Rudy Klecka. Armed Forces USA (312 sqn)

Mr & Mrs Rudy and Henrietta Klecka
Klub Kontinental

This story begins in 1938 when Adolph Hitler signed the Munich Agreement and regained control of the Sudentenland portions of Czechoslavakia. He did, of course, not stop there; instead he occupied the whole of Czechoslavakia. President Edward Benes then told his people to leave the country if at all possible especially those whose skills might be forced into services of the Nazi cause. In 1939, some Czech aviators managed to escape into Poland, then into France and eventually to England to join the RAF in the fight for freedom, forming the Czech squadrons 310,311,312 and 313.
Rudy (Rudolph) Klecka was inducted into the Armed Services of the USA (312 Sqn) in Feb 1941 and in Jan 1943 he was assigned to Exeter (Digby Base) as a Technical Sergeant. On the evening of the 29th Jan 1943, Rudy visited the local hostelry the George & Dragon Inn, Clyst St George. While he was there he noticed a group of about 24 men in blue RAF uniforms with Czechoslavakia embroidered on the top of their jacket sleeves; being of Czech origin himself, he walked over to them and introduced himself with the greeting “ Jak se mas—-How are you?”. Pleased to hear their own native tongue spoken by an American, they asked him to join them for the celebration of one of their pilots achievements. Sqn Ldr Emil Foit (310 Sqn) had that day shot down his fifth Nazi Messerschmitt over the channel 15 miles North of Morlaix. This first meeting forged firm friendships with the aircrew of 310 sqn based at RAF Exeter. Two particular friends were F/O George Sehnal (Intelligence Officer) and Dr Zdenek Vitek (Medical Officer),
When the war ended, a good many Czech pilots returned to Czechoslavakia and some kept in touch with Rudy as to the developments in their country from 1945.
In 1947, Rudy and Henrietta made a trip to Vienna where they met up in secret with their Czech war time friends. They wanted to meet in secret outside Czechoslavakia . They told them of the hardships under the Communist government especially that of the church.
Many priests and bishops were in prison and Rudy’s friends had worked along side them in the mines. They were anxious that the Western world should know their plight. They felt that Czechoslavakia was about to slip into obscurity and secrecy behind the Iron Curtain. Their plea to Rudy was “ somebody has to tell the world what is happening to us. Please find a way to keep our story alive”
Then in 1948, his friends told him that they must stop writing to each other as the situation in Czechoslavakia had become politically dangerous for them and their families.
On the 10th March of that year, Jan Masaryk, the Foreign Minister of Czechoslavakia died in mysterious circumstances. It was strongly believed that he was pushed out of his third floor office window in the Czernin Palace in Prague and his death staged to appear as a suicide.
By 1950 the Communists had imposed their supremacy over the country. Many war heroes now became “ enemies of the state” and were arrested, imprisoned and made to work in the uranium mines of North Bohemia. “We will bow to no regime that refuses to bow to God” In 1951, just a few hours after uttering these words to the Catholic faithful in Prague’s St Vitus Cathedral, Archbishop Josef Beran was abducted by the secret police and imprisoned for the next 16 years.
In 1960, when President Alexander Dubcek introduced many changes; prisoners were released and the lines of communication with the West improved. Rudy and his wife Henrietta once more began to write to their Czech war time friends.
From this time onwards, Rudy & Henrietta felt a calling to try to bring groups of Americans to Czechoslavakia even though it was almost impossible to obtain travel visas. Unfortunately, Alexander Dubcek was deposed by Moscow orders in August 1968 and his “ Prague Spring” came to an end.
It was not until 14th June 1969 that Rudy and Henrietta began Klub Kontinental and made their return tour. Politically this was a volatile time; on the 19th Jan 1969, the student Jan Palach had set himself on fire in Prague’s Wenceslas Square to protest the invasion of Czechoslavakia by the Soviet Union. On that first memorable trip the following members were included:
Mr & Mrs Rudy and Henrietta Klecka, Mrs Max( Louise) Voskamp, Charles V Chrastecky both of Shiner Texas, Joseph Hyber of Kerriville, Miss Catherine Beseda, Louis Navratil, Mrs Matusek all of East Bernard Texas. Louis Michulka and Miss Lydia Matusek of Wharton, Mrs Marie Hlozek and her daughters, Mrs Gertrude Hubenak, Mrs Homer Ammann, Mrs Jaro ( Agnes Kolar) Netardus, Miss Gladys Pustejarsky, Mrs Alton Nelson and daughter Linda, Mrs Mattle Nora Hurta of Midfield and Mrs Christina Zernanek of Palacois. Also Leo Netek aged 85 years old. Father Jan Kukral, a Czech priest in exile serving East Bernard at that time knew Bishop Hlouch of Ceske Budejovice Bohemia who was willing to help arrange this pilgrimage group; this gave the company a legitimate reason to request visas. It was Father Kukral’s first trip back to his homeland for 32 years. Rudy’s war time friend George Sehnal (310 Sqn) met them at the border with his wife Mary and two sons and joined them for part of the tour. Sister Josephine Kunz of the Sister of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament in Victoria was the first nun to travel with Rudy and Henrietta. Sister Kunz was told not to wear her habit on the tour bus by the KGB Czech Government guide but she felt it right to continue to wear it anyway.
