For Memorial Day 2013, I like to show you some special photos, taken by my brother Martin Van den Munckhof at the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial in Margraten, Limburg; my Province of birth. My brother did search for a grave from a soldier that came from Georgia since we now are living in his state. It is ironical to view this... An American who liberated my country and is buried in Dutch soil, in the Province where I was born and now we live as American Citizens in HIS State of Georgia...
Most graves have been adopted by Dutch Citizens.
CUTTER WILLIAM H JR - Second Lieutenant from Bibbs County, Georgia...
Found this information at the site of: National WWII Memorial and by typing his (or any) name in Search the Registry I found his info.
It is because of these brave men and women that we can live in PEACE!
For Memorial Day 1987 Pieter and I did write this for our local newspaper.
Excerpt: 'Under them we have seen the names of several Georgians, which moved us deeply, realizing that we are living now on the soil where they were born. Thanks for their tremendous deeds! Georgia can be proud of their sons. (Of course, that also includes all other States that served!).
'In our hearts we don't need Memorial Day — we will never forget!'
The American flag on Dutch soil...
At the time these soldiers got buried in the little town of Margraten, only about 1,200 people were living there. Hard to imagine that over 23,000 soldiers were buried there in the best soil of the village.
More than 11,000 soldiers were brought back to the United States and 8,300 stayed in Margraten.
You can read all info from the link at the top, just click on CEMETERY.
The mourning figure, representing the grieving Mother of her lost son, the doves, the new shoot from the war destroyed tree (seen to the left) make for a great grouping and speaks for itself.
Striking art work in bronze and the raw emotions are very well worked out by Joseph Kiselewski, of New York City and cast in Milan by the Battaglia foundries.
On Sunday May 8 of 2005, Queen Beatrix received President George W. Bush who did visit Margraten in memory of the 60th Liberation anniversary.
Covering 65.5 acres (or 26.5 hectares) with row after row of crosses and Jewish stars.
It makes one quiet; very quiet that is...
Like in husband Pieter's personal story: FREEDOM HAS ITS PRICE (link is below post), this becomes very obvious.
May we NEVER FORGET!
So glad I have scanned these old slides! Now they are digital; finally I could share them with you...
Thanks for visiting!
Related links:
{A Heart of Gold - Great Memorial Day Story} | previous post by me
{MEMORIAL DAY - FREEDOM HAS ITS PRICE} | previous post by me about husband Pieter's personal story
12½ jaar L1 - Amerikaanse president in Limburg | President George W. Bush visits Margraten on May, 8 in 2005. He did stay at the Château Hotel, St. Gerlach and was very complimentary towards the Staff. Proud of my Province of birth; Limburg!
President Honors and Commemorates Veterans in the Netherlands - Margraten, The Netherlands | From White House Archives May 8, 2005
Liebe Mariette,
ReplyDeletewenn sie auch sehr gepflegt sind, so finde ich diese großen Soldaten-Friedhöfe immer sehr beklemmend. Wenn man auf den Kreuzen dann liest, wie jung die Gefallenen waren - sie hatten ihr Leben noch vor sich, dann werde ich immer sehr traurig.
Einen schönen Sonntag wünscht dir
Irmi
Liebe Irmi,
DeleteDu hast völlig Recht und so fühlten wir uns auch immer wenn wir mit unseren Amerikanischen Freunde/Kollegen nach Ijsselstein, den Deutschen Friedhof gegangen sind (nur einige Kilometer entfernt von meinem Geburtsort). Man wird so traurig zu lesen das noch vielen am Tag vor die Befreiung gestorben sind und einige waren nur 15 Jahre. Kinder waren es im Grunde. Lässt uns hoffen das so etwas nie wieder passiert.
Schönen Sonnabend noch und lieber Gruss,
Mariette
Liebe Mariette,
ReplyDeleteso ist das Leben und das Sterben...
In Liebe
Elisabeth
Liebe Elisabeth,
DeleteLeben und Sterben ist schon etwas anderes als wegen einem Krieg so jung ins Grab zu geraten... Und das gilt für beide Parteien!
Lieber Gruss,
Mariette
Very emotive Mariette! The cementeries always make me feel something special, all kind of them, old ones and new ones. But these kind of cementeries related with war where young people are, are even more special. Don't you think so?
ReplyDeleteMarina
Dearest Marina,
DeleteNo matter in which country and over which war fought in history; it remains a chilling reality of so many young lives being lost for the sake of freedom.
Hugs,
Mariette
Dearest Mariette,
ReplyDeleteThe feeling you hold for the brave soldiers must be special for you!!! We should never forget sacrifice of these brave solders. Now we know your important day.
