Gen. George S. Patton's 3rd Army liberated the city of Pilzen, Czech Republic, in the spring of 1945. During the 60th-anniversary commemoration, the city elected to remember Patton with a foundation stone. But the statue of Patton was canceled by the city of Pilzen because the builder, Jaroslav Bocker, had collaborated with Communist secret police during the Cold War.
The town of Dysina, several miles from Pilzen, elected to accept the foundation stone and statue. The people of Dysina loved Patton and the 3rd Army, 22 Corps headquarters in the city (1945). Mayor Vaclava Kuklikova stated, "The statue symbolizes freedom of speech, freedom of thought and, above all, freedom of opinion." The foundation stone and statue were unveiled in front of the General George S. Patton Primary School on May 7, 2005, with Patton’s grandson George Patton Waters and more than 55 World War II veterans in attendance.