The group met with wonderful warm welcomes from Czech friends and relatives but found opposition from government bodies. They were hindered from visiting the Kolin Brass Band Festival and venturing outside Prague. George Sehnal however used his influence to enable the tour to visit the festival and neighbouring villages.
They visited Brno, Hluboka, Trebon and Podebrady. At the International Hotel in Brno they sampled good Czech food; native red or white wine, served with sour cream gravy and dumplings (knedliky). A particular favourite dessert of Henrietta’s: strawberry or cherry dumplings served warm with cottage cream and powdered sugar. Water was never served only beer and wine.In Prague, the group visited the Castle, Wenceslas Square and the National Museum noticeably riddled with bullet holes from the 1968 invasion. Rudy and Henrietta also made a point of visiting the small village of Skalica U Hranic home of their dear friend Zdena Vitek wife of the late Dr Zdenek Vitek (310 Sqn). When out shopping Henrietta observed that the shop keeper’s faces lit up at the sound of American or English voices but not so for the Russians. They were kept waiting in restaurants and stores. Goods were hid from them under the counter but strangely reappeared when serving Czechs, Americans or English customers.
Foods such as meat and eggs were in short supply and long queues formed outside shops long before opening hours. Prices of new cars had recently doubled and rail fares were predicted to rise by 100% in Sept 1969; the Black Market thrived.
The tour group were due to visit the Velehrad Basilica where St Methodius is buried. An elderly priest who had relatives in Rosenberg USA heard that a group of Americans from Texas were visiting. Unable to afford the bus fare he walked from his village to the Basilica. On seeing the tour group he walked up to them with a small bag of cherries as a gift. His clergy attire was faded and patched. He asked Rudy to contract his Rosenberg relatives to let them know that he was “ existing”. On later tours these relatives travelled with Klub Kontinental to see the priest.
This 23 day tour was a great success despite the inherent dangers involved. On a future tour a priest in a Moravian town gave a “beseda” a small social event with Kolaches and coffee for the American tour. Someone reported the priest to the authorities and he was kept under 30 day house arrest. Rudy and Henrietta counted many Czech priests as dear friends, Bishop John Morkovsky, Cardinal Tomasek of Prague and Archbishop Vanak of Olomouc.
On the 12th Nov 1989, the Czech people rose up and toppled the Communists. Many Christians gathered in Prague’s Wenceslas Square to stand in solidarity and prayerful non-violent support of Vaclav Havel as he negotiated the resignation of the Communist Government. After 40 years, the church buildings were returned to the Czech people but were in a serious state of disrepair. Rudy and Henrietta now supported the countries efforts to repair itself; collecting funds. Their efforts helped Archbishop Vanak to repair the seminary run by Jesuits and associated with the Frantiscek Palacky University ready to accept 200 men for training.
Rudy Klecka felt that the Czech people “ have a heritage of faith that has prevailed after years of relentless atheistic efforts to eliminate religious practices and beliefs”
For Rudy and Henrietta in the late 1960s Czechoslavakia was “ a beautiful romantic sad country with mountains, forests, castles, churches and enchanting valleys. Cherry trees lining every mile of the roads and storks still nesting in the chimneys”.
The couple continued to host two tours a year until 2004, bringing relatives and friends together. After the 1989 Velvet Revolution, Rudy and Henrietta joined several Czech American and Czech emigre physicians in the Houston area to found the Texas-Czech Physician Exchange Program; hosting Czech doctors for three month exchange study tours at the Houston Medical Centre. In 2005, Rudy was the recipient of the Czernin Palace Bronze Memorial Medal “ in gratitude to him and Henrietta for their significant contributions in preserving and promoting relations between the Czech Republic and the USA.
Mary Lou Krenek left a tribute after Rudy’s funeral in 2011” Mr Klecka contributed so much to the American-Czech relationship. When I was in Germany in the late 1970s, I would meet their tour at Rothenburg on the Tauber to visit with people from home. He was taking a group into Czechoslavakia, a place I could not go due to being in the military. He was always interested in my life and what was going on in it. He was a kind and generous man”
Rudy and Henrietta were motivated by strong Christian beliefs and a lasting commitment to the Catholic faith. Their work helped to heal Czechoslavakia and it all began from a chance meeting in the George and Dragon Inn in England between Rudy and a group of Czech pilots from 310 Sqn and also from a moving meeting with an elderly Czech priest calling for help and offering a bag of cherries.

