Memorial Day at the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial Margraten, 25 May 2008

Memorial Day remarks by Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs M.J.M. Verhagen

Ladies and gentlemen,

I stand here filled with great respect and gratitude, as we commemorate the American servicemen who gave their lives for our freedom. I know Margraten well – in fact I know it very well. When I was a boy, growing up in Maastricht, my father often brought us – his three young sons – to this place. My father was the son of a Buchenwald prisoner, who was forced to go into hiding himself during the War – so he knew first-hand what it felt like to live under oppression, without freedom, and in constant fear. When the Netherlands was liberated, he was eternally grateful. And he impressed his gratitude on his children. He taught us that liberty cannot be taken for granted. That it had been bitterly fought for. And that it had come at a great cost – with the loss of many young lives. To me, Margraten is a lesson about life. It symbolises the fact that good is stronger than evil, that what is wrong can be made right. By willpower, by devotion, by sacrifice. Who I am today is partly because of Margraten – and that is why I feel truly honoured to be speaking here today.
It was Ambassador Arnall who asked me to do so last year. He had made the same request a year before, and to my great regret, I wasn't able to comply then. I feel sad that today, I am keeping my promise to Ambassador Arnall, but that he cannot be here with us. My thoughts are with his widow Dawn and his children Daniel and Michelle.
Ladies and gentlemen,

History is not just for books, it must be kept alive. I am impressed that the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial is actively documenting the life stories of the soldiers who are buried here. They are doing this with the help of many others: next-of-kin, fellow servicemen, librarians and other officials, and also with those who have adopted the gravesites here at Margraten. These a dopters not only take care of the graves; in many cases they have also established close personal bonds with the next-of-kin of the fallen soldiers. There is a certain beauty in these relationships, which stretch out over years and over generations. The people who were liberated, honour their liberators by looking after their fallen.
I was particularly struck by one photograph I saw on the internet, while reading through soldiers’ life stories that have been collected there. It pictured the grave of Private William F. Davis, who died on 14 October 1944, aged 27. Next to his grave stands a little girl, maybe five or six years old. She is the daughter of the gravesite’s caretaker, Mr John Smeets. The girl touches the grave with both her hands, and looks into the camera, half-embracing the white cross. You can tell that it is a sunny day, [much like today]. The little girl is in short sleeves, the grass is as green as can be, and the flowers placed by the grave are radiant. The girl is squinting because of the bright sun. To me, this image is so powerful – it expresses more than words could ever say. Even though the photograph was taken at a cemetery, quite unexpectedly, it breathes life. This girl represents the next Dutch generation growing up in freedom. And this freedom was given to her, to her parents, to her grandparents, to all of us, by Private William F. Davis, and his fellow servicemen. He could have been the father of a girl just like her, had his life turned out differently. Instead, he came to Europe. He came to the Netherlands, to fight for our freedom. This photograph is living proof that he won that fight.

Adopter John Smeets' daughter Janne at the grave of PVT William F. Davis

Ladies and gentlemen,
We should never forget our common past. But it is equally important that we do not forget our common future. It is our moral obligation to make sure that history does not repeat itself, that we continue the struggle for freedom in today’s world. To me, this means a world in which human rights are respected and promoted – a world in which all have equal rights, a world free of oppression and fear. Sixty-three years after our liberation, transatlantic cooperation is a firm and fundamental pillar of Dutch foreign policy. Strongly embedded in a united Europe, which has put right the historical injustices of the Second World War, we stand side by side with the United States of America. Together, we should strive to be a decisive force for good in the world. We share the same values, we share the same dreams. Today, we commemorate the loss of American lives in the quest for our freedom. Tomorrow, we continue that same quest for freedom, together.

Thank you and God bless you.

 

 

Minister Verhagen walking towards the place of the wreath and humbly placing it