Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Daffodils bloomed on VE Day in Holland

May 5  this year is the 65th celebration of Victory in Holland Day.  The Dutch people will be celebrating, and every house will fly the Dutch red, white and blue flag.  
Many Canadian school children will be off to Holland for the celebrations.  For more on this go to www.victoryineurope.ca
Does your school commemorate the fact that thousands of Canadian soldiers gave their lives to free Holland of the Nazis?  
You can read more about how the Braals and Canadian airman Phil Pochailo celebrated on May 5, 1945 in the book BRAVE DEEDS How One Family Saved Many from the Nazis.  The celebration at het Buitenhuis, the place where Frans and Mies Braal hid 26 people from the Nazis must have been incredible, as it must have been all over Europe.  Finally those in hiding could show themselves.  And those who hid them no longer had to worry about being found out and shot.   
VE Day came too late for many, like Anne Frank and her family, but thanks to some very brave people many were saved.  The Canadian soldiers played an important role in this.  That's why every year the Dutch people send thousands of tulips to Canada's capital, Ottawa.
I hope you will think about the soldiers and all others who died during the second world war on May 5.  And that you will celebrate peace and freedom for all with everyone around you.