CHRISTMAS MENU 1943

EXPRESS AND ECHO 6TH JUNE 1994

Edward Klecka (Rudy Klecka’s son) and his wife Angie attended our event at the St George and Dragon Inn in 2019

Ed and Angie Klecka looking at the finished frames about Rudy Klecka

Rudolph “Rudy” Klecka, Sr. of East Bernard, Texas passed away peacefully on November 20, 2011. He was born to John and Caroline Toman Klecka in East Bernard, Texas on May 10, 1919 and lived his entire life in East Bernard, an active member of Holy Cross Catholic Church faith community as a member of the Knights of Columbus #2500. He was also a member of the American Legion, Post 226 in East Bernard. On November 28, 1941, he married his high school sweetheart, Henrietta Urbish Klecka. In 1946 they opened their small business, Klecka’s Dry Goods and Cleaners on Leveridge Street, where they also sold Czech crystal, jewellry and other items brought from the Czech Republic. Rudy served in the U. S. Army from 1941 until the end of World War II in 1945. While stationed in England, he met several Czech aviators serving in the R. A. F., which proved to be lifelong friendships. From 1969 through 2004, Rudy and Henrietta led tours as
KlubKontinental primarily to the Czech Republic and kept up with these aviators and their families. Thousands of Czech and American Moravians found their relatives and at the same time, kept the ties between a free USA and a Communist ancestral home, and with it, hope for freedom alive. After the 1989 Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia, Rudy and Henrietta joined several Czech American and Czech émigré physicians in the Houston area as Founding Board Members to found The Texas-Czech Physician Exchange Program, hosting Czech doctors for three month exchange studies tours at the Houston Medical Center. With his wife, Rudy was also Board Member of the Czech Culture Center in Houston, Texas. In 2005, Rudy was the recipient of the “Czernin Palace Bronze Memorial Medal” in gratitude to him and Henrietta for their significant contributions in preserving and promoting relations between the Czech Republic and the United States of America. Rudy is survived by three sons: Rudy Nathan, James Michael (Patricia), Edward Henry (Angelita), eight grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren and a brother, August of East Bernard, Texas. He was preceded in death by his parents,
seven siblings and his wife Henrietta. Visitation will be on Friday, November 25 from 9:00 to 10:00 AM, followed by the Funeral Liturgy at 10:00 AM, Holy Cross Church, 839 Church Street, East Bernard, Texas. Pallbearers are Johnnie Klecka, Patrick Klecka, Kim Klecka, Joshua Klecka, James Dusek and John Murrile.