YOUR VIEW: Don’t Confuse Arrogance With Leadership

By  //  October 12, 2014

FALLEN AMERICAN SOLDIERS HONORED

YOUR-OPINION--VIEWS-580-25

Dutch Honor Fallen American Soldiers With “Il Silenzio” On Operation Market Garden 70th Anniversary

About six miles from Maastricht, in the Netherlands, lie buried 8,301 American soldiers who died in “Operation Market Garden” in the battles to liberate Holland in the fall and winter of 1944.

Operation Market Garden was conducted September 17–25, 1944 and observed its 60th anniversary last month. (Courtesy of Imperial War Museum)
Operation Market Garden was conducted September 17–25, 1944 and observed its 70th anniversary last month. (Courtesy of Imperial War Museum)

Operation Market Garden was conducted September 17–25, 1944 and observed its 70th anniversary last month.

Every one of the men buried in the cemetery, as well as those in the Canadian and British military cemeteries, has been adopted by a Dutch family who mind the grave, decorate it, and keep alive the memory of the soldier they have adopted.

It is even the custom to keep a portrait of “their” American soldier in a place of honor in their home. Annually, on “Liberation Day,” memorial services are held for “the men who died to liberate Holland.”

The day concludes with a concert.

The final piece is always “Il Silenzio,” a memorial piece commissioned by the Dutch and first played in 1965 on the 20th anniversary of Holland’s liberation. It has been the concluding piece of the memorial concert ever since.

Soloist was a 13-year-old Dutch girl, Melissa Venema, backed by André Rieu and his orchestra (the Royal Orchestra of the Netherlands). This beautiful concert piece is based upon the original version of taps and was composed by Italian composer Nino Rossi.

And after you the above video, check-out the below:

Our European “Arrogance,” In Alphabetical Order:

• The American Cemetery at Aisne-Marne, France…a total of 2,289
• The American Cemetery at Ardennes, Belgium…a total of 5,329
• The American Cemetery at Brittany, France…a total of 4,410
• Brookwood, England – American Cemetery… a total of 468
• Cambridge, England…a total of 3,812
• Epinal, France – American Cemetery…a total of 5,525
• Flanders Field, Belgium…a total of 368
• Florence, Italy…a total of 4,402
• Henri-Chapelle, Belgium…a total of 7,992
• Lorraine , France…a total of 10,489
• Luxembourg, Luxembourg… a total of 5,076
• Meuse-Argonne…a total of 14,246
• Netherlands, Netherlands…a total of 8,301
• Normandy, France…a total of 9,387
• Oise-Aisne, France…a total of 6,012
• Rhone, France…a total of 861
• Sicily, Italy…a total of 7,861
• Somme, France…a total of 1,844
• St. Mihiel, France…a total of 4,153
• Suresnes, France… a total of 1,541

Remind those of our sacrifice and don’t confuse arrogance with leadership. The count is 104,366 dead, brave Americans. And we have to watch an American elected leader who apologizes to Europe and the Middle East that our country is “arrogant!”

How many French, Dutch, Italians, Belgians and Brits are buried on our soil, after defending us against our enemies? We don’t ask for praise, but we have absolutely no need to apologize.

– Dan Nicholds