Mayor of Sokolov regrets removing US flag from war memorial during ceremony

The mayor of Sokolov in western Bohemia, Renata Olulehlova, has said she regrets removing the American flag from a WWII monument and final resting place of Soviet soldiers who died in the liberation effort during a commemorative ceremony marking the end of the war.

The mayor, who faced a barrage of criticism from locals and politicians, told Novinky.cz she regretted the decision which had been spurred by the fact that only the remains of Soviet soldiers were buried on the spot. No offense was intended, she said.

Outraged citizens pointed out that it was the US army which had liberated Sokolov and given the Soviet soldiers there a decent burial.