The current Czech prime minister, Mirek Topolanek, a liberal, decided in March to honor the three survivors as heroes, no doubt expecting some controversy in a nation still grappling with its Communist past. But the government was not prepared for a searing debate that encapsulated all the ambivalence associated with the country’s recent history.

A minority of Czechs lauded the award as a fitting tribute to freedom fighters who had dared to stand up to a repressive government, but nearly half of the population viewed the men as criminals, according to a poll conducted for Czech Television.

They decided to seize weapons from a police station. When a police officer refused to open a safe where weapons were stored, Mr. Paumer said, Ctirad Masin subdued him with chloroform, before cutting his throat. They fled with six submachine guns and eight pistols.

“We left the policeman on the floor, covered with blood,” said Mr. Paumer, who was 21 at the time. “We wanted to show the Communists what could be done, that we could kill, that we could fight back, too.”