Figure 1.-- Here Arnhem children remember the the British paratroopers who died attempting to liberate their parents. We believe that itwas a traditiin egub by a local school. The press caption read, "Children tend British Graves at Arnhem: Boys and girls placing lowers on thr graves in the British Airborne Soldier's cemetery at Osterbeek, Holland , during a memorial ceremony to mrk the anniversay of the battle at Arnhem. The remenberance ceremobies were attended by 225 relatives from Britain." The photograph was dated September 18, 1958.

The Americans, British, and Canadians who liberated the Dutch were seen as heroes. They have been through 4 years of NAZI occupation. In the safety of our modern age, it is difficult to understand just waht they ent through. And the Dutch north of the Rhine had to endure not only nearly another year of NAZI occupation, but the Hunger Winter during which Hitler ordered that food shipmnts into the cities be cut off. The Dutch were grateful and did not forget after the War. This included the Allied soldiers who were killed during the War. We notice that there is a cemetary for the British paratroopers that were killed at Arnhem. We notice Arnhem children putting flowers on the graves of the British paratroopeers. We see similar ceremonies into the 1970s. We are not sure if this continues to be the case in the Netherlands or Europe in general. Of course 75 years have passed. But World War II was not just any war. It was a war for civilization itself. With out the victory of the Western Allies, there would be no Netherlands if the NAZis won and Western Europe would have have been exposed to the horrors of the NKVD had the Soviets won. A whole new generation now exists in Europe. The NAZis are universally hated, but many seem to feel the Cold War was not an American effort to save Europe, but a power struggle between two superpowers. And this is not only a European matter. About half of America does not understand the huge role America has played in building the secure and prosperous modern world.

Created: 12:07 PM 4/13/2019
Last updated: 12:07 PM 4/13/2019