The Saturday Master Plan.

Continued from Part One

This is the day that Jan Driessen's master plan would materialize, the plan he had been working on for so many weeks, so many days, and so many a night. It was a grand plan involving para-jumps of re-enactors, of troopers of the current 101st AB and of veterans. It involved a parade by veterans of different organizations for His Royal Highness Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, a fly-by of classic war-birds and more modern helicopters and a drive-by of beautifully restored WW-2 vintage military vehicles with the crews all dressed up in original uniforms. A small change had to be made to the master plan kind of late in the game. During the week it was decided that HRH Prince Bernhard had to go to the hospital for some surgery and that put a bit of a damper on the whole thing. He would not be available for the parade but still the list of dignitaries was an arm long. There was the CIC of the Dutch Army, of the Dutch Airforce and of the Dutch Navy. There was of course the mayor of Son and lots and lots more brass. Still, the most important person on the dais must have been General Julian Ewell, one of the veterans of the operation. But first there would be the paratroopers.......

So off we went to the drop zones behind the museum. Being 'with the museum' has a lot of good perks, one being that we had first row places and would be able to see the drop from up close. While waiting for the planes to arrive Bill showed us that he had not lost his touch. In no time he had convinced the mayor of Son that the two of them should be 'in the pictures' preferably with Bill's arm around her. (proof enclosed).

The weather could not have been better, the sun was shining as if it was the middle of summer, there was a clear sky and there seemed to be nothing that could spoil the day. The first plane to arrive was an original Dakota and after a few passes to check the drop zone and to drop markers to allow the jumpmaster to calculate wind drift the first group of re-enactors jumped. These are guys that jump in full original battle gear, using original pattern parachutes and original weapons. It is just like the real thing.

When the Dakota came around again and the second stick had landed safely, the waiting began for the two C-130s from which the "current generation" of 101st Airborne troopers would jump. It is a special site to see these planes come in and to see these young men do their thing.

We had expected the pilots to have lowered the ramp and the paratroopers to come running out of the back of the plane but, most likely for sake of originality, they were using the side door, jumping the same way as the guys had done from the Dakota. Brothers in Arms. Too bad that the jumps were not completely without mishap. One of the guys that jumped from a C-130 landed on an electric fence and was taken to the hospital but we were told he would be OK again in a few days.

Following the jump of the 101st AB it was time for the veterans. Eight of them jumped from their own little plane using the very controllable parachutes of today. You have to give it to them, being between 75 and 85 years of age and jumping as if they were still in their twenties....it is quite an accomplishment and they were rightfully applauded for both their efforts - the one of this day and the one of 55 years ago.

After returning to the museum we were way too early for the parade but this gave us time to get Bill signed up for it too. He would walk in the parade although we did not yet know with whom. As we had about an hour to burn we did this in the best way possible, sitting in the sun with a beer and a cheese sandwich, amongst friends, what else could a man possibly want. Then came the time to form up for the parade and we took Bill to the re-enactors group that would be the lead group. After making them promise that they would take real good care of Bill, Tom and I went to find a place where we could view the whole thing and take even more pictures so there would be proof of everything to show to the home-front. A C-130 had been flying around the museum for a while and just before the parade would begin, a lone paratrooper jumped from it. After landing on the red carpet in front of the dais he handed over a letter from the Vice president of the United States.

After the letter had been read it was time for General Ewell to unveil the first street sign of the museum.

The street in which the parade took place will now, as of September 18, 1999, forever carry his name. General Ewell, at the time colonel, took command of the 502nd regiment when Colonel Cole was killed in action, "Julian, take care of my boys" were the words used to hand over command of the regiment only moments before Col. Cole passed away.

Now it was time for the parade and it is being lead by the re-enactors. Bill is marching along with these young guys like he had never left the army. "It took exactly three seconds to get me back into step again" said Bill when we complemented him on his marching.

Bill must have been in great pain, the wounds sustained during the fighting in 1944 and the results of the later treatment in the POW camp are still giving him plenty problems.

