Quote from: JimboToronto on Today at 04:12:08 PM

Quote from: Paashaas on Today at 12:54:33 PM

Warmth, gratitude and utmost respect for Canadian war veterans in the Netherlands.

Those veterans aged from 95 to even over 100+ years old still have the strength for a transatlantic travel to Europe.

We made sure they were not disappointed.

Thanks for an inspirational post.

My father was a captain in the Canadian Army in WW2 (Med Corps psychologist) and was sent to the Netherlands at the end of the war to process shell-shocked fighters to determine if they were ready for reintegration into civilian society. He was overwhelmed by the level of gratitude displayed by the people there. It's nice to see that 80 years later people still remember.

I'm not big on glorifying the military during times of peace but we Canadians are proud of our record of fighting despotism and the bullying of smaller countries by larger powers. Don't confuse politeness and peacefulness with cowardice or laziness.

1st Canadian army was basicly the front wing liberators clearing the country from Nazi's where many had suffered from food shortages in what became known as the hunger winter, 30,000 perished from famine.

There are many graves of Canadian (+American, English) soldiers in the country that are kept maintained by locals to continue to honour their sacrifice.

Also, Canada gave refuge to some royal family members after the Nazi's destroyed Rotterdam with air raids and goverment capitulation. Queen Juliana gave birth in 1943. Prinses Magriet was born in the maternity wing in the Ottawa Hospital, it was declared to be part of the Netherlands embassy in order the princes could legally be born on Dutch soil. After the war and to this date the Dutch donate a lot of flowers each year to Ottawa as gratitude.

Paashaas

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