Sending you lots of love and hugs from Japan, xoxo Miyako*
Dearest Miyako,
DeleteMemorial Day for the US means commemorating all their fallen soldiers during all wars. Many died abroad and are buried in foreign soil where they died for the freedom of other nations... The ultimate sacrifice indeed. No matter what country or war; the loss of those young lives is always very chilling. May we all learn from history and treasure our freedoms and peace.
Hugs,
Mariette
Dearest Mariette ,
ReplyDeleteThis text that you did write in your local newspaper is heartwarming! Shows the gratitude of people today who have their freedom! This is because many people have lost their lives fighting for the freedom of nations! We will never forget them ! Have a smiling Sunday !
Olympia
Dearest Olympia,
DeleteIndeed it is all about showing gratitude and ongoing gratitude. It ought not to stop with the generations that got involved! But sadly so many young people don't realize where their personal freedom came from. So many fought for it and earned it with their blood.
Monday is our official Memorial Day but the entire weekend is in its honor.
Hugs,
Mariette
Ja Mariette, voor ons in de buurt, en toch kom je er zelden....maar als we er zijn, is het altijd weer erg indrukwekkend!
ReplyDeleteLieve groet,
Nicole
Beste Nicole,
DeleteJullie zitten er inderdaad erg dicht bij. Wij waren er al een hele poos niet meer... maar wij zitten ook ruim 7,000 km ver weg. Toch is het belangrijk dat met name de jonge mensen er bij stil staan en ook leren beseffen wat anderen voor hún vrijheid opofferden!
Lieve groet terug,
Mariette
Wat een mooie post heb je geschreven, heb de andere artikelen ook gelezen. Die kerkhoven zijn altijd zo indrukwekkend al die jonge mensen die het leven hebben verloren in een vreemd land. Inderdaad iets om dankbaar voor te zijn wat niet iedereen zich altijd realiseert.
ReplyDeleteBeste Marianne,
DeleteJa, natuurlijk ben jij zowiezo wat meer belezen dan de gemiddelde persoon. Het zijn erg indrukwekkende kerkhoven; maakt niet uit van welke kant en voor welke oorlog. Het feit dat zovelen àlles opofferden voor de vrijheid die de jongste generaties als zo vanzelfsprekend ervaren. Dit zou men zich inderdaad wat meer moeten realiseren.
Lieve groetjes,
Mariette
Dearest Mariette,
ReplyDeleteYou with like your husband personal story Freedom Has its price may both never forget! So glad Pieter's have scanned these old slides!
Both of has memorial Day with personal story!
Hugs both of yours!
Michiko
Dearest Michiko san,
DeleteIndeed, I am very grateful for my brother's slide and glad that I did scan them! Memorial day with some very special meaning and lots of gratitude for living on the soil where those brave soldiers were born...
Hugs to you,
Mariette
Dear Mariette,
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice post, and tribute to all soldiers. Nice article your husband wrote.
Enjoy your Sunday!
Eva
Dearest Eva,
DeleteYes, Pieter did word his experiences as a teen very well. May it open the eyes of many young people, that they realize how precious the freedoms are that they perceive as being so natural. Someone else paid for it dearly!
Hugs to you,
Mariette
Dearest Mariette - having just returned from your birth country , I can say that the gratitude Dutch people feel for the bravery of American soldiers is HUGE. Your post is beautifully done. Wishing you a wonderful Memorial Day week-end.
ReplyDeleteCatching up on the time change ... your extended closet is brilliantly done! Congratulations on 500!! xo Hugs, C. (HHL)
Dearest Celia,
DeleteThanks and it makes me feel proud for my countrymen for displaying this HUGE gratitude. For sure the older generation does. And not alone towards the American soldiers but ALL, including the Canadians and other allied forces. But since this is about the US Memorial Day I used the Netherlands American Cemetery as the subject.
Thanks for looking at my previous posts. Oh, I know about having to catch up on millions of things after a great vacation. Feels like a punishment at times...
Hugs to you both,
Mariette
Dearest Mariette, Thanks for sharing such valuable photos with all of us. You have certainly presented the true spirit of Memorial day.
ReplyDeleteDearest Munir,
DeleteThanks for reading and commenting. Those photos are very dear to me as my brother Martin took them and it does represent so much! Indeed, that's the true spirit of Memorial day.
Hugs to you,
Mariette
Dearest Mariette,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your loving and thoughtful tribute to all the American soldiers buried in your country. This is an American Holiday, but I can't help but remember the lives lost throughout Europe.
