As a former Spitfire pilot, who flew 60 missions about Europe in Nazis during the Second World War, George Brewster is not easy.
But he says to experience the warmth and gratitude of the Dutch people who have come out to cheer him and other veterans of the Canadian Second World War this weekend left him speechless.
“It is a feeling of amazement,” said the 102-year-old resident of Duncan, BC, who is visited at the Netherlands in the Netherlands as part of a Canadian delegation on the 80th anniversary of the war.
22 Canadian veterinarians aged 96 to 105 have undertaken the long transatlantic journey. Several, like Brewster, saw in the decisive last months of intensive fighting in heaven, at sea or on the floor in Holland.
“When they meet humans, they realize how gracious and friendly they are and how they remember. And this memory is a thing that is engraved in my head,” Brewster told CBC News.
On Saturday, thousands of residents of the city of Apeldoorn, which was freed by Canadian troops on April 17, 1945, lined the streets and draped Canadian flags from their balconies as a parade with the veterans and bagpipers through the streets.
Voluntary Canadian flags and pens, and many houses nearby were decorated with red maple leaves.
Warm gratitude
Brewster and the other veterinarians, who were largely pushed in a wheelchair, were treated with spectators like celebrities who shake hands and thank you.
“I am a very ordinary person who has experienced many extraordinary events, but only through God’s grace. And I am humble,” he said.
The thrust through Holland and the Rhineland through the first Canadian army in 1944 and 1945 recorded a number of malignant and ultimately determined fights that sealed the defeat of Adolf Hitler’s third Reich.
Of the estimated 175,000 Canadian soldiers who served in the first Canadian army, 6,700 were killed.
It was a Canadian general who finally accepted the handover of the National Socialist armed forces in the Netherlands in the city of Wageringen on May 5, 1945, the date on which the Dutch now calls “Liberation Day”.
Since the country was exposed to a serious famine due to a hard winter and inhumane treatment of the Nazis, the Canadians saved countless Dutch by quickly taking food supply and remaining on it for months until the population could stand alone.
“We only thank the overseas who came to our small country and have released us,” said 57-year-old Ronald Grin, who took part in the Apeldoorn parade with his 27-year-old daughter Shawna.
“We love them and they love each other”
“You (the veterans) earn everything – we have to welcome you here again. The youngest is 96 years old and that says how much we love them and they love us.”
Shawna Grin said she killed all the nearby cemeteries with Canadian war. The fact that 16-year-olds are among them leaves her speechless.
“To see that they were so young to die for my freedom, that means a lot to me.”
Travel with the war veterans are more than 200 other Canadians. Many are close family of soldiers who fought in the Netherlands campaign.
Ellen Mole from Etobicoke, Ontario, did not travel with the official delegation, she said that she felt forced to be an emotional experience during the commemoration in 2010 that was part of the bagpipes.
“It was just one of the most incredible experiences of my life,” she said and held back the tears.
“I was so proud to be Canadians. I really understood from the love and gratitude of Dutch people how important our place can be and how we can help the world.”
It was also clearly an emotional day for the veterans – especially for William Seifried, who celebrated its 100th birthday on Saturday. When the news spread, some sang in the large amount of parade. Happy birthday.
Seifried served as an infantry at the Royal Regina rifles and acted as an reconnaissance promoter in front of the front lines, a particularly dangerous task.
The Canadian delegation of veterans is a 101-year-old generation of honor. Richard Rohmer, who acted as a educational pilot in the sky over the Netherlands and later drove a respected peace career in the Canadian military.
Rohmer said CBC, he hoped that Canadian establishes the connection between the liberation of the Netherlands 80 years ago and the need to maintain strong collective security relationships such as NATO, which may become weaker according to US President Donald Trump.
“One of the things we have to do in our country is to pay much more attention than we do about our own defense,” said Rohmer.
“NATO is a very important partnership … and it is not very encouraging that they are a little apart, since the big nations like Russia and others can be if they can be. So I hope that Canada will have its part fully.”
The Apeldoorn parade is one of several memorial celebrations that take place this weekend.
Canada’s Governor Mary Simon will take a wreath on Sunday at the Canadian war cemetery of Holten on Sunday and take part in memorial events the next day.
