Czech Citizens Pay Travel Debt of American WWII Hero

In a heartwarming show of gratitude, Czech citizens have come together to cover the travel debt of 99-year-old American World War II veteran Harry Humason, whose dream trip to Europe nearly stalled due to financial hurdles.

Credit: Jiri Kluc | Historik a Publicista

Harry, who served with Gen. George Patton’s 3rd Army during World War II, helped liberate Frankfurt, Germany and was poised to advance into Prague when German forces surrendered, sparing his regiment from a potentially deadly river crossing. Despite his service in Europe during the war, Harry had never returned - until now.

Thanks to the efforts of Czech historian and PhD candidate Jiří Klůc, Harry was invited to the 2025 Pilsen Liberation Festival in the Czech Republic as an honored guest. His daughter Linda launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the costs of the once-in-a-lifetime trip, hoping to extend it to include visits to Frankfurt, Amsterdam, and perhaps even Paris or London.

But when the fundraiser fell short, Linda was forced to take out a loan using her father's savings to make the trip possible.

After the Czech news outlet Seznam Zprávy shared Harry’s story, the dormant GoFundMe page was flooded with donations from grateful Czech citizens. In just hours, the $20,000 goal was surpassed, with hundreds of donors leaving heartfelt notes of appreciation for the American hero. The page, as of writing, has reached just under $30,000.

“You gave us our future,” one Czech wrote. “Your courage and sacrifice have left a lasting legacy,” said another.