TEARS THAT CONNECT TWO NATIONS
(Rick Boon's Reflection article on the Friesland Liberation Trip 2015)
What is the purpose of the tear? Is its sole use in this world to simply water/ lubricate our eyes? For every tear that is shed, there is a specific non-medical DNA attached to that tear. For the Dutch citizen who endured close to five years
of Nazi oppression, those tears were/ are filled with despair, fear, and hatred toward a regime that took away their freedom.
Those same tears flowed daily as a once self sufficient, kind, caring nation was beaten into submission not knowing what the future would hold for them. To have your freedom and the basic needs for life like food, water, housing taken away from you, has led the Dutch citizen to never forget those tears that were shed by their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and family friends between May 10, 1940 to 1945. It is definitely part of virtually every Dutch citizens unofficial DNA. When asked what the Dutch citizen is thankful for, you will always get the same response, regardless of age, gender, or part of Holland they originated from. One word, “freedom” is spoken loud and clear without any hesitation.
In the next breath spoken, special thanks is always given to all Canadians who gave them this freedom. This is not an isolated occurrence, rather this is the norm. This has become a part of each and every one of the children of Dutch ancestry.
They understand sacrifice, honour, kindness in modern day, but it is their past ancestral upbringing and history that is remarkably interwoven with Canada and the love the Canadian soldier demonstrated toward the Dutch during their time of need and despair. Each Dutch child is taught very clearly and early in life that their history is so important to who they are today and that comes directly from the sacrifices made by the Canadians during World War ll. They are also taught not to forget the sacrifices made by their own. The Dutch Resistance, farmers, shop keepers, etc. also played significant roles in trying to maintain some order or normalcy while under unbearable living conditions in their own country. Everyone fought for the future and the world they once knew. People from generations post World War ll have learned about these atrocities first hand from relatives, neighbours, and friends. Images have been burnt into their minds, scarring their perception of what their homeland looked like or how it functioned under such distress.
The grandchildren and the great grandchildren have also been given this indoctrination into their past in school, at home, and from personal investigations. The one common thread that has tied these important connections from World War ll to the present day was the relentless efforts of the Canadian soldier. The slugging through the mined and flooded lands of much of Holland by the Canadians came at a huge cost in regards to human life, both soldier and citizen. For every brave sole who lost their life fighting for freedom, an entire generation of Dutch citizens were able to regain that precious commodity called “freedom.” Tears of despair slowly turned to tears of happiness and joy that life could once again go back to being what it used to be.
Each year on May 5th, the Dutch pay tribute in the most honest and sincere manner one will ever see to honour those who gave them their freedom back. Ceremonies are held in virtually every hamlet, village, town, and city. Their everyday world comes a halt, not just for two fleeting minutes at 11:00 am, but for hours. Flowers are paraded to many cenotaphs, memorials, and town squares that dot the landscape throughout this beautiful country. The children carefully lay flowers at the base of the tombstones of the thousands and thousands of Canadian and other Commonwealth soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their freedom. These gravesites have been meticulously manicured and maintained by the youth of Holland and a very dedicated support staff who are in charge of the cemeteries.
Since the mid-1980’s, regular festivities of a much larger scale have been coordinated and performed with many Canadian veterans returning to pay tribute to fallen comrades. This has also been another thread to connect the youth to the past … live, real soldiers from the stories they learned about. In their heads they have only been able to visualize what these brave Canadians looked like marching in front of the homes of their parents, grandparents, great grandparents in places like Sneek, Leeuwarden, Holten, etc. Now they can see the proud smiles and heartfelt love these men display for their “second home” firsthand. Just like the bulb of the infamous Dutch red and white tulip that multiplies with each and every growing season, so too has the bond between the Dutch citizen and the Canadian liberator of World War ll with every meeting and discussion. The smiles, handshakes, double-arm waving along country roadsides and crowded parade routes is overwhelming and not unnoticed by the veterans and their companions who accompany them back to these peaceful lands. Little children pass handwritten notes to the veterans with flowers and chocolates. They have never met these brave, elderly men, but they know the importance of what they stood for over seventy years ago. Each and every person who runs from the fields to just catch a quick glimpse of the touring Canadian bus with the Canadian flag draped proudly over the back window, just want to show their gratitude in any fashion that is at their disposal. When one looks deeper into the crowds of people, the vibrant blue eyes of so many Dutch citizens are filled with tears of joy and thanks.
