A short note
As always it is fantastic to be here in Normandy. June 6 was very special, not only to be on Omaha beach but also to hear the names of the Bedford boys who died on that holy ground. For me it was emotional, course I have been twice to Bedford. I have met Roy Stevens there, hearing the name of his brother, Ray made me feel sad. Roy told me the story about him and his brother. He didn't want to shake hands with him. As always; 29 Let's go!
A short note
Saturday morning I'll go to Normandy, at this moment I am packing my bag, charching the battery of my camera. The weather gonna be just fine, warm. The last that I can remember that it was warm, during my June trip to Normandy, was in 2004. Normally there is always some rainy days. But not now. I keep you all posted during my trip.
Itching to go!
Sunday morning, I am a week back from my trip in France, I miss it all ready. I have seen very nice places. As always it is nice to be in France. Good food and wine.
The first night we stayed in Saumur. We slept in a very nice place; Club Napoleon, it was a museum. A little palace, 350 m2, just big enough for us. In Saumur we visited the tank museum, a must see if you are a fan of armour.
The next day was Saint Nazaire the U-boot base, that was big. We walked along the places of Operation Chariot. If you imagine that they did an attack there, it is almost unbelievable that it worked, the docks are so big, so much concrete. A wonder that the operation was a succes.
The next day was Sainte-Mere-Eglise, a place I very well know. I’ve been there many times, even as a kid with my parents. After all those years nothing has changed there. Of course the restaurants and the bars, but all look the same as the first time that I came there. We stayed in a B&B next to the church. The view from my room was on the church, every hour I heard the church bells. I had to think about John Steele, the soldier who hang in the church during D-Day. And the scene in the movie The Longest day. The next day we visited teh Airborne Museum, and yes that was different then the times before. It was bigger, you could see more and it was more beautiful.
I had to think about the firts time that I came there, with my parents and little brother. We couldn’t believe our eyes, what we saw there, a tank, a plane, the guns, etc. After all the years it is still for me a special place to go there. Is it because of the war or that I was there with my family, every year during the vacations. I don’t know. If you are in Normandy this is a must see.
Volgende week zaterdag is het zover de 75ste Airborne wandeltocht in Oosterbeek, ik ga hem voor de 4e keer lopen. Het is een bijzondere wandeltocht over het voormalige slagveld van Operatie Market Garden, in Oosterbeek. Het is haast niet te bevatten dat er op dat mooie stukje Nederland zo hard is gevochten voor onze vrijheid. De tocht brengt je ook naar de begraafplaats waar vele jonge mannen liggen. Het is indrukwekkend, zo vredig als het nu is, het ligt naast een voormalige landingszone. Verder loop je ook door de bossen, waar je in de bomen nog de kogelgaten ziet. Als je goed kijkt zie je ook dat op sommige plekken schuttersputten hebben gezeten. Wanneer je boven op de Westerbebouwing bent en over de Rijn kijkt heb je het gevoel dat je op vakantie bent, het ziet er zo mooi uit allemaal. In de verte zie je de brug waar het allemaal om ging. Als ik daar zaterdag loop, heb ik in mijn achterhoofd de mannen die stierven voor ons op dit mooie stukje Nederland. Veel is nog steeds hetzelfde als in 1944, als je oude foto’s ziet kan je vandaag de dag nog de plekken herkennen. Het brengt de oorlog wel heel dichtbij.
Op de foto een boek van Antony Beevor die hij voor mij tekende in hotel Hartenstein, het voormalige hoofdkwartier.
He was born May 2, 1925 into a decade filled with major swings of events in the world around him that would end up shaping his life.
In this priceless photograph we see him as a bright-eyed two year old little boy. He has yet to live through extreme poverty and witness the evil man is capable of during World War Two.
How do you put into words the relationship you had with a parent for 55 years?
This one photograph says everything you need to know about the strong bond we shared. Taken on one of our vacations "out west" to visit his sisters, I was probably about four years old (photo at left, below).
Tall and leaning casually against the rail. Arms outstretched to protect. A genuine smile of contentment. Standing behind me as he always did in life. "His little Buddy". This, even after everything his innocent eyes witnessed in World War Two (photo at right).
Some people never meet their hero . . .
