May 5, 1945 - we shall remember.

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
41

Milo: the ceremony in Israel can be compared to the one in The Netherlands. Everything just stops for two minutes - all the shops are closed an hour in advance, so people are either at home or at one of the commemorative ceremonies. The trains, busses and subways all come to a halt, and those traveling by car stop at the emergency shoulder for 2 minutes.

I would like to thank all of you for your beautiful reactions so far. Reading all these stories about family members that fought in the war (including those who fought in Korea and Vietnam, but mainly WWII) just makes me realise how relatively recent all of this happened.

Oh, and Soldier of Orange (“Soldaat van Oranje”) gives a perfect image of what life in the Dutch resistance was like during WWII. I had no idea it was even released abroad! If you ever come across this movie, rent or buy it - it is a beautiful film.

Spoke-: in reality, it must be stressed that not everybody in the Netherlands was willing to risk his family and life to help out those who were most in danger. A lot of people were just trying to cope, trying to make their own family survive. A very small fraction of the population joined the N.S.B. (“National-Socialist Movement”), a Dutch political party that openly agreed with Hitlers policies. After the liberation, members of that party were hunted down and publicly humiliated. This was done by the army, the police, but also by normal citizens. Women were shaved bald and had to wear a sign that said “N.S.B. Whore”, or words to that effect. Men were usually shot on the spot. Not very pretty, and arguably not different from what we have seen in former Yugoslavia sometimes. But also, in my view, understandable to some extent.
Of course, the stories that reach the outside world are always the ones about the heroes. I just thought I’d put it into perspective a bit, although it can be said that the vast majority of the Dutch were opposed to the occupation and its opressor. Just not all of them were all that active in it.
I suppose it beats some other European countries, where the German troups were allowed to march down to the capital without any resistance worth mentioning - no offence to France today, but I never quite understood their apathy at the beginning of WWII.

Shanya: the Jewish population in the Netherlands suffered enormously during WWII. Everybody knows about Anne Frank, of course, but the big numbers are even more terrifying. Before WWII, the population of Amsterdam was about 35% Jewish. Immediately after WWII, almost none remained. It must have been under 2%. I think it is about 8% now, but it’s fair to say that the Jewish component in Amsterdam will never be so visible again as it was before the war.
The pictures in the Municipal Museum always get to me. Entire areas of the city were blocked off from the outside world, showing signs at the entrance. Signs like “Do not buy Jewish merchandise”, “Jewish Area” and “Watch your belongings”. The pictures of young Jewish children, with the obligatory David’s Star on their clothes: “Jood” (Jew).

It is almost impossible to realise that all of this happened not 60 years ago.

42

Coldfire,
I’m in tears.
I have an uncle, my godfather actually, who was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge. He’s never talked about it to us, but I think I will send him your post. I don’t want to embarrass him, but I think he’d like to know.

Thank you for reminding us that the things we take for granted here in America aren’t as free as we think they are.

43

Coldfire, in my opinion, what you wrote should be published somewhere for the whole world to see. Too often we involve ourselves completely with the present, and the future. It is sadly rare that one takes a moment to reflect on how the past has made the present, and the future, possible.

When I was stationed in Italy, a few years ago, I frequently took trips with friends to out of the way places. Small cities that had not seen an American in years, if ever. Border towns, mostly. One time, I was the fortunate recipient of the appreciation you have so eloquently described, but from a different perspective.

You, the grandchild of the people who were liberated, were able to look one of the men who fought for you in the eye and express your gratitude.

I, the grandson of one of the men who fought, was looked in the eye by some of the people who were rescued, and thanked as if I were responsible myself.

It did not matter to these men with whom I shared a few glasses of wine that I was not there. The mere fact that I was an American oldier in their country stirred within them old memories, old feelings. My grasp on the dialect was not perfect, but I understood enough to tell you now what they said to me.

One spoke of the very first thing he remembered in his life, which was a soldier smiling and handing him candy shortly after his city had been liberated. Another spoke of the hills outside the town, and how he and friends would steal weapons from the occupying army, and hide them in caves. One said that we would always be welcome in his home, no matter when.

I have never in my life, before or since, felt such pride.

Things like this make me proud to not only be an American, but to be a person, surrounded by people like yourselves. People who know and understand the value of life, and embrace it fully.

To this day, I will count those three men my friends. Three men I met in a trattoria, in a town whose name I do not remember.

44

Coldfire:

I would like to thank you for reminding us of the sacrifices that were made by all of the people who lived, died and fought during the war.

I would also like to thank the Dutch for the hospitality that has been shown to myself and my fellow Canadians. If it were not for the kindness of a stranger, who went out of her way, I would probably still be lost in Amsterdam.

45

Learn more about the proposed World War II memorial in Washington, D.C., and how you can donate to its construction if you want, at http://www.wwiimemorial.com

(Hope I got that link right.)

46

I hate crying! I was, and still am, deeply touched by what was written by the posters here. Thank you everyone for sharing such moving and heartfelt stories and thoughts.

47

I can’t add anything but thanks, Coldfire.

Catrandom

48

My grandfather, trained in mountaian warfare, fought in the Netherland ironically spending much of the time below sea level.

A volunteer in September 1939 he stood on the beaches of Dunkirk, drove trucks full of his dead comrades to burial and saw the horrors of concentration camps first hand.

He returned home to find his children hardly knew him and a wife who had grown apart from him.

Thanks to him and those like him we can all live in a relativly free world an have the right to type what ever we want in this place.

He died two years ago, never fully recoving from his experiences.

49

You have a way with words Coldfire , that was without doubt the most moving post I’ve read on this message board .

