Czech man on tireless mission finds relatives of US troops killed in unknown battle in World War II

Roman Susil is a Czech Republic resident who is leading the search for the families of U.S. airmen who fought in the Battle of the White Carpathians in Czechoslovakia during World War II. He stands here in front of a memorial to the American soldiers in Vyskovek, Czech Republic, on Sept. 1, 2024. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

SLAVICIN, Czech Republic – A trip with his parents to a local church four decades ago inspired Roman Susil to pay tribute to a group of American soldiers who lost their lives in a little-known dogfight during World War II.

It was in the 1980s, when his country and neighboring Slovakia were still united as Czechoslovakia under a Soviet-dominated communist dictatorship. In church, Susil's parents showed him a gravestone, and it left a lasting impression on him.

“There was nothing written on the gravestone back then,” Susil said. “Just '28 Americans, shot down on August 29, 1944, buried on August 31, 1944, and exhumed on September 5, 1946.' That was all. No names.”

The marker commemorated the pilots of four squadrons of the 15th Air Fleet of the 2nd Bomber Group of the US Army who fought in the Battle of the White Carpathians (officially Mission 263).

On the morning of the battle, the four squadrons, consisting of B-24 Liberators and B-17 Flying Fortresses, left Foggia, Italy, to destroy a large quantity of Nazi weapons. Only three squadrons returned.

Unbeknownst to the Americans, Nazi forces had been warned of their arrival and were imitating American escort aircraft to avoid detection. By the time the rear squadron noticed the deception, it was too late.

All eight aircraft of the 20th Bomber Wing formation were shot down, along with two from the 429th and 49th Squadrons. In total, 41 Americans died in the battle.

Suppression of information during the Cold War Czechoslovakia kept many generations in the dark about the fighting in their country during World War II.

But five years after the Velvet Revolution in 1989 overthrew the communist regime in Prague, a new tombstone bearing the names of the 28 American pilots was erected at Slavicin Church.

From that point on, the search for their family members began. But in a time before social media, he only had the signatures of a handful of veterans who showed up at various memorial events.

Since 2004, however, he has significantly intensified his efforts to research the airmen involved in the Battle of the White Carpathians and to provide closure for their families.

That year, he made contact with Navigator 2nd Lt. Loy Dickinson of Tail End Charlie, and after exchanging contact information, they began writing letters. He also set up online message boards and created a Facebook group.

Dickinson shared the letters with his surviving crew members, including the staff Sgt. Joseph Owsianik, a right gunner on Tail End Charlie in the 20th Bomber Group, who was captured by the Nazis after his plane was shot down.

“We became friends. … He was like a grandfather to me,” Susil said of Owsianik.

In 2007, Owsianik visited the town again and Willi Reschke, a German who had fought in the battle, was also there. Owsianik's request that Susil accompany him to embrace his former enemy prompted the Czech to continue his search, he said.

In total, Susil has been in contact with over 40 families since then.

“My dad somehow came across Roman's name and we joined (his) Facebook group, and that's where it all started,” said Air Force Lt. Col. Sasha Heath, the great-niece of “Lovely Ladies” co-pilot 2nd Lt. Theo Heath, one of the 28 Americans buried in a mass grave in 1944.

Susil is not alone in his efforts. Together with Vlastimil Hela, a local author and historian, and Anton Bonko, their logistics chief, he organizes the annual commemorations and disseminates information about the battle.

Other residents venture into the White Carpathians with metal detectors in search of plane crash remnants and artifacts, hoping to return the items to their families or display them in local history museums.

American visitors pose with Czech memorial organizers during the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the White Carpathians at a ceremony in Vyskovek, Czech Republic, Sept. 1, 2024. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

A Czech performer in a World War II reenactment presents Tim Heath, the nephew of “Lovely Ladies” co-pilot 2nd Lt. Theo Heath, with a portrait and a piece from the crashed plane in Vyskovek, Czech Republic, on Sept. 1, 2024. Heath was there to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the White Carpathians, in which 41 American soldiers died. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

Vlastimil Hela, a Czech author and historian, speaks during a ceremony in Slavicin, Czech Republic, Aug. 31, 2024. The southeastern town near the border with Slovakia commemorated American forces on the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the White Carpathians in World War II. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

Michael Zitnik, a Czech man searching for artifacts from the World War II Battle of the White Carpathians, speaks about a memorial he helped build in Sanov, Czech Republic, Sept. 1, 2024. Under the communist dictatorship in Czechoslovakia during the Cold War, information about the 41 Americans killed in the battle was suppressed. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

Hildegard Reschke, Joseph Owsianik and Willi Reschke (from left) pose for a photo at the monument to the Battle of the White Carpathians in the Czech Republic in 2007. Owsianik and Reschke fought on opposing sides of the battle and met in person for the first time 63 years later. (Roman Susil)

Roman Susil, left, shakes hands with Larry Joyner at a ceremony in Sanov, Czech Republic, Sept. 1, 2024, marking the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the White Carpathians. The obscure World War II battle in Czechoslovakia resulted in the deaths of 41 Americans. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

Gravesites and monuments have also been built and maintained by the town's citizens. Susil said he has two reasons for continuing. “First, I want to show the American families that we have not forgotten the sacrifice of these men,” he said. “Second, I want to show the younger generations what the war is and what the war was, and not repeat it.”