Support WWII Vet Harry's Ultimate Dream Trip to Europe
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My dad, Harry Humason is a 99-year-old World War II veteran. The picture on the left was taken in May 2024. The middle picture is his US Army enlistment photo from 1944. In the picture on the right, he is holding a Browning Automatic Rifle (B.A.R.), just like the one he carried the entire time he fought in Europe in WWII.
Harry fought in Austria and Germany, up to the Czechoslovakian border with Gen. George Patton's 3rd Army, 5th Division, 2nd Infantry Regiment. He fought to liberate Frankfurt, Germany with Patton's infantry. Later, his regiment was about to cross a river to liberate Prague from the Germans; however, the Germans had flooded the river by opening the flood gates on a dam. The German soldiers on the opposite side of the river were in concrete fortifications armed with 88 mm artillery machine guns. Had the US troops tried to cross the river, it probably would have resulted in the slaughter of my dad's regiment, including my dad. Word came, however, for his regiment to wait and not attempt to cross the river. They were also told not shoot down the white plane that would be flying overhead shortly, as it was carrying the German delegation on its way to surrender and end the war. Thus, saving my dad and his regiment from having to cross the river and fight to liberate Prague.
I tell this story, because recently a Czechoslovakian historian doctoral candidate at Charles University in Prague, Jiří Klůc, saw photos of my dad that had been posted from his Puget Sound Honor Flight that we took to Washington DC in October. Jiří has been making multiple trips from to the United States to interview and record the war stories of US WWII vets. He has conducted extensive research for his PhD thesis on WWII veterans and has had the privilege of meeting over 500 of them from around the World. Jiří reached out to us, and thanks to him, Harry has been invited to Pilsen in the Czech Republic as an honored guest to participate in the Pilsen Liberation Festival being held May 2-6, 2025.
Harry has never been to Europe, except while in combat during World War II. This will be the trip of a lifetime for my dad and most likely his last chance to make this kind of trip. He is very physically and mentally healthy, especially for his age. I will accompany my dad.
Since he will already be in Europe for the Liberation Festival, we are hoping to include a visit to Frankfurt, so he can see the city he helped liberate; Amsterdam, where he has family who he has never been able to visit; and maybe Paris or London, as they are cities he would love to see.
Growing up during the Great Depression, my dad has always been frugal and never one to do much for himself, but he has always been there for his family, his country, and his community. He is very active in our local area with veterans’ groups, such as the Community Military Appreciation Committee (www.cmac11.com) and is a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW Post 7824 in Vancouver, WA).
I’d love to be able to give my dad the ultimate dream trip of his lifetime, but we need financial help to do it. Normally we would plan and save up money for a trip like this, but because the invitation to the Pilsen Liberation Festival came up so suddenly, we don't have the time to save all we need for the trip.
I am starting this GoFundMe page to help fund his "ultimate dream" trip to Europe, as I have described above. I have gotten an estimate from a reputable and highly recommended travel agent for the "ultimate dream" trip for him, which is reflected in the requested amount. This amount includes flights/transportation between home and Europe, plane/train/bus transportation between cities in Europe, hotels, taxes, fees, and travel insurance. It also includes an additional estimated amount for meals, tips, taxis/public transportation, tickets for any attractions he might visit, as well as house and pet sitting expenses for our two dogs and cat while we are in Europe.
If we must eliminate cities from the trip, because we can't come up with the needed funding to extend the trip, that's the way it will be. My dad will be thankful for whatever cities he can visit. I will create a webpage where I will share photos of his trip and post the link here, so you can see the places and things my dad experiences on the trip.
If we do not end up needing/using all of the funds that are donated here to complete his trip, we will donate any excess funds to the Clark County Veteran's Assistance Center (CCVAC) https://www.ccvac.net in Vancouver, WA. CCVAC is a 100% volunteer-run, nonprofit organization which provides a welcoming and safe environment for the purpose of assisting Clark County Veterans and their families in obtaining benefits, services, and resources to meet their basic needs.
From the bottom of our hearts, my dad and I humbly thank you in advance for any donation you can offer, no matter how big or small, to help us realize his ultimate dream trip of a lifetime to Europe.
With sincere appreciation,
Linda and Harry Humason
P.S. In case you are interested, here are links to Jiří Klůc’s social media pages and a couple articles about his research here in the states interviewing WWII vets. He will be in Boston in January and in Seattle and Vancouver, Washington in June to interview more WWII vets, including my dad.
Organisator
Linda Humason
Organisator
Vancouver, WA