Two Girlfriends Metal Detecting in South Bohemia
Some places look completely ordinary, quiet woods, narrow paths, a countryside that feels almost untouched. And yet, beneath the surface, stories linger. My recent trip to South Bohemia with a friend wasn't just about metal detecting. It was about stepping into history and standing in a place where something unforgettable happened.
Fred Warren Ashley
Born in 1923 in Idaho | Died May 4th, 1945 in Dobra Voda
In the final days of World War II, a young American soldier named Fred Warren Ashley lost his life here. Born in 1923 in Idaho, Fred served in Patton's 2nd Mechanized Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron. On May 4th, 1945, as the war was drawing to a close, his unit was surrounded by German forces. Fred was fatally wounded and temporarily buried behind a cemetery wall in the small settlement of Dobrá Voda.
Thanks to a local eyewitness, his body was later recovered and transported to a military cemetery in Belgium, and today he rests in peace in the United States. At the site of his first burial, a memorial plaque still quietly tells his story.
We visited that very spot to check the condition of the memorial, leave a flower, and take a moment to reflect on the time that changed so many lives. It wasn't a loud or dramatic experience. It was calm, thoughtful, and real.
From this journey, I've created a video that captures the place, the atmosphere, and the emotion behind the story. You can find it on my YouTube channel and right below this article.
Because sometimes, what matters most isn't what you find in the ground, but what you reconnect with in memory.