Dutch celebrate 80 years liberation by U.S. Soldiers

KERKRADE, Netherlands - The town of Kerkrade, the Netherlands, gathered Oct. 5 to celebrate the 80th year of liberation from Nazi occupation with a ceremony, parade, reenactors, and a liberty ball. Distinguished visitors spoke of freedom regained and remembrance of the sacrifice of the U.S. Army 30th Infantry Division.

"I am here today with deep pride and humility," said U.S. Army Garrison Benelux Commander Col. Patrick Hofmann. "It is an honor to stand in a place rich with both history and resilience."

In 1944, the U.S. Army 30th Infantry Division fought across France and swept through Belgium and the Netherlands rescuing town after town from Nazi oppressors-Kerkrade being the last town to be liberated in South Limburg that year.

The mayors of Kerkrade and the bordering German sister town of Herzogenrath spoke at the ceremony remembering the impact of the day and today's importance of open travel across borders.

Hofmann acknowledged the hardship that the Dutch experienced during World War II.

"Looking around at this peaceful and vibrant town, it is difficult to imagine the suffering and fear endured by those who lived through years of war and occupation," he said. "For those of us who have not experienced such trials, we can only attempt to grasp the immense joy and relief felt on the day of liberation."

Back in 1944, it was just 10 days before U.S. forces entered the city that the enemy forced residents to evacuate as the occupiers attempted to keep their stronghold just across the country border in Aachen, Germany. For the Nazis, Kerkrade served as an outer defense line for their military position in Aachen. As Dutch evacuees walked straight through enemy lines toward freedom in a neighboring town, 13 residents were killed by German shell fire. The enemy immediately began ransacking their vacant homes.

"For the people of Kerkrade, there was no certainty of when the darkness would lift," said Hofmann. "The deprivation, the constant threat of violence-it was a time of immense hardship."

The American troops, otherwise known as "Old Hickory," entered the evacuated city of Kerkrade Oct. 5, 1944, to free the residents. They encountered no resistance from German occupiers. Upon liberation and after a short time of rest at Abbey Rolduc in Kerkrade, they continued their path toward Aachen.

Months later in February 1945, the Kerkrade townspeople expressed their deep gratitude to the U.S. Soldiers by renaming the Ambachtsplein to "Old Hickory Square." On the 50th anniversary of liberation in 1994, the city erected a statue of an American Soldier in the square.

Liberation of Western Europe took place in stages in the final year of WWII. In remembrance of the U.S. Soldiers' sacrifice throughout the war and into the days of liberation, since 1945 local Dutch residents adopted all the Soldiers' gravesites at the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial in Margraten. As the only American military cemetery in the Netherlands, more than 8,000 service members lay to rest there. The Dutch caretakers often bring flowers to place at the headstones and conduct research on the life of their adopted Soldier as a way to commemorate their ultimate sacrifice.

"These Soldiers came to restore freedom to Europe, and you have kept their stories alive, ensuring they are never forgotten," said Hofmann to the Dutch attendees at Saturday's ceremony. "Eighty years later, your dedication to their memory honors their sacrifice, and it serves as a reminder to all of us about the importance of preserving peace."

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