When I visited the Netherlands two weeks ago I thought of my Dad. He was a World War II veteran who served in Holland at the end of the conflict. He didn’t talk much about his war experiences, but in his role as a member of the U.S. Army’s signal corp he did save this transmission from Maastricht, Holland by the 310th Signal Operations Battalion on Armistice Day, November 11, 1944. On this Veterans Day I am thankful for my Dad (who passed away last year) and for all the World War II veterans for the sacrifices they made 70 years ago. Read this to get a sense of how the Nazi occupation affected this town and how grateful the citizens were for the young American soldiers like my Dad. May the heroic acts of the World War II vets and veterans everywhere never be forgotten.
LETTER OF AN INHABITANT OF LIBERATED ————-
TO THE EDITORS OF THE NEW YORK TIMES
WE, THE INHABITANTS OF HOLLAND CITIZENS OF THE LIBERATED TOWN OF——,
OF——WISH TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS OUR GRATEFULNESS BY
WRITING TO THE UNITED STATES THROUGH YOUR NEWSPAPER, WE WANT TO THANK
YOU FOR THE ARRIVAL OF YOUR SONS WHO BROUGHT US THE LIBERTY, FOR WHICH
WE LONGED SO FERVENTLY.
WE NEED NOT DESCRIBE TO YOU OUR SUFFERING AND OUR WANT. THE TYRANT
ROBBED US OF EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN DEAR TO US. WE TRIED TO DESTROY
OUR CULTURE, OUR UNIONS WE DISSOLVED, OUR RELIGION WAS SUPPRESSED,
OUR MEN AND BOYS WERE CARRIED OFF, OUR HORSES AND OUR CATTLE WERE
ROBBED, OUR BICYCLES WERE TRANSPORTED TO GERMANY AND EVEN OUR HENS HAD TO LAY EGGS FOR THE HUNS. ONLY GERMAN MUSIC WAS ALLOWED TO BE
PLAYED. WITH GREAT DANGER WE HAD TO MEET SECRETLY TO SPEAK TO OUR FRIENDS WHO BROUGHT US THE NEWS.
OUR CHILDREN BECAME UNDERFED, BADLY CLOTHED AND HAD TO WEAR WORN SHOES, THE WOODEN SHOES BECAME BY FORCE THE FASHION AGAIN.
EACH NEW DAY BROUGHT NEW PAIN AND NEW CARE. OUR YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE HAD NO YOUTH. THEY WERE CHASED AND HIDDEN IN CELLARS AND WOODS. SO
WAS OUR SITUATION—-AND THEN YOUR BOYS CAME; CAN YOUR READERS CONCEIVE AND REALIZE WITH WHAT JOY WE HAVE WELCOMED THEM?
THANKS, AND MANY THANKS FOR THE ARRIVAL OF YOUR DEAR BOYS. AND HOW
THEY WERE BEYOND ALL EXPECTATIONS; WHAT A WRONG IDEA WE HAD ABOUT
AMERICA AND ITS PEOPLE.
THE PLEASANT SMILE OF YOUR BOYS HAS STOLEN OUR HEARTS! THEIR VIGOROUS
AND BRAVE APPEARANCE, THEIR KIND HEARTEDNESS AND ESPECIALLY THEIR
SIMPLICITY HAVE TOLD US THAT THESE SONS OF THE GREAT AMERICAN REPUBLIC
BEAR THE TRUE DEMOCRACY IN THEIR HEARTS AND THAT THE WORLD MAY BE
GLAD THAT THE UNITED STATES HAVE INTERESTED THEMSELVES IN THE BEHALF
OF OUR COUNTRY AND OF EUROPE.
HOW WE SHOUTED FOR JOY AND FEASTED WITH THEM, AND HOW WE SHARED WITH
THE GREATEST PLEASURE, THE LITTLE WE COULD GIVE; STILL, HOW DELICATE OF
YOUR LEADERS OF WAR TO FORBID THE BOYS TO BUY HERE. OUR ENEMIES ROBBED
AND PLUNDERED AND YOUR SOLDIERS HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED NOT TO TAKE THE
LITTLE THAT CAN BE GOT FOR MONEY.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THIS, THANK YOU FOR THE ARRIVAL OF YOUR BOYS. GOD
BLESS AMERICA AND ITS SOLDIERS IN THEIR BATTLE. MAY HE CARRY BACK YOUR
BOYS SAFELY TO THEIR COUNTRY. GOD BLESS THE MANY AMERICAN MOTHERS
AND WIVES WHO HAVE GIVEN THE DEAREST THEY POSSESS FOR LIBERATION OF
OUR COUNTRY AND OF EUROPE. WE PEOPLE SHALL NEVER FORGET THE SACRIFICES THAT AMERICA HAS MADE AND WE SHALL PRAY THAT YOUR BATTLE AND VICTORY
MAY BE THE BEGINNING OF A NEW TIME, A TIME OF UNDERSTANDING AND WELL
BEING.
GOD BLESS THE STATES AND THEIR CITIZENS, GOD SAVE THE DEAR BOYS WHO
HAVE BROUGHT US FREEDOM AND WHO HAVE CAPTURED OUR HEARTS BY THEIR
STRENGTH, THEIR KINDNESS AND GOOD NATURE.
THANK YOU ONCE, AGAIN THANK YOU.
IN THE NAME OF ALL THE INHABITANTS OF THE ——
“UNQUOTE”
———————————————————————————————————–
THE DASHES CONTAINED IN THE LETTER ARE WORDS THAT I CANNOT ENCLOSE
BECAUSE OF CENSORSHIP.
