Celebrating a century of service
Dr. Thomas Borak gave the keynote address during the program observing the 100th anniversary of American Legion Charles Borak Post 45 and the 101st anniversary of the death of Pvt. Charles Borak. (Chuck Kajer photo)
More than 200 people were at the American Legion Park Ballroom Friday, Sept. 27, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the American Legion and New Prague Charles Borak Post 45.
The group also observed the 101st anniversary of the death of Charles Borak, a New Prague soldier for whom the post is named. Borak was the first area resident to die in action in World War I. About 50 members of the Borak family were in attendance and Dr. Tom Borak, nephew of Charles Borak, gave the keynote address. The Borak family held a family reunion earlier that afternoon in the Legion Clubroom.
After a social hour, Paul Busch, Commander of American Legion Post 45, started the program, which included music from the New Prague Community Band and the National Anthem, played by the band and members of both Hymnus and the New Prague High School Choir.
Pastor John Stephens of Community Baptist Church gave the invocation, and Busch led the Pledge of Allegiance.
SPC Izak Jirik and ETC Erica Witherington presented the POW/MIA Table Ceremony, honoring those who are Prisoners of War or Missing in Action.
Welcoming remarks were from Busch, Tonja Flick, President of the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 45, and New Prague Mayor Chuck Nickolay, who also read a proclamation declaring the day Charles Borak Day in the City of New Prague.
The first speaker was Linda Dvorak, Third District American Legion Commander and a member of Post 45. She also brought greetings from the Minnesota Department Commander, her husband Mark Dvorak, who had planned to attend, but had other duties.
In his keynote speech, Dr. Tom Borak talked about his family, his uncle and how Charles Borak came to be in France in September, 1918. He said his grandparents, Wenceslaus and Elizabeth Borak, owned and operated a farm near Cedar Lake, northeast of New Prague. Charles Borak was born in 1896 and attended a country school until his early teens.
“Most of his formative years were....
To see more on this story pick up the October 3, 2019 print edition of The New Prague Times.
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