I came across this man's story in today's Melbourne Age.
Unfortunately copyright restrictions mean the Age can't be posted here, so I had to find another source.
Afghanistan battle bonds brothers in arms for the Age article.
Posted on 06/14/2009 5:23:51 PM PDT by naturalman1975
Queen Beatrix awarded a Dutch commando the country's highest military medal on Friday for his heroics leading an elite military unit in Afghanistan.
Beatrix pinned the Willems Order cross and orange ribbon on Capt. Marco Kroon before slapping him on the left shoulder with her right hand to knight him at a ceremony in The Hague.
It was the first time in more than 50 years that the medal has been awarded to an individual soldier. It also can be awarded to entire military units.
Beatrix said Kroon showed "courage, discretion and dedication" in leading a commando unit in the southern Afghanistan province of Uruzgan in 2006.
Kroon's unit was involved in several firefights with Taliban insurgents during its deployment with NATO-led forces in Afghanistan.
In one battle, Kroon's unit advanced and came under fire from the Taliban so that a wounded Australian soldier could be rescued. In another, Kroon's machine gun was hit by enemy fire as he tried to find a way through a village full of insurgents, the Defense Ministry said.
Kroon said in a statement that he received the medal on behalf of his unit. He said he built up friendship and mutual respect with his troops by leading through example.
"You create that by showing you will walk through fire for your men," he said. "I trust them and they trust me."
Defense Minister Eimert van Middelkoop paid tribute to Kroon's bravery, saying the medal "symbolizes a recognition of exceptional acts under extreme and dangerous circumstances."
The Netherlands has some 1,600 troops in Afghanistan, often working together with Australian forces stationed in the south. A total of 19 Dutch soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since 2006.
(Excerpt) Read more at hindu.com ...
I came across this man's story in today's Melbourne Age.
Unfortunately copyright restrictions mean the Age can't be posted here, so I had to find another source.
Afghanistan battle bonds brothers in arms for the Age article.
This is wonderful news.
This American thanks you and your unit for your service, Captain Kroon.
Bravo!
Although the Dutch (and Germans) have buried the fact for over 60 years, quite a few Dutch soldiers received the Knights Cross fighting for Germany against the Soviet Union. Decorations, and the courage that earned it, vanish when you fight for the wrong side.
How are awards given by Germany to Dutch soldiers sixty years ago remotely relevant to this story?
BTTT
they're not, except for possibly the bravery involved by Dutch soldiers-I was only making an observation, I was not denigrating the bravery of the soldier in the story.
I think that maybe their governments should send them more resources.
Thank you for the post.
Having some Dutch ancestry and having visited the Netherlands I especially appreciate reading of the heroics of our Dutch allies in this war.
Also great they are working with your Australian forces
also great and heoric troops.
Good man, he and his mates.
Thanks for the ping!
Capt. Marco Kroon... showed "courage, discretion and dedication" in leading a commando unit in the southern Afghanistan province of Uruzgan in 2006... Kroon said in a statement that he received the medal on behalf of his unit. He said he built up friendship and mutual respect with his troops by leading through example... The Netherlands has some 1,600 troops in Afghanistan, often working together with Australian forces stationed in the south. A total of 19 Dutch soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since 2006.
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