reich.

In 1942, two Czech patriots, Jan Kubis and Josef Gabcik, parachuted from Britain into Prague, ambushed Heydrich's Mercedes and threw a bomb into the front seat. Heydrich was seriously wounded; he was hospitalized and died several weeks later from his wounds.

Joseph Goebbels blamed Jewish terrorists for the attack and proclaimed a state of emergency and a curfew in Prague. A reward of 10 million crown was offered for the capture of Heydrich's attackers. A wave of Nazi executions swept the Czech area and the entire village of Lidice was wiped out.

A large memorial with surrounding gardens now occupies the area of Lidice.

Prior to adjournment, Molberg distributed Jak Se Mas bumper stickers as door prizes.