D-Day, June 6, 1944, marked the beginning of a historic advance by Allied forces that liberated Western Europe from Nazi occupation during World War II. This was accompanied by intense fighting and significant bloodshed, with many young people paying the highest price. However, this period was also marked by strong camaraderie and great acts of bravery from ‘ordinary people’ who suddenly had to persevere under the most abominable circumstances.
In this book, we present the stories of soldiers who participated in our liberation, particularly members of the American 30th Infantry Division, known as ‘Old Hickory.’ These often poignant and intimate stories are supplemented with memories from South Limburg residents who experienced the occupation and liberation, as well as from the ‘second and third generations’ who have carried these memories as life lessons, with the main message that living in peace and freedom is not something to be taken for granted.
A recurring element in many of these stories is the enthusiastic participation of veterans in the numerous commemorations held in Limburg over the 80 years since the liberation.
Buster Simmons: “What we saw with the victims there was unlike before, with just bullet and shrapnel wounds. You often heard the younger victims gasping for their mothers. Many could not be saved, and then you felt their last breath on your face or their last squeeze of your hand.”
George Schneider: “The real heroes are the ones who didn’t make it back home from that far away war. ”
Frank Towers: “But did they survive, or did they still die? You just didn’t know. The only thing you knew during this war was that ‘luck’ was a big factor when it came to survival.”
Henry Kaczowka: “War Is Hell.”
Francis Currey: “There was certainly a Holocaust and certainly a Gestapo, I have personally witnessed it […] I have seen the misery of the Nazis and the Holocaust with my own eyes.”
Frank Denius: “The roads leading out of Kerkrade were crowded with long lines of civilians of all ages, slowly trudging on foot, riding bicycles, pushing prams, pulling handcarts, and riding all kinds of vehicles, from fine carriages to crude farm carts. It was a haunting sight never to be forgotten.”
Frank Denius: “They gave us their hearts, and we gave them their freedom.”
Dick Jepsen: “With its destruction of property and humanity, war is a horror. But the alternative of oppression or slavery is much worse. I think the French, Belgians, and Dutch understand that much better than I do.”
2024 / softcover / formaat 170 x 240 mm / 476 pagina’s
