OT: On Memorial day In a Small Dutch Village, Our Dead Soldiers Are Loved....

[fg7321]

In case you didn't know it the people in the Netherlands and Holland have a special connection to the American, British, and Canadian Soldiers who gave up their lives to free them from German occupation.
By the end of the war these people were starving with no food to eat. Allied Bomber planes dropped thousands of tons of food to save the population from starving. Soldiers shared whatever food they had with the population as well.

They have not forgotten the men who saved them.....

" Every one of the graves that remain has been adopted, either by a family (most, but not all, of them Dutch), local school, business, or military outfit who visit it on days such as Memorial Day, Christmas, and the first and last day of the soldier's life.
Some graves are "passed down" to a family's next generation; there's even a waiting list for those wanting to adopt a grave.
Yesterday (2015) saw some 6,000 people — including Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, notes the AP — attend a ceremony there, as they have done since May 30, 1945. What Rutte had to say: "Thank you to our liberators. Thank you for enabling us to stand here today in freedom, and we bow our heads in memory of the fallen."

In a Small Dutch Village, Our Dead Soldiers Are Loved

This is just amazing. Thinking of all our fallen soldiers on this Memorial Day, including these 8,301.

www.newser.com

 

[HeavenUniv.]

Memorial Day needs to be moved back to the traditional day. It shouldn’t be some kind of “Kick off to Summer 3 Day Weekend.”

 

[mdk01]

I have an uncle buried in the cemetery you see in Private Ryan. When some cousins went on a tour about 10 years ago they said something about the Normandy "invasion" . The tour guide immediately said "you mean the liberation". They still remember.

 

[hoquat63]

We visited a couple of cemeteries when we were in the Netherlands a few years ago. Have some photos somewhere.

 

[BigLou]

I have an uncle buried in the cemetery you see in Private Ryan. When some cousins went on a tour about 10 years ago they said something about the Normandy "invasion" . The tour guide immediately said "you mean the liberation". They still remember.

I have no relatives there but one of my Aunts had a brother-in Law buried in Normandy. When she visited the area some years ago she went to the cemetery to see the grave. The people working there said "Thank you for letting us take care of him".
Your right, they have not forgotten the sacrifices made there by U.S. soldiers.

 

[hoquat63]

Also in Belgium Flanders Fields American Cemetery has graves of WE I American soldiers. In Arnhem there is a cemetery for British and Canadian soldiers killed during Operation Market Gardenwe also got to see William of Orange’s (Willie the Silent) tomb in the Nee Church in Delft

 

[beaced]

I have no relatives there but one of my Aunts had a brother-in Law buried in Normandy. When she visited the area some years ago she went to the cemetery to see the grave. The people working there said "Thank you for letting us take care of him".
Your right, they have not forgotten the sacrifices made there by U.S. soldiers.

Very moving.

 

[DJ Spanky]

This was something I did not know although I had heard about the air drops of food. I believe there were other areas of Europe where we did this. Very moving to know they still remember

I have no relatives there but one of my Aunts had a brother-in Law buried in Normandy. When she visited the area some years ago she went to the cemetery to see the grave. The people working there said "Thank you for letting us take care of him".
Your right, they have not forgotten the sacrifices made there by U.S. soldiers.

Sadly, many people in this country have.

 

[Greg2020]

This was something I did not know although I had heard about the air drops of food. I believe there were other areas of Europe where we did this. Very moving to know they still remember

Sadly, many people in this country have.

so true. Now many would say why are we wasting money on poor other countries.

 

[HeavenUniv.]

 

[JERZEE73]

Respect for America & its’ people has eroded to some degree over the years thus the use of the term ‘Ugly American’,but back in the day we were held in awe in some countries.
Back in the 70s, I was in Italy & our small group pulled off for lunch to a relatively small village. The restaurant had a wedding going on with 100+ guests. When the people being married heard there were Americans present, we were invited in & met with a standing ovation. Seriously! We then sat at the head table with the bride & groom. All because of the respect Americans had earned in the past. Much of that respect has disappeared over the years, but it’s nice to hear this story of the Netherlands & Holland & how they still remember those who have given their lives.

 

[mdk01]

Respect for America & its’ people has eroded to some degree over the years thus the use of the term ‘Ugly American’,but back in the day we were held in awe in some countries.
Back in the 70s, I was in Italy & our small group pulled off for lunch to a relatively small village. The restaurant had a wedding going on with 100+ guests. When the people being married heard there were Americans present, we were invited in & met with a standing ovation. Seriously! We then sat at the head table with the bride & groom. All because of the respect Americans had earned in the past. Much of that respect has disappeared over the years, but it’s nice to hear this story of the Netherlands & Holland & how they still remember those who have given their lives.

The fading impact (outside of certain locales) of being liberated and not having worry about Soviet tanks roll through their streets certainly has had an impact.