I was in Amsterdam a month ago and like most people went to the Anne Frank house . The book in the last section which list all 30,000 people sent out of Holland for “resettlement” really shocked me .

I also was at the British and Dutch grave sites at the River Kwai at the start of the year which was just heartbreaking . The age of all those poor men . A generation from all over the world just thrown away.

Thank you again Coldfire for making us reflect on the huge sacrifice all these poor souls made .

50

Coldfire, I remember the 50th anniversary in 1995. CBC, the Canadian news channel, did a lot of specials. Canadians played the biggest role in liberating the Netherlands and my father was there as a young officer.

Two TV interviews I remember from 1995:

A middle aged Dutchman remembering - he was 5 years old, very hungry, and was outside looking around for something to eat. Suddenly out of the bushes came a dirty Canadian soldier, armed to the teeth. The soldier came up to him, kissed him on the head, and told him to go home.

An old Canadian man was standing beside a canal on the edge of a small Dutch town being interviewed. He pointed to the canal and said that this was where he crossed. His story - he was 18 years old and when he started out that morning he was with a buddy. During the morning his buddy got shot so he kept on going by himself (!) When he got to the little town the bridge was blown up so he waded across the canal. There were German soldiers in the town so he said he “had a few gunfights” and basically liberated the town. The main street is named after him now. 18 years old!

51

Keep that up, Coldfire, and you’re going to relinquish your “Most Likely To Post Drunk” award to someone else…

Good show, friend…

Yer pal,
Satan

I HAVE BEEN SMOKE-FREE FOR:
One month, two days, 17 hours, 54 minutes and 13 seconds.
1309 cigarettes not smoked, saving $163.73.
Life saved: 4 days, 13 hours, 5 minutes.

52

Excellent thread, Colfire. Every Memorial Day, I remember the service my grandfather provided in World War II, and that my dad provided in Viet Nam.

Both grandfather and father are gone now, but their memory and spirit remain with me.

Thank you.

53

My grandfather, Harry Bohm, fought with the Jewish Brigade during WWII, and was put into an internment camp in southern Italy by the Nazis. My grandmother, Edith Feith, narrowly escaped the horrors of the Nazis; unfortunatly the rest of her family perished, except for her sister and cousin who are also now living in America. Although she escaped death then, the memories of the war continued to haunt her until she committed suicide. My mother was 21 when this happened. May both of them, whom I have never met, rest in peace.

54

Coldfire, this is one of the most beautiful things I have ever read. I haven’t cried in a long time, and now I’m fighting back tears in order to write this. I can’t think of any way to tell you how much this means to everyone whose family members fought in WWII. My father (deceased) fought in France and never recovered from the horrors he saw and experienced - they haunted him for the rest of his life. This is the best tribute to his memory that anyone could ever have written.

Thank you, and thank the Dutch people, for remembering and for caring.

55

It’s the very, very least we can do, coosa.

Last Saturday, a parade of 100 Canadian jeeps rolled through the streets of Amsterdam, loaded with WWII veterans receiving the applause and cheering.

I cannot see this enough. These guys have forever captured a place in my heart. The feelings these veterans have for the Dutch are still very strong: most of them have witnessed horrible things, yet they all say they would do it all again in a heartbeat.

And I believe them. They come from a time when idealistic values were more important as they are today. It would take a lot of convincing to send me off to another continent to liberate a people from an unknown country. Back then, they just considered it the right thing to do. Amazing.

May these guys never be forgotten. And believe me, they won’t be, in my country.

56

Coldfire,

That was an excellent and worthwhile post.

My father fought throughout WW2, but he’s never been able to talk about it. My mother worked in a factory in London, suffering years of bombing.

If you hadn’t had so many people prepared to stand up to evil, we wouldn’t have the freedom we take for granted today.

Sometimes it’s the little things that bring home the emotions of that terrible conflict. I was playing in a Dutch chess tournament, when one local insisted on buying all of us English a drink. It was only when he toasted ‘Winston Churchill’ that I realised how strong the memories were.

57

My one Grandfather was in the Navy for WW2, but died (not there) before I was born. My other Grandfather (NOT a physician) served in the Aleutians.

Being just a stupid kid I never talked to him about it much, or told him how much I respected him before he died. I’m so sorry now - words fail me.

Thank you for starting this Coldfire. My awe and respect for those who served in combat - and those who supported them from home - leaves me embarassed.

Meghan

58

God bless, Coldfire. {Or, God bless Coldfire. :slight_smile: }

59

Coldfire, what a wonderful tribute to our veterans. Coming from a military family, it is wonderful to hear stories like that one, and many of the others posted. I have of late taken a great interest in hearing/preserving family memories of WWII, simply because there are so many aging veterans in my family. My grandfather was a Seabee on Okinawa. My grandmother was a WAVE. My other grandfather was in the Army. One great-uncle was a POW. Another great-uncle was thrown in jail here in the US because his religious beliefs did not permit him to serve in the military. It is so inspiring just to listen to these people tell there stories, or to have others tell them…a salute to our troops, past and present.

60

Coldfire, what a wonderful tribute to our veterans. Coming from a military family, it is wonderful to hear stories like that one, and many of the others posted. I have of late taken a great interest in hearing/preserving family memories of WWII, simply because there are so many aging veterans in my family. My grandfather was a Seabee on Okinawa. My grandmother was a WAVE. My other grandfather was in the Army. One great-uncle was a POW. Another great-uncle was thrown in jail here in the US because his religious beliefs did not permit him to serve in the military. It is so inspiring just to listen to these people tell their stories, or to have others tell them…a salute to our troops, past and present.