World War II United States Army soldier. He is considered to be the last member of the United States armed forces to be killed in combat in the European Theater. A member of the 803rd Tank Destroyer Battalion, he was a veteran of the June 6, 1944 landings at Normandy Beach, France, the combat in the Huertgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. He was on reconnaissance patrol in what was then Czechoslovakia on May 7, 1945 when he and his comrades were ambushed. The gunfire from the concealed German positions killed Private Havlat only minutes before a cease fire order reached both the American patrol and the German soldiers. Only a few hours after the ambush, Germany formally surrendered unconditionally to the Allied forces, ending World War II in Europe.
World War II United States Army soldier. He is considered to be the last member of the United States armed forces to be killed in combat in the European Theater. A member of the 803rd Tank Destroyer Battalion, he was a veteran of the June 6, 1944 landings at Normandy Beach, France, the combat in the Huertgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. He was on reconnaissance patrol in what was then Czechoslovakia on May 7, 1945 when he and his comrades were ambushed. The gunfire from the concealed German positions killed Private Havlat only minutes before a cease fire order reached both the American patrol and the German soldiers. Only a few hours after the ambush, Germany formally surrendered unconditionally to the Allied forces, ending World War II in Europe.
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