Poslední společné foto - rodina Vachkova

Zdeněk Bajgar / Zlín / October 2018

Zdeněk Bajgar / Zlín / October 2018

Zdeněk Bajgar / approximately 1940

Iveta and a jeep on a town square. 2014

Jan Irving with his children, Adriana and Jan, from his first marriage. 1966 or 1967

The last family reunion in full strength during a feast in 1975 in Úherce; Grandma Honalová was still alive. From top left: grandmaHonalová, under her, a dark-haired lady, her niece Marie Niedermaierová of Lisov, under her, her daughter and my aunt, Jana Mestlová, with both daughters – older Jana and younger Hana (and I am standing between them). On the right, there is Adriana, under her, Jenda, mom, and dad on far right.

Iveta's step-siblings from her father's first marriage

And this is in Prague - Iveta's birthday, probably the fifth.

"Úherce at the most beautiful time of my childhood when dad tried to rebuild and repair our house and finish the work in the yard and in the cottage at the lower end. My mother loved her gladioli she grew in the garden. At the back of teh garden, there is an iron slide and a giant swing dad had made, along with smaller attractions, for his first two children. Subsequently, three generations of children, nowadays already elderly, because there was no playground in the village and everyone used to meet in our place until I grew up. Even when I was twenty-five, I used to swing on the large swing until mom decided that it needs to be taken down because it was falling apart and someone could get killed."

Úherce at the most beautiful time of my childhood when dad tried to rebuild and repair our house and finish the work in the yard and in the cottage at the lower end. My mother loved her gladioli she grew in the garden. At the back of teh garden, there is an iron slide and a giant swing dad had made, along with smaller attractions, for his first two children. Subsequently, three generations of children, nowadays already elderly, because there was no playground in the village and everyone used to meet in our place until I grew up. Even when I was twenty-five, I used to swing on the large swing until mom decided that it needs to be taken down because it was falling apart and someone could get killed.

Iveta at about six years old.

This is a photograph illustrating the collision of dad‘s Ilyushin IL-14 with an eagle. I got beautiful feathers for my “Indian” headdress.

This is a photograph illustrating the collision of dad‘s Ilyushin IL-14 with an eagle. I got beautiful feathers for my “Indian” headdress.

Iveta, aged 17, dutifully practices guitar in the garden.

"To už je snímek ze slavnostního křtu v Mánesu 19. 4. 2000, kde se tehdy sešlo tolik lidí, že nebylo nejen kde sedět, ale ani místečko na stání. Kromě kmotříčků Taxmenů byl hlavním kmotrem mistr světa v letecké akrobacii Ing. Petr Jirmus, s nímž přišla i jeho úžasná manželka Alenka. Ta ale na snímku není – někde sedí u stolu mezi letci."

The VIP guests included Jindra Polák, the director of Nebeští jezdci [Riders in the Sky, a 1968 movie]. and those airmen who remembered Ant in person. At the end of the book, there are their personal reminiscences and portrait photographs. Here, from the left: colonel JUDr. Lubomír Úlehla, colonel Jaroslav Hofrichter and Petr Jirmus. He is looking towards the stage where I’m probably talking to the microphone at the moment.

"After the book presentation, we got a photo taken in front of the bar. The paintings hanging there are oil paintings beautifully painted by Petr Hampl, M. A. {left); they were meant as illustrations for the book. Next to me, lieutenant colonel Jan Bozděch is standing. He is the son of the owner of Ant the dog, whose godfather was Jan Masaryk [the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the exile government in London during WWII].

Very rare snapshot from a book signing during the celebrations of the end of WWII in Plzeň in 2001. Ivana went on tour with the book along with the Taxmen band and other book presentations and signings were organised. They began in Rakovník and after a stop in Plzeň, they ended in Přeštice. "Mom did all the driving and it was very tiresome for her but the experience was worth it! Moreover, nobody can take my memories away from me!"

"This photograph was taken by a family friend, Karel Mařatka. It was shot just after the end of an unveiling of a memorial plaque on the 19th of May, 2001. "Dad's former colleagues, civilian pilots, asked the Czechoslovak Airlines to sponsor the event. Their flags were hoisted on wooden masts on the lawn near the house and the marketing department agreed that I would represent them wearing their uniform. My relief that we managed the event is well visible. It rained and we were soaked to the bone and tired dead. The preparations for the event were exhausting even though my mother was a great help as a sort of 'liaison officer'."

A reminder of an anniversary concert of the Taxmen band. The photograph was taken at a party which took place in Mánes [gallery] probably at an anniversary of starting the Taxmen band; other artists participated as well. On the left, founder of Taxmen and a wonderful historian, Jaroušek Čvančara. Iveta as a co-organiser of the event added a bonus for the band members, she invited an astrologer, dr. Peter Messany, to foretell them further career. Far right, on Iveta’s left, there is another long term member of the band, owner of a mesmerising baritone, Vráťa Vyskočil. (This was in 2002 or 2003).

„This is the beginning of my end, a photograph from the police files documenting the dramatic day of the 26th February of 2008 when I was hit by a 20-year-old Romanian from behind in full speed. I rode my beloved bike, returning with my (now former) boyfriend from a visit at relatives‘ and just before the turn to Uherce, we were badly hit. It was a really strong impact as shown by the distance between the car and my bike. I was even further away after I ended my flight somewhere. What hurt me most was the destroyed airbrush on the tank which showed dad’s airplane which would match my bike – Marauder and B-26.“

"Another heart ache of mine. The back of the bike got destroyed. It could be repaired but the stickers from all bike reunions were lost, and these can't be replaced; so were those on the front light and on the speedometer."

"Another heart ache of mine. The back of the bike got destroyed. It could be repaired but the stickers from all bike reunions were lost, and these can't be replaced; so were those on the front light and on the speedometer."

„My helmet mostly survived but the passenger’s one is irrepairably destructed and I keep it in my cottage a permanent reminder that shouts in the space, whenever someone comes, that something good happen for a change and the bad go away.“