60 Years Of Liberation

[Rick van Opbergen]

September 18th 1944. My hometown was liberated after more than 4 years of Nazi-rule. That was 60 years ago, and I want to share that with you. My hometown - Eindhoven - was liberated during the operation Market Garden. It was one of the bloodiest allied operations during the liberation of Europe. 17,000 allied soldiers died, were wounded or went missing in this operation - approximately 7,000 more than when Normandy got invaded. Along with them, hundreds of Dutch civilians got killed too. The allied soldiers came from far and wide - Americans, Brits, Canadians, Irishmen, Poles and Frenchmen. They were greeted like heroes, and still are. The joy of liberation could not be broken by a German bombardment September 19th 1944, in which 200 citizens of Eindhoven were killed, and a large part of the city destroyed. Because after 4 years years of Nazi-rule, in which hundreds of citizens of Eindhoven were deported and killed because they were Jewish, part of the resistance or forced to work in Germany, freedom was all the people wanted.

Thanks Canadians, for liberating us, along with all those other allied soldiers.

 

[Isengard]

RE: 60 Years Of Liberatio

I hope to travel to Europe someday and visit those places where canadians were involved. That was one of the war where people really got together to end an horrible war.

 

[Rick van Opbergen]

I agree Isengard.

 

[Chewy]

Thanks Canadians, for liberating us, along with all those other allied soldiers.

Thank you for keeping that sprit alive.

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: 60 Years Of Liberatio

I feel an overwhelming need to say, "You're welcome." I had nothing to do with it though, and our present government would undoubtly consider the fiscal benefits of supporting the Nazis and come out with a different answer than they did in 1939.

 

[Rick van Opbergen]

Well I do think you can be proud of that part of your national history, whether or not it will also apply these days. The point is that I can not deny our liberation, as it has formed the Netherlands to what it is today. Just imagine that the Nazis weren't defeated? That scares me.