Netherlands celebrates Liberation Day

Radio Netherlands ^ | May 05 2003

[knighthawk]

The Netherlands is celebrating Liberation Day today with festivals, concerts and remembrance ceremonies all around the country. The theme of this year's celebrations is "Freedom is Not For Sale".

Official celebrations began with a service this morning in the St Bavokerk in Haarlem. Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende was one of the speakers at the service. In his address, Mr Balkenende refered to a famous speech made by former US president Franklin Roosevelt linking a life free of fear and hunger with freedom of speech and religion.

In the city of Wageningen, around four thousand veterans took part in the traditional memorial parade. Prince Bernhard, the father of Queen Beatrix, took the salute at the parade. The 91-year old prince also attended the memorial service in a nearby church.

Liberation Day was also celebrated with pop festivals in all the Dutch provinces. An estimated 700 thousand people attended the various events. Official celebrations will close in the capital Amsterdam with an outdoor gala concert which will be attended by Queen Beatrix and the prime minister.

[knighthawk]

We won't forget who gave their lives so we could live in freedom, free from tyranny.

[knighthawk]

Ping

[Shermy]

Happy Liberation Day!

If that's the greeting.

[knighthawk]

Thanks!

[Texas_Jarhead]

very nice profile page. kudos to you. FReegards & God Bless

[knighthawk]

Thanks too!

[MEG33]

I did not realize you were from the Netherlands!Your country has been a good friend to us (except for the electronics co.)and I thank you for this wonderful report.

[Ebenezer]

I wish other European countries, like the one that skunk Pepe LePew comes from (hint, hint), could be as grateful as the Netherlands is.

[ZULU]

God bless the Dutch!

So different from the French, Belgians, Germans and Russians.

[sharktrager]

I hear the French celebrate the liberation of paris with a rousing rendition of the Horst Wessel Song.

At least, that's what I hear.

[facedown]

It's interesting that Holland has it's Remembrence Day and Liberation Day back-to-back. The symbolism is quite touching.

[Michael.SF.]

I work for a company HQ'd in the Netherlands city of Venlo, which is on the German border. On my first visit there in '97 I was having a beer after work, when a Dutchman, recognising my accent asked if I was an American. Replying in the affirmative, he asked to shake my hand and then went on to say:

"If it was not for you Yanks, I would not be alive today. Everytime I meet an American, I have to tell him how much so many of us here appreciate what you did for us.

We were starving, eating weeds when your parachutes delivered the first food we had had in weeks. That was when the germans soo left. Don't let anyone ever forget."

As tears were welling in his eyes, he then told me that he went to America, as soon as he turned 18. He went there to enlist in the Army, as his way of showing his gratitude. But, since he could not speak English he was not accepted. He thenwent to work at a Hotel in Cleveland, as a busboy to learn English. He later was accepted and spent two years in the Army to pay back "a small part" of what he owed America.

He then reached into his wallet, pulled out an old worn photograph of him in an US Army uniform, with a smile from ear to ear.

By this time, there were also tears in my eyes.

Bedankt to the Dutch!

[Monty22]

Can you get legal guns there?

That's the lismuth test.

[Charles Martel]

Check out this soldier's recollections:

A Dutch Soldier Remembers

There was a recent FR thread discussing the Muslim activity in the Eindhoven area. I knew that part of the U.S. 101st Airborne Division had parachuted into Holland near Eindhoven, so I did a quick Google search and found the above website. IMO, it's well worth a bookmark.

[shaggy eel]

BUMP!

Het aller beste van Nieuw Zeeland!

[MEG33]

What a beautiful story!

[FreedomPoster]

Great story!

Happy Liberation Day, knighthawk.

[cynicom]

Friend of mine in 101st, was captured when he hit the ground in Holland. Spent most of rest of war as POW. Freed by advancing Russian troops, he and others made their way to the port of Odessa on the Black Sea. Hitched a ride on a Brit freighter to Italy, then American ship home. ON their walking trip to Odessa, he was severly wounded by an American strafing aircraft.

When he arived stateside he weighed 100 lbs and spent a very long time in hospital recuperation.

[Nix 2]

"Freedom is Not For Sale".

There is a huge Amen in that statement!!! Have many, many more!!!

Love,
Nix

[McGavin999]

This is so nice to see knighthawk. Thank you for remembering.