These tears are not for show, nor are they forced, rather they come from the heart and add to the connection between past generations and the present. Time has a magical way to either reinforce or decay the past depending on how a society embraces the cause. The Dutch have, and always will, embrace the Canadian. We are kindred spirits in their world. It has little to do with my mere existence as a Canadian today, but all to do with my father and every other Canadian veteran who unselfishly risked their lives seventy years ago.
As the remaining few Canadian soldiers, airmen, and naval personnel who could travel returned to Holland this past May 5, 2015, most likely for the last time, the communities bonded together to create an overwhelming show of love and
support, not only for the veterans, but to the caregivers and family members who accompanied these ninety plus year old honoured men. Our roles as caregivers and the importance of our presence with the veterans was treated the same by the extraordinary committee members who spent months of their own personal lives to make this celebration such a success.
No stone was left unturned when it came to the organizing of events, celebrations, accommodations, etc. The aging bodies of the veterans were magically revitalized as soon as they set foot on the soil of Holland. It is like the energy
of every Dutch citizen, past and present, came through the flat lands that stretch out across the landscape and into the soles of the veterans.
The ceremonies were overwhelming and filled with indescribable emotion. When you see elderly men and women make their way through the crowds of people along the parade routes to simply touch the hands of the veterans sitting in the restored army jeeps, half ton truck, amphibious “ducks”, etc. of the dedicated people involved with Jorrit Volkers and his “Keep Them Rolling” group members, you quickly realize that this connection goes completely to each of the caregivers too.
We felt the love and a genuine sense of gratitude. Many times, as tears rolled down the faces of not only the elderly, but the children/ grandchildren, I found myself biting my bottom lip trying ever so hard not to cry. No matter how hard I bit down, or tried to deflect my thoughts, I felt my chin quiver, and inevitably, my eyes filled with the same non-medical DNA tears as the people who cheered for these veterans. For me, these are different tears. These are tears that connect me to the Dutch and vice versa. There will forever be a bond between myself and Dutch children and their past and present family members. I will never be able to meet them all, but just like the people of the war torn villages of World War ll, I too, will never forget this connection between two different nations brought together under such terrible conditions, so long ago.
Until you witness for yourself the heartfelt love Dutch citizens have for our veterans and other Canadians, you truly do not know what love is between two nations thousands of kilometers apart. We, as Canadian citizens, have never had to face the horrors of war and oppression on our soil. For that, we can be eternally thankful, but we need to do more to educate our youth about the sacrifices, dedication, honour, and pride their grandfathers/ grandmothers, great grandfathers/ grandmothers endured during World War ll, while they still have the opportunity to do so in person. This window of opportunity is closing very quickly. Unlike the Dutch, some Canadians have taken the approach that the past history of our ancestors is not that important. For those who have taken the time to explain as much as they could to their children at home, at church, and in school classrooms, you need to be commended and thanked. We as parents, need to try and help our children lay the foundations that will ensure a connection between our past and our future. The Dutch have a very powerful phrase that they share with their children.
“IF ONE CLOSES HIS/ HER EYES TO THEIR HISTORY AS A NATION,
HE/ SHE WILL ALWAYS WALK BLINDLY INTO THEIR FUTURE !"
These powerful words need to be introduced into our family creeds, educational systems, and employment opportunities. Democracy and freedom was fiercely fought for by Canadians around the world, but none more passionately than in Holland over seventy years ago. Lives were lost, cities, towns, and villages devastated, farmlands destroyed, but the bonds that Canada and Holland have forged since 1944 will last forever if we, as the next generation, promise to never forget. Those tears are the life line that will always keep us free and together forever.
