The order from Prague finally came.
"All units will resist German entry by force. The defense of the Republic is our sacred duty. Every kilometer must be contested. The eyes of the world are upon us."
The radio operators had wept to hear it not from fear, but from the terrible relief that, at last, there would be no more waiting.
Near Cheb, Colonel Měšťan gathered his men in the frost-bitten dawn.
The village behind them slept.
The border ahead was already full with engine noise.
He stood on a crate, voice hard as iron.
"We have been soldiers since Munich betrayed us. We have trained, drilled, bled, and waited for this hour. The Germans are coming. I will not lie to you they have tanks, planes, all the might of their Reich. But we have this land, our oath, and each other. The President has given the order. I will stand here, and fight. No man is forced to die if you cannot, you are free to go. If you fight, stand with me, and know that history will remember your name."
