{"id":2253498,"date":"2024-05-26T17:56:02","date_gmt":"2024-05-26T21:56:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/as-many-americans-forget-the-reason-for-memorial-day-grateful-dutch-people-are-preserving-the-memory-of-a-field-of-white-crosses\/"},"modified":"2024-05-26T18:00:38","modified_gmt":"2024-05-26T22:00:38","slug":"as-many-americans-forget-the-reason-for-memorial-day-grateful-dutch-people-are-preserving-the-memory-of-a-field-of-white-crosses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/as-many-americans-forget-the-reason-for-memorial-day-grateful-dutch-people-are-preserving-the-memory-of-a-field-of-white-crosses\/","title":{"rendered":"Grateful&#8217; Dutch Maintain White-Cross Field Memory as Many Americans Lose Sight of Memorial Day&#8217;s Purpose"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fas-many-americans-forget-the-reason-for-memorial-day-grateful-dutch-people-are-preserving-the-memory-of-a-field-of-white-crosses%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2253498&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>While Memorial Day is losing its significance for many Americans, Dutch citizens are keeping the memory alive,\u200d particularly through the\u200d preservation of \u200can American WW II cemetery. They honor this day by adopting and caring for the graves of the American liberators buried in the Netherlands, including over 10,000 at \u2064the Netherlands \u2064American Cemetery in Margraten. Projects \u2062like Faces of Margraten, initiated by Sebastiaan Vonk, collect photos and information about these heroes to further personalize and remember their sacrifices. Despite \u200dthe commercialization of Memorial Day in the US, the \u200dDutch continue to valiantly uphold the legacy\u2063 of American soldiers who helped win\u2063 WW II.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<header> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/commentary\/\">  Commentary <\/a>  <\/p>\n<h2>As Many Americans Forget the Reason for Memorial Day, &#8216;Grateful&#8217; Dutch People Are Preserving the Memory of a Field of White Crosses<\/h2>\n<p> <span> <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/remmanuel\/\">  <\/a> <\/p>\n<p> <span>   By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/remmanuel\/%20\"><span>Rachel M. Emmanuel<\/span><\/a> <\/span> <span>   May 26, 2024 at 2:32pm <\/span> <\/span>  <\/header>\n<section>\n<p>Memorial Day, originally known as Decoration Day after the Civil War, was a time to honor the sacrifices of those who gave their lives in defense of the nation by decorating their graves.<\/p>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/covid-has-killed-her-hundreds-of-thousands-but-abortion-has-killed-her-tens-of-millions\/\" title=\"COVID Has Killed Her Hundreds of Thousands, But Abortion Has Killed Her Tens of Millions\">modern times<\/a>, however, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/dont-get-caught-bad-spot-open-closed-memorial-day\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Memorial Day<\/a> has devolved into little more than the unofficial start of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/analysis-debt-ceiling-is-high-stakes-and-a-gop-opportunity\/\" title=\"ANALYSIS: Debt Ceiling Is High Stakes, and a GOP Opportunity\">summer vacation season<\/a> and a long weekend sale event for retailers.<\/p>\n<p>The painful reminders of war\u2019s human toll are increasingly distant for many Americans. The last service members who fought in World War II have nearly all passed away. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/watch-disgusting-nyc-pro-palestinian-agitator-highlights-north-korea-key-ally\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Korea<\/a> and Vietnam fade further into the past with each passing year.<\/p>\n<p>Add to that the commercialization, with retailers using the opportunity to make it about great \u201cdeals,\u201d which erodes the day\u2019s solemnity.<\/p>\n<p>While Americans are increasingly forgetting to be grateful for the sacrifice of those who fought and died for our freedom, across the pond, the people of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/us-gives-full-support-approval-f-16-fighter-jets-ukraine-denmark-netherlands\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Netherlands<\/a> have taken it upon themselves to ensure the memories of American liberators are kept alive.<\/p>\n<p>Projects like Faces of Margraten demonstrate the Dutch efforts to honor the thousands of U.S. soldiers buried in their country after giving their lives to defeat Nazi Germany during World War II, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/lifestyle\/american-world-war-ii-heroes-adopted-faces-margraten-project-dutc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fox News<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Ever since allied forces liberated the Netherlands from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/biden-cries-wolf-says-trumps-language-echoes-heard-nazi-germany\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nazi German<\/a> occupation, the Dutch people have honored the American soldiers who perished in nearby battlegrounds through an \u201cAdopt-A-Grave\u201d program at the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial in the city of Margraten, according to a 2016 report in the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sidneydailynews.com\/2016\/04\/15\/the-faces-of-margraten-dutch-seek-u-s-war-heroes-photos\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Sidney (Ohio) Daily News<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Dutch families have \u201cadopted\u201d and tended to each of the 10,000 graves at the Netherlands American Cemetery in\u00a0 Margraten, searching the fallen heroes\u2019 stories and even connecting with their relatives in the United States.