Enjoy your week end............xox........*s*
Dearest Suzi,
DeleteIn my birth country they did celebrate Liberation Day on May 5th and each country does have a different date. Yes, all the lives lost on both sides need to be remembered! But the connection for the US Memorial Day was there, in my Province of birth. Margraten is very special and I feel proud that so many Dutch people adopted a grave for taking care of.
Hugs,
Mariette
Margraten is een indrukwekkende begraafplaats Mariette. Wij zijn er diverse malen geweest, doordat een groot deel van onze familie uit Limburg komt en in de buurt woont. Wat mij iedere keer weer opvalt is hoe goed het allemaal wordt onderhouden. Daar zijn jullie Amerikanen meesters in. Ik vind het terecht dat de mannen die voor de vrijheid van ons land hebben gevochten, zo'n mooie ereplaats krijgen.
ReplyDeleteFijne week!
Madelief x
Lieve Madelief,
DeleteJa, je hebt volkomen gelijk in het onderhouden van zo'n mooie ereplaats en laatste rustplaats. Symbolish is het een vredige plaats nu.
Het is en blijft de moeite waard om er naar toe te gaan en zeker als je ook nog familie in de buurt hebt wonen.
Fijne zondagavond nog en een mooie nieuwe week met hopelijk wat beter weer.
Mariette
Hello Mariette, I was very moved by these photos, and by your husband Pieter's story that you linked to. Living away from the U.S., I have become aware of some of the nuances of rights and freedoms, which never can be compromised or taken for granted.
ReplyDeleteYou have made my Memorial Day very meaningful.
--Road to Parnassus
Dearest Jim,
DeleteYou are a keen observer and you personally have lived those nuances and rights and freedoms by moving to another continent. We too have lived in different cultures and that makes you even more aware of how precious this personal freedom really is! Let's hope that the younger generations will also become more and more aware of this privilege that came about at such a high price!
Glad that we could make your Memorial Day very meaningful!
Mariette
Dear Mariette, many people have lost their lives fighting for the freedom! The Greeks,we know it,very well. So many wars for freedom!Νice article for your local newspaper....."we will never forget".Love and kisses.
ReplyDeleteDearest Georgia,
DeleteIndeed for all fallen soldiers it is important 'we will never forget'...
Hugs to you,
Mariette
Dear Mariette, this story warms my heart that our brave soldiers have been memorialized in your native country. We must never forget the sacrifices they have made so that we can enjoy our freedoms around the world. Thank you for sharing this - a beautiful tribute. Hugs, xoxo
ReplyDeleteDearest Karen,
DeleteThose soldiers are resting about 60 miles south of my birth town. They liberated my Province and paid the ultimate sacrifice. Somebody's son, brother, uncle, cousin, nephew or father...
Yes, they should never be forgotten!
Hugs,
Mariette
It doesn't matter which country we are from we have all had many who have died for thier country and they should be remembered always....................
ReplyDeleteDearest Jo-Anne,
DeleteSure, that is a valid point! But Monday it is for the United States the official Memorial Day; and that's what it was about.
Hugs,
Mariette
What a beautiful tribute, dear Mariette! I have always found all those white crosses impressive and saddening at the same time... I feel the same as Irmi wrote. This is sure a very moving and heartfelt tribute you made.
ReplyDeleteHugs from the Alps!
Anna
Dearest Anna,
DeleteIt is very sad for the loss of so many young men (and women during later wars) who had an entire life ahead of them.
Thanks for your visit and comment!
Hugs,
Mariette
Dear Mariette,
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post for this day of remembrance and the gift of freedom. Let us never forget.
Happy Memorial Day
Hugs, Celestina Marie
Dearest Celestina,
DeleteLike your own Hero Dad who landed in Normandy; let us never forget any of them!
Hugs to you and Happy Memorial Day where we in fact celebrate our Freedom; handed to us by brave heroes.
Mariette
Dearest Mariette,
ReplyDeletethank you so much for your useful advice about how to reply to comments. The reason why I'm using this comment layout (which doesn't offer the "Reply" option) is that when I had the "embedded comment form" option (the one you use) some readers were unable to leave comments, and others complained about long times for loading the page. I researched this and it seems that some of my widgets were interfering with that layout. So I started using the other version for comments, which is very quick in loading and seems to work well for everybody. I will think about it, in the meanwhile thanks! :)
Hugs
Dearest Anna,
DeleteYou are mentioning two separate issues. The one where 'Anyone - Includes Anonymous Users' can comment versus the setting I use: Registered Users - Includes OpenID for warding off SPAM. The choice is up to you but the Reply feature only works with the Embedded setting. This tutorial will show that: http://networkedblogs.com/IK8Qd
And again, it is completely up to you for allowing Anyone; if you accept some SPAM as well.
