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Here I would love to share with you our travels and adventures as international mushroom consultants. MEMOIRS about husband Pieter Vedder, who was a SCIENTIFIC PIONEER in Mushroom Cultivation Education. His practical handbook is in 9 languages and is called the MUSHROOM BIBLE: https://mariettesbacktobasics.blogspot.com/2020/08/modern-mushroom-growing-2020-harvesting.html

Monday, May 28, 2018

Written by my husband Pieter: MEMORIAL DAY - FREEDOM HAS ITS PRICE

This post is written by my husband Pieter J.C. Vedder.
A very personal story, that highlights Memorial Day.

May the younger generation come to appreciate the true meaning of FREEDOM...

Over the years, the two most asked questions we have had to answer have been: where are you from (because of our accent) and also; do you like it here.

The answer to the first question is quite simple; we came to this country from The Netherlands almost 35 years ago and in 1993, we both became American citizen. 

Then the second question; Do we like it here? You bet! We both really LOVE this great country, especially the South and not the least, Laurens County.
Perhaps you like to hear a few reasons for our love affair with this country and especially with Georgia.
First of all, there is the ample living space for everybody. Compare this: the state of Georgia is 4.7 times bigger than The Netherlands, but has only about half the population. 

We once bought a lot in the Venice area of Italy, where we lived and we had to pay over 40,000 US dollars for approx 8,500 sq. ft.(0.195133 acre). We paid less here for a couple of acres. 
Taxes in the US are also lower then in most European countries (although the Democrats in this country are trying hard to match them). We also found it relatively easy to integrate in this community; the people in general are friendly and perhaps less nosy and envious then in Europe.
Then there is the climate. Okay, we might have some hot days and we have gnats and fire ants. But if you think that you are better off shoveling your car out of a pile of snow (we lived in Pennsylvania too) you may have it.
But what we appreciate most, and what many Americans, especially the young generation, take for granted, is the personal freedom. 
As a teenage boy, I have experienced what it means to loose your freedom. Especially the last year from the five years under German occupation has had a big impact on my life.
For months we have been under heavy artillery fire. (We lived close to the German border and the river Rhine). Shrapnel wounded me; we had to leave our home and village and had to evacuate to another part of the country etc. Many families lost loved ones as the result of bombardments. The Germans executed two sons 17 and 23 from a befriended family staying with us, my middle brother just escaping that ordeal. 
We were lucky that we lived in the countryside (my dad was in the greenhouse business) therefore we always could find something to eat but the people in the big cities were really starving. When, on September 17, 1944 the Operation Market Garden started in our area (near Arnhem) dropping thousands of paratroopers to secure the bridges over the rivers we thought that the war would soon be over for us. We were wrong; we still had to wait almost half a year. 
Can you imagine the feelings we experienced when, in April of 1945 the American troops and their allies finally liberated us. I will never forget that day in April when we came back to our small village from our half-year evacuation, finding the greenhouses flattened and most of the houses ruined, including ours. We slept that night, rolled in an old carpet (we didn’t have a bed yet) and when we woke up, the sun was already shining. My dad put his arms around us and said; we are the richest family on earth; we are all free and alive.
Thank you America, we will never forget what you and your Allies did for us and we will never forget that so many young and brave Americans, among others, have given their lives for our freedom.
Margraten overview of American Cemetery in Limburg, The Netherlands
The pictures show the American Cemetery: Fallen But Not Forgotten in Margraten of the Province Limburg where Mariette is born and where we both lived. This is the final resting place for 8,301 young American soldiers. Freedom has its price!
The Dutch observe their Remembrance Day May 4 and Liberation Day May 5, but they've made it a tradition on the Sunday before the U.S. Memorial Day to pay tribute to the American service members who fought for freedom and are now buried at the cemetery in Margraten.
Today is the 73th time that they observed this.
Seen on one of the photos is: William A Mc Kenna Jr Capt 121 INF 8 Div Georgia Dec 25 1944…
Photos taken by my brother: Martin Van den Munckhof except overview cemetery.

