Josef Turek, Czechoslovak war veteran from the battles at Dunkirk, has died

Josef Turek, a 100-year-old war veteran and the last Czechoslovak soldier from WWII, has passed away. He participated in the Dunkirk battles and received the French Legion of Honor earlier this year. Turek was conscripted into the German army in 1944 but later joined the Czechoslovak army after being captured by American forces. He fought as a tank driver in the Czechoslovak Independent Armored Brigade during the Dunkirk operations. After the war, he returned home to surprise family members who thought he was dead. Turek spent most of his professional life as a worker and later lived in a veterans' care center in Olomouc. His contributions were recognized with several medals, including the Czechoslovak Military Memorial Medal for his service in France.