The point is with reply comments made on your own blog, without that reply feature being activated; they will seldom be read. Who has the time on hand for checking ALL blogs where they left a comment?
Than you better click the person's name and leave a comment on their blog; they will understand the connection and still could go back and forth if needed.
Wishing you a lovely week with sunshine.
Hugs,
Mariette
Dear Mariette,what a beautiful post!
DeleteI wish freedom all over the world!
Happy Memorial Day!
Dimi..
Dearest Mariette,
DeleteI really appreciate your help! I'm aware of the Anyone vs Registered Users Only option (I'm using the latter, I'm not interested in anonymous comments anyway), but the issue wasn't connected to this, it was just a problem with the upload of the page for some (registered!) readers and browsers (especially IE), plus some people wouldn't get the box for leaving a comment. Blogger advices the "window" setting I'm currently using for avoiding the kind of problem I mentioned. I chose this over the Reply feature offered by the Embedded option so as to make it easier for everyone to leave comments. I know other bloggers who had the same problem and had to revert to the "window comment" setting. For some strange reason, the embedded version doesn't work for some blogs. I will still give it a thought and thanks for your advice anyway :)
Have a lovely sunny week! Hugs :)
Dearest Anna,
DeleteFor me it works in both browsers; IE and Google Chrome.
You might have overlooked the step 1) - From the Drop down in Allow Blog Feed: Select Full.
If that is not done, things don't work...
We all know that Blogger can be tricky at times but once it works it is more joy!
Sending hugs and sunshine your way,
Mariette
Hi there... I dont understand why it was hard to find my blog..I use to link everywhere there is haha. And you can find all my follow links at the top of my blog to the right.... in bright pink color:) thanks for sweet words.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to see the new summer collection ala Zara home...check out my new post:)
have a wonderful week dear
LOVE Maria from inredningsvis.se
Dearest Maria,
DeleteYes, I did find you but from your Google+ Pages you have NO link to your blog... the only link you have on both Pages is to YouTube.
Sure, I did follow you already on Bloglovin and FB Fan Page...
Thanks for stopping by on Memorial Day!
Hugs,
Mariette
Dearest Dimi,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your visit and freedom wishes for the entire world!
Hugs to you,
Mariette
Ma chère, this post was so beautiful that I had to share it with my American husband, whose father, now deceased, landed on the shores of Normandy on D-day ("le jour J" en français) + 1. He marched from Normandy into Paris. Many of his comrades did not make it. I have tears in my eyes as I type this.
ReplyDeleteMerci beaucoup, M-T
Dearest Marie Thérèse,
DeleteBy all means, this needs to be shared and let's hope and pray that the young generation will learn about their FREEDOM! Your dear Father-in-law was certainly one of those heroes. He was fortunate for making it till the end of the war but for sure he had so many war images on his retina for the rest of his life...
Hugs to you and thanks for sharing this moving story!
Mariette
This is a poignant tribute, Mariette. Thanks for sharing these photos. I do find it ironical as well that you are in the soldier's state, and he rests in your province. It's a small world, isn't it? <3
ReplyDeleteDearest Stacy,
DeleteIndeed it is quite ironical and there for sure are several that came from the State we are living in now...
Thanks for your visit; I got way behind checking my older comments as we had quite some work to do. Well, the painters left around noon; before the rains came in and also just before we hosted a dinner for 10 guests + both of us on Monday the 3rd. All went well and it feels good now for being able to relax some more.
Hugs to you and thanks for your loyal visits and comments!
Mariette
Wat heb je dat mooi geschreven, lieve Mariette. Zo'n bijzonder verhaal ook, echt heel bijzonder💗Ik heb veel verhalen gehoord uit de oorlog van mijn moeder en oma. Mijn moeder kreeg zelfs verkering met een soldaat uit Amerika. Hij was een van de weinigen die terug kon keren naar Amerika, toen de oorlog voorbij was. We never forget🙏Soft Pawkisses from us to you and the kitties too🐾😽💞
ReplyDeleteLieve Marlene,
DeleteDank je wel en de links onder mijn blog verwijzen nog naar meer, o.a. de ervaringen van mijn Pieter als teenager tijdens de oorlog.
Je schrijft dat zo terecht—hij was een van de weinigen die terug kon keren naar Amerika... De jongelui tegenwoordig beseffen niet eens wat dat betekent, al je kameraden verliezen en hóe!
We indeed NEVER FORGET!
Ook kusknuffels terug van onze poezen–dat is een woord dat ze goed verstaan...
Liefs,
Mariette