During the parade a number of war birds were doing their fly-past with - as the main attractions - a Spitfire and a B25. The Spitfire did a number of low (actually, real low, maybe even really very low) passes and what a sight that was. It is such a beautiful plane with such a great engine. The sight and sound just gives you the chills and the same thought that came up during the para jumps earlier that day came up again; "what must have gone through peoples minds, how were people experiencing what happened, when in 1944, they saw all these hundreds of C47s and fighters passing overhead, saw these hundreds of paratroopers jump from these planes, saw the fighters strafe the German flak positions and how did it feel when all of a sudden they were amongst friends instead of enemies?". We will never know because whoever you ask the answer is always the same, "there are no words to express the feeling of such a moment!". Maybe that is why we keep on celebrating the liberation of our towns and villages, as it may be easier to show how we feel instead of trying to explain it.

Quite a few organizations took part in the parade. There were veterans of the Highland Division, of the Dutch Resistance, the "Stoot Troepen" which was the first part of the Dutch Army to be formed in the liberated part of the Netherlands as well as representatives of several other veteran organizations. They all marched in the parade and were followed by vehicles of the Military Vehicle Conservation Group "Wheels''. Beautifully restored and 'dressed up' with full original kit and weapons they formed a worthy ending of a great occasion. After the parade we find Bill again and after talking to some young guys of the current 82nd Airborne we go find the re-enactors.

These guys are still in their uniforms and are even putting on full battle gear and weapons. As they are doing this next to the Dakota Squadron's own C53 which is at the museum, we again take too many pictures. I wished I had a black and white film in my camera because this scene so much resembles the photos taken in 1944 that color kind of 'kills' the effect. Well, I can always have them printed in B/W.

HBO was also present. They have been taping a lot of Saturday's activities. Someone said they were doing studies for a new movie they will be making together with Steven Spielberg. This movie will be based on the book "A band of Brothers" and will be about one of the regiments of the 101st Airborne division in Normandy. Interesting stuff.

That is it for today and after a beer or two we decide to drive back to the hotel. Another great day has come to an end, a day in which we made many new friends and also a day that must have been kind of the highlight of this visit for Bill as today he was given the recognition he deserved as a veteran soldier of the US Army, as a veteran soldier of the liberation of the Netherlands.

For the Sunday we have nothing real special on our activities list except a visit to Heeswijk castle where a church service would take place. From the castle we drive up to the Groesbeek museum to see the re-enactors jump again and to see what else might be going on out there. When we get close to the museum we see this plane come flying by and it turns out to be the single flying Lancaster in the world, the Lanc of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. Parking the car, getting out, loading the camera and taking the first picture of this beautiful war bird takes all of 10 milli-seconds. Lucky for us the plane circles the museum one more time so there is time to catch one's breath and take a few more pictures. The Lanc is followed by an A20

another great looking veteran plane which, of course, is now also on film.

When the planes have left we carry on to the museum, park the car and go find ourselves a place in the sun where we can watch the para-drop. While standing there a gentleman next to me asks "Is that a real veteran you have with you??".

"Sure, this is a real veteran of the 82nd Airborne Division" and I give him and his wife a bit of the story on Bill's background.

"Did you see how he walked through the grass??" the gentleman wants to know, "he was walking like a young guy!!".

"Well, he's only 80".

After talking to them some more we moved closer to the field where the drop would be and we did not have to wait too long for the Dakota to show up. On the third pass the guys jump and we count the chutes. They're all there and no streamers. Good. We wait for the fly-by of the helicopters of the Dutch Airforce and once that has happened we start walking back to the museum.

The gentleman that I had been talking to earlier is now waiting for us by the side of the road. He had come out of his wheelchair and had walked across the grass to meet with Bill in person and to ask him for his autograph. This is very special and I can see that Bill is moved too. More recognition for a guy who was ready to put his life on the line for us. Excellent. We walk over to the museum, walk around a bit and decide to go back and experience another bit of genuine Dutch culture - we will go to Heusden.

The fortified town of Heusden is located up north from the town of 's-Hertogenbosch, the provincial capital, on the river Maas. In the early days, and we're talking the 13 and 14 hundreds now, Heusden would protect 's-Hertogenbosch against river pirates and would charge toll for use of the river upstream. Through the ages Heusden had become just another town. It was treated just like any other village and, with the houses being so old, it became a bit run-down. In the early 60's local government came to the decision that the whole town of Heusden should be put on the list of national monuments and that it should be restored as much as possible. A great job was done, the town looks fantastic and it is always a joy to go there.