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">REMEMBERING HEROES: Why the actions of American soldiers to help win World War II still leave Europeans \u201cinspired\u201d to keep their memories and stories alive. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/c8Hm8pWN2v\">https:\/\/t.co\/c8Hm8pWN2v<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/9tTZx4VlBe\">pic.twitter.com\/9tTZx4VlBe<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Fox News (@FoxNews) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FoxNews\/status\/1794789863260139683?\">May 26, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>  On beautifully landscaped grounds, a sea of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/drag-queen-show-betrays-the-militarys-mission\/\" title=\"Drag Queen Show Betrays the Military\u2019s Mission\">white crosses<\/a> stands among cherry trees and rhododendron shrubs. Most of the soldiers buried there perished nearby as the allies pushed to liberate the Netherlands. Their headstones, adorned with American and Dutch flags, stretch out in curved rows, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.christianpost.com\/news\/dutch-honor-legacy-of-american-soldiers-who-helped-defeat-nazis.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Christian Post<\/a> reported in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>Etched into the cemetery\u2019s tower are the words: \u201cIn Memory of the Valor and the Sacrifices Which Hallow This Soil.\u201d At the base of the tower is a reflecting pool where the names of missing in action are recorded.\u00a0 It is a solemn reminder that for the Dutch people, this sacred place represents far more than rows of graves.<\/p>\n<p>If an \u201cadoptive\u201d person or family cannot continue tending to the grave for any reason, there is actually a waiting list of other adoptive persons ready to care for these graves, Fox reported.<\/p>\n<p>Sebastiaan Vonk, a 31-year-old native of the Netherlands, launched the Faces of Margraten initiative in 2007 as an addition to this effort.<\/p>\n<p>Vonk, who was only 14 at the time, created the Fields of Honor Database website to collect photos and information on the nearly 24,000 Americans buried in the Netherlands and Belgian military cemeteries, the Sidney Daily News reported.<\/p>\n<div id=\"firefly-poll-container\">\n<p>Do you have relatives who fought overseas?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cJust the fact that there is a waiting list to adopt a grave at Margraten and the fact that thousands of other graves have already\u00a0been adopted\u00a0in other cemeteries is very telling about how people in Europe still feel about the American liberators today,\u201d Vonk told Fox News.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey are grateful and, speaking for myself, inspired by what these Americans did for us,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>But Vonk\u2019s vision extends far beyond the borders of his home country.<\/p>\n<p>He is expanding the initiative to five other American battlefield cemeteries across Europe, for a total of 42,000 fallen U.S. service members. The goal is to have adoptive families in Europe commit to researching and honoring the legacies of these heroes\u00a0in an effort to\u00a0\u201chumanize\u201d the cost of war.<\/p>\n<p>So far, he has 8,651 photographs, according to Fox News.<\/p>\n<p>The \u201cFaces of Margraten\u201d photos that have been collected are placed beside the adopted soldier\u2019s grave or name on the Tablets of the Missing for a five-day vigil each year. However, the gratitude of the Dutch people extends far beyond those few days, as they honor these liberators\u2019 memories year-round.<\/p>\n<p>The adoption program represents far more than\u00a0mere\u00a0grave tending for the Dutch families involved. They undertake extensive research into the lives and histories of their adopted soldiers. Many even forge transatlantic connections, traveling to the United States to meet surviving relatives and learn more about the heroes they have pledged to honor.<\/p>\n<p>Vonk\u2019s goal is that every grave would have a photo and a family to adopt it.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/NeverForget?src=hash&#038;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#NeverForget<\/a> \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8<\/p>\n<p>American World War II heroes adopted in \u2018Faces of Margraten\u2019 project by \u2018grateful\u2019 Dutch people<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/8u8p2PxjQi\">https:\/\/t.co\/8u8p2PxjQi<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8MAGA-PearTx\ud83c\udf50 (@nosl67) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/nosl67\/status\/1794773262527803832?\">May 26, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>  Vonk himself has adopted <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/brooklyn-da-will-not-charge-man-shooting-attacker-crowded-subway-car\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Brooklyn<\/a> native Lawrence F. Shea, born on September 12, 1923 \u2014 \u201can ordinary boy and sports lover\u201d who served in the 80th Infantry Division during World War II, losing his life to enemy tank fire on April 2, 1945, not far from Margraten.<\/p>\n<p>At a time when military recruitment is at an all-time low, it is befitting to honor the impact our military has made, not just in keeping the United States safe but also in protecting the world.