On Monday, 11 November 2024, Prague’s náměstí Míru (Peace Square) will host a celebration for Veterans Day 2024. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the beginning of the Western Front battles. War veterans will be honoured, and the Czech Army will showcase its equipment and combat vehicles.
In the morning, there will be a programme for schools featuring competitions and quizzes. During these activities, the Air Force will introduce students to the birds of prey used at military airfields.
Veterans Day 2024 will be officially opened at 2 pm, starting with the national anthem sung by pupils from Sázavská Primary School and a Hussite song performed by the Central Band of the Czech Army. The Czech Army Guard of Honour will raise the national flag, and speakers will include Minister of Defence Jana Černochová and Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Karel Řehka. The Chief Chaplain of the Czech Army will lead a prayer for fallen and deceased soldiers. Additionally, John McCrae’s poem In Flanders Fields—a symbol of the First World War and associated with the tradition of the poppy to honour veterans and the fallen—will be recited.
This year’s exhibit on Peace Square will feature both historical and modern military equipment, with a focus on the Czech Army Air Force. Visitors can view the RBS-70 NG air defence missile system, the HECTOR fire support vehicle for reconnaissance and security, and the Enstrom 480B-G training helicopter.
Individual exhibits and static displays will be open to the public until 6 pm. Throughout the day, visitors may also visit the Grove of Crosses to honour fallen soldiers by laying a flower or placing a cross with a personal message. The traditional Veterans Day symbol, the poppy, will be available on-site for a donation.