In the central square there are many restaurants and the food is pretty damn good. So, after picking up Rose, that's where we'll go. First things first and that means lunch with, of course, a brew. Most enjoyable. Too bad we can't sit outside in the sun. But still, the food is good as is the company. After lunch we walk around a bit and look at the tower-mills of Heusden. There are three of them, one is kind of original, the other two are replicas. The tower mill is special in so far that to put the mill "into the wind" the whole of the building is turned instead of, what is more usual, just the cap. Rose notices that one of the mills (of course the one farthest from the center of town) is in operation so, guess where we go. At the mill we find the miller and his assistant. They allow us to go in the mill and take a look around and see the huge wooden gears that drive the millstone. We even get a demonstration of how the mill is stopped and how additional sail is set on the wings. Coming back to the main square we pass by two more special buildings, one a house of which the facade leans forward 20 inches. This is not something that happened over time, it is done on purpose although the purpose does escape us. Something to investigate. The other building is Heusden town hall.

In 1944, during the liberation a large number of people had found refuge in the cellar of the town hall. The Germans had told the people they would be perfectly safe there but when they left the town they blew the building with the people still in it. A total of 134 people died. The town hall was rebuilt, but not in the same location and the space where the cellar used to be is now a small square in front of the building with a memorial for the people that died there. From Heusden we go to my place where we take my jeep (a 1943 Willys) for a drive in style back to the hotel.

And that puts an end to our Sunday.

Comes Monday morning. This day I will not be with Bill and Tom, this day I will spend with two new friends that I had been in contact with through the Internet and that we, kind of by accident, ran into at the museum on Saturday. So far the whole thing was a bit of a disappointment to them as they had not been able to find most of the celebrations and/or festivities. Too bad. Well, maybe the parade in Eindhoven Saturday evening and my doings on this Monday will compensate some of that. We will be visiting the concentration camp, the castle in St'Oedenrode as well as Heeswijk castle. Maybe we will also go visit Nijmegen again as Kathy's uncle was one of the paratroopers that were in the Waal crossing. If I understand correctly his boat made it to the shore, they made it across the washland to the dike but he was killed in the fighting along the dike on their way to the bridge.

When I meet with them they are enthusiastic about the parade in Eindhoven where, maybe by sheer accident, they had front row seats. While they were having dinner the parade came by the restaurant, and with them having seats outside on the curb all was perfect. We visited the camp first and as Murphy will have it, it is closed on Mondays. Lucky for us some staff was present and after I had explained why my visitors were there, we were allowed inside where we looked at the so intensely sad legacy of German history. From the camp we drove on to the castle in St' Oedenrode. This Monday, as most of the celebrations were behind us, we could visit all of the castle, the cleaning ladies were sweet enough not to bother us while we walked through most of the rooms and maybe even dirtied the just polished floors again. From there onto Heeswijk where we found the castle also closed (and no tours on Monday of course). But they should have left the door open. I found the custodian of the castle and she was kind enough to open the chapel for us and allow us to walk around the castle grounds. Not bad, three out of three that we could talk our way into and see what we wanted to see.

The trip was cut short as Kathy wanted to go up to Nijmegen and walk the bridge before visiting the location of the Waalcrossing. I dropped them off at their car again said goodbye and sure hope that they, specifically Kathy, will have found the things they were looking for during this visit.

Later that Monday Rose and I went to the hotel to meet again with Bill and Tom. They had had a good day, went to the museum in Oosterbeek, did some shopping and were kind of ready to go home. We had a nice dinner with them and as all good things have to come to an end it became time to say goodbye too soon. The French saying that "saying goodbye to friends is like dying a bit" fitted my feelings very well. We had a great time and we were sorry to see our two new friends leave. Good thing is that today we have the Internet, an easy way to stay in touch and exchange ideas and information. The Internet has resized the world from too big to about the size of a computer screen. Well, off to work we go, back to the normal life as money needs to be made if only to pay for the development of all the pictures we took during these wonderful days. Who knows, maybe in another five years.........


Roland