<\/p>\n<p>As we celebrate Memorial Day, it\u2019s important to impart an attitude of gratitude to the next generation, as they have done in the Netherlands.<\/p>\n<p>While the heroes who perished on distant shores and times long passed may be gone, their extraordinary impact lives on through the liberties we enjoy today.<\/p>\n<p>Setting aside our merriment briefly to remember, say a prayer of gratitude, and connect with the solemnity of what these courageous souls gave up is the very minimum this day demands of us.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div>\n<p><b><i>A Note from Our Deputy Managing Editor:<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><i><span>\u201cWe don\u2019t even know if an election will be held in 2024.\u201d Those 12 words have been stuck in my head since I first read them. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Former Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn recently made that comment to Floyd Brown, founder of The Western Journal. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>And if the leftists and the elites get their way, that\u2019s exactly what will happen \u2014 no real election, no real choice for the Electoral College, and no real say for the American people. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>The Western Journal is fighting to keep that from happening, but we can\u2019t do it alone.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>We work tirelessly to expose the lying leftist media and the corrupt America-hating elites.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>But Big Tech\u2019s stranglehold is now so tight that <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=BM6XAWRJ8NS7A&#038;utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>without help<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>  from you, we will not be able to continue the fight. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>The 2024 election is literally the most important election for every living American. We have to unite and fight for our country, otherwise we will lose it. And if we lose the America we love in 2024, we\u2019ll lose it for good. Can we <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=BM6XAWRJ8NS7A&#038;utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>count on you<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>  to help? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>With you we will be able to field journalists, do more investigative work, expose more corruption, and get desperately needed truth to millions of Americans. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>We can do this only with your help. Please don\u2019t wait one minute.<\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=BM6XAWRJ8NS7A&#038;utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>  Donate right now<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Thank you for reading,<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Josh Manning<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Deputy Managing Editor<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>P.S. Please <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=BM6XAWRJ8NS7A&#038;utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>stand with us<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>  today.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"author-info-45763\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/remmanuel\/\">  <\/a> <\/p>\n<div>\n<p><label for=\"summary-tab-radio-45763\">Summary<\/label><label for=\"more-info-tab-radio-45763\">More<span> Biographical Information<\/span><\/label><label for=\"posts-tab-radio-45763\">Recent<span> Posts<\/span><\/label><label for=\"contact-tab-radio-45763\" onclick=\"if( typeof grecaptcha=='undefined' ) { let cap_s=document.createElement( 'script' ); cap_s.src='https:\/\/www.google.com\/recaptcha\/api.js?render=6LeJFcsUAAAAAPsIEqvB1EebWbZfqRUe6ebMpGy7'; document.body.appendChild( cap_s ); }\">Contact<\/label><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Rachel Emmanuel has served as the director of content on a Republican congressional campaign and writes content for a popular conservative book franchise.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>  Rachel M. Emmanuel has served as the Director of Content on a Republican Congressional campaign and writes for a popular Conservative book franchise. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Despite many Americans forgetting the essence of Memorial Day, the Dutch are actively remembering with a field of white crosses. Established after the Civil War as Decoration Day, Memorial Day celebrates the sacrifices of those who gave their all. Commentary by Rachel M. Emmanuel, dated May 26, 2024<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2329,"featured_media":2253499,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Margraten-cemetery-for-may-26-2024.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2253498","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Margraten-cemetery-for-may-26-2024.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2253498","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2329"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2253498"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2253498\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2253499"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2253498"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2253498"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2253498"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}