Related links:
{Margraten - Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial in my Province of Limburg}
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
Dutch Queen and Bush lead VE Day memorial | YouTube video

18 comments:

  1. Liebe Mariette,

    sonnige Sonntagsgrüße
    Elisabeth

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Liebe Elisabeth,
      Danke, wir brauchen Sonne da es hier den ganzen Monat nur regnet und wie...
      Liebe Grüße,
      Mariette

      Delete
  2. What an amazing story of freedom dear friend. You and Pieter know for sure because you have lived it on first person with your country been occupied by the Germans and I'm sure it's something that every Dutch person would never forget, (whether you lived it physically or not) like so many other Europeans.
    I found out so much about the European way of life and high taxes and as you mention, hope it doesn't happen in the USA. My late father installed me the love for the USA as well, just like you mention here. That's way it's sometime sad to see how nowadays, some American youth have no respect, or appreciation to even stand for the Hymn or the flag, like we used to so proudly when we were kids.
    Thank you so much on how beautifully you and Pieter explain freedom here, you have the gift for writing, I so enjoyed your post.
    Love,
    Fabby

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Fabby,
      So very true dear friend and yes, even the post WWII years were very tough as I will forever recall. After that, things went uphill and with that the younger ones got spoiled. They don't 'feel' the hardship of such a war or even the aftermath of one! Sad fact and history is not being taught in a way it ought to. Indeed a tremendous lack of respect because so many have completely lost their moral compass!
      At least we both will always appreciate those that liberated us and all others that paid the highest price after that for liberating others.
      Thank you for your compliment and both of us love to write!
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  3. Yes so many young people take freedom for granted they have never had their freedom and way of life threaten, I found this moving and oh so lovely

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Jo-Anne,
      Thank you very much for your words here!
      Maybe some of the younger generations will wake up...
      God forbid that they ever have to endure such hardships!
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  4. Dearest MAriette, dear Pieter,
    thank you for tose memories ...
    Wishing you a peaceful and great week!
    Love and hugs, Claudia xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Claudia,
      Thank you and we all ought to keep those memories alive so it will not happen again!
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  5. A very moving story of the atrocities of war as lived by Pieter. Happy that you found a new country and integrated well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Sami,
      Indeed a moving story that remains with you all your life... Let's hope that it will not get repeated for anyone and that those regimes where citizens are suffering, soon will end to exist in that way.
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  6. Being free and alive, that makes you the richest for sure. We owe our freedom to those who fight for the country and we should never forget that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Tamago,
      Oh, indeed all those brave young men and women that gave their lives for the freedom of others, they earn our utmost RESPECT!
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  7. Dearest Mariette; Oh, reading your husband's experience,I thought about my late father who had been sent to the world-warⅡ. He hadn't talked about his experience at all. Owing to or under the sacrifices of these young lives, we can live under the peaceful situation.
    Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments and really wish you both will have wonderful and healthy rest of the week.
    Sending Lots of Love and Hugs from Japan to my Dear friend, xoxo Miyako*

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Miyako,
      Any young men or woman having to serve during war eras is going through living hell and it will remain with them till their last breath! Just as is the case with Pieter's experiences as a young teen. He will never ever forget and that is one reason to be grateful to those that finally created the peace!
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  8. It is a big surprise to see the Margraten in the Province Limburg. So many young people who fought for the freedom have been buried there.....

    ReplyDelete
  9. Dearest Tomoko,
    Yes indeed, always so heart breaking to see such a vast loss of young lives... All for our Freedom!
    Hugs,
    Mariette

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hello Pieter and Mariette, I bet you thought that I had abandoned you, but that is not possible for such an important and moving post. What happened is that when this appeared, I was in the middle of traveling, and so lost it on my reader.

    As you say, America has many conveniences and much natural beauty, but what is so important is the freedom, which too many, old and young, take for granted and seem willing to give up for trivial considerations, such as computer services. In Taiwan there is comparatively much freedom, but there are still threats and tensions affecting the country, so the feeling is never the same as in the U.S. I hope that many people read your post and take its message to heart!
    --Jim

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Jim,
      Thank you and don't you ever worry as we both know too well how travel does affect your normal routine and ability to react.
      You are so right about the many conveniences that a lot of people don't understand the price of the freedom for have this! So many live inside their own cocoon and to both of us it also shows a very 'selfish' level of culture that is all centered about their own - selfies are a good example.
      We know the freedom and the underlying tension in other countries where we have worked and lived and that makes one appreciate even more our freedom here. And even here, in our own great USA, we have voices that are trying to take away that wonderful freedom. May they come to their senses before giving it away. Look only at Venezuela, right at our backdoor so to speak...
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete

Thanks for your visit and comment.

Mariette...

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