Embassy Participates in Ceremony Commemorating the Victory over Fascism

May 8, 2008

U.S. Embassy representatives Mr. Larry Silverman, Deputy Chief of Mission; Lieutenant Colonel David Galles, Defense Attaché; and Lieutenant Colonel Lee Grassley, Air Attaché, participated in the commemoration of one of the most significant and most tragic periods in world history. The official ceremonies commemorating theArmistice of May 8, 1945, for the 63rd anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, were held in Bratislava.  As part of the ceremony, leading Slovak political representatives laid wreaths at the Liberation Memorial.  Both Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico spoke, with the Prime Minister saying it is important to ask what young people today know about Slovakia’s liberation.  The memorial event was also attended by Interior Minister Robert Kalinak, Parliamentary Vice-Chairman Miroslav Ciz, Government Vice-Chairman Dusan Caplovic and other political representatives. The event was organized by the Slovak Anti-Fascist Soldiers Union and several hundreds of people came to pay tribute to the liberators.