This shows the overall layout of the cemetery.
Posted on 05/24/2015 6:09:17 PM PDT by NRx
MARGRATEN, Netherlands — They haven’t forgotten. For 70 years, the Dutch have come to a verdant U.S. cemetery outside this small village to care for the graves of Americans killed in World War II.
On Sunday, they came again, bearing Memorial Day bouquets for men and women they never knew, but whose 8,300 headstones the people of the Netherlands have adopted as their own.
For the American relatives of the fallen, it was an outpouring of gratitude almost as stunning as the rows of white marble crosses and Jewish Stars of David at the Netherlands American Cemetery. Each grave has been adopted by a Dutch or, in some cases, Belgian or German family, as well as local schools, companies and military organizations. More than 100 people are on a waiting list to become caretakers.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
I can’t help but state the irony that the Dutch genuinley appreciate the sacrifices Americans made, but blacks don’t appreciate the sacrifices Northerners made for them (using the lib view that the Union went to war to end slavery) and not only are made entitled despite all the rights & privileges of other races...
...have the gall to ask for ‘reparations’.
360,000+ Union soldiers paid the ultimate sacrifice; those still asking for money and those supporting it are scum.
That is my Memorial Day thought of the day...
Beautiful story. Thanks for posting it.
Wonderful poem I always enjoy reading... and appreciate the added details. Thanks.
Nice and touching thread here about the Dutch. Never realized they tended the graves year after year.
The Dutch people suffered a great deal during the winter of 1944 - 1945 in the aftermath of British Field Marshall Montgomery's failed plan of September 1944.
An excellent book: A Bridge Too Far, written by Cornelius Ryan tells the story of Montgomery's ill conceived offensive.
At or near the end of the book the King of the Netherlands leaves no doubt as his feelings about the suffering of the Dutch people during the winter of '44-'45, since the country remained under the control of the German army.
There is a movie with the same name. I would give it only a poor to fair rating.
My grandpa...kia 27thfeb1945...is buried at Margratten. My father went and visited his grave for the first time last year. I wrote and posted a poem in his honor titled “Flag Folded Thirteen Times”.
To Mick; another Dutch friend back in the day, old enough to remember, always stopped to pick up the model Fokker I'd built in DEI insignia. Never heard him say a word about Germans.
Wow, and WaPo is reporting this.
The Dutch not only tend the graves....each grave is passed down generation to generation. The grandaughter of the lady who first was assigned my grandpas grave now tends it.
Flag Folded Thirteen Times
The boy gazed curiously at the box on the wall
It’s glass face held memories his grandmother recalled
A medic kit, wallet, and pictures of happier times
A purple heart, bronze star, and a flag folded thirteen times
The boy always wondered, but refrained to pry
Many times he saw his grandma cry
Tears filled her eyes creased with lines
In front of the flag folded thirteen times
One Memorial Day, grandma thought the boy was ready
She took a deep breath, made her heart steady
Although it caused her a lot of pain
The boy deserved it because he shared the name
“I was pregnant with your dad when the telegram came”
“We regret to inform you and had your grandpas name”
“Your grandpa died having never laid eyes”
“On your dad” as she cried
“His unit was rebuilding a blown up bridge”
“When across the river over the ridge”
“Came the sound our GI’s did hate”
“A barrage of incoming German 88’s”
“Wherever they landed wounded soldiers laid”
“Your grandpa bravely went forward to render aid”
“The first wounded he did arrive”
“Then your grandpa was no longer alive”
Now that boy has grandkids himself
In his house that box sits on a shelf
Every Memorial Day he looks at it and cries
The flag folded thirteeen times
Oh it means the world. I converse with her on facebook regularly.
Yes in Normandy, Holland, and Belgium they respect and honor the sacrifices the allies made in WW2.
When I was stationed in Germany, my unit took part in the 50th anniversary celebration of Belgium’s liberation, and to this day when I think back about it I’m like “WOW” in remembering their gratitude. The Belgian government not so much... They had us in drafty run down barracks that probably hasn’t been used since WW1, but the mayor of Liège more than made up for it, and we didn’t have to pay for anything to eat or drink while we were there. Walking down the street people would come up and shake our hands or give us hugs and say thank you. It was great.
Bump.
We lost a family friend ito pancreatic cancer in 1982 who served as a U.S. Army Major in North Africa and Italy during WWII. His MOS was in the Military Railway Service. His widow showed us a Christmas card sent to him in DEC 1982 from an old friend in Italy. The friend wrote "We cannot ever thank you enough for what you did for us."
Ypres, right??
Agreed.
I don’t care for libs rewriting history with the blood of the fallen and progressives using that to change the Constitution. Nor hypocrites that fly a flag with no honor for the uniform or the men & women that wear it.
We all honor Memorial Day in our own right.
EXCUUUUUUSE me...not ‘all’ (you know who I mean).
I’ll drink in honor of my boy’s fallen buddies...and all those before & after... tomorrow.
It’s so good it could be the lyrics to a song!
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