Dutch people adopt American war cemeteries to commemorate the 80th anniversary of national liberation

On September 12, 2024, news from Margraten, the Netherlands. As the Netherlands commemorates the 80th anniversary of the start of liberation from Nazi occupation during World War II, local residents remember the heroes who gave their lives for national liberation in a special way.

Among the rolling hills in the south of the Netherlands, in the Netherlands American Cemetery on a small hill outside the village of Margraten, covering an area of 65.5 acres, the lawn is neatly trimmed and white marble tombstones stand in rows. A concert will be held here on Thursday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands. Generations of Dutch people after the war are deeply grateful to American and other Allied soldiers. Hundreds of people like Ton Heems and Maria Klein have chosen to “adopt” one of the 8,288 Americans buried here.

Adopting a cemetery is an act of gratitude and remembrance. It started after the end of the war and continues to this day. Adopters will regularly visit and sweep the graves and lay flowers on special days such as the birthdays and death anniversaries of fallen soldiers. Some people also contact the families of the deceased in the United States to establish transatlantic friendships. Heems and Klein adopted Private Royce D. Taylor, who sacrificed himself while on a mission over Germany in 1943. Taylor's grandson, Scott Taylor, calls his grandfather a hero and the source of inspiration for his service in the US Air Force.

Taylor pays tribute to the adopters and all the families who visit and sweep the graves. He is grateful for their efforts to remember his grandfather and other martyrs. He came to the cemetery one day before the commemorative concert. This place marks the start of the liberation of the Netherlands from four years of brutal Nazi occupation. Although most of the southern part was quickly liberated, the major cities in the west had to wait for months, during which there was also the “hungry winter”.

Heems is a retired Dutch soldier who served in the Balkan wars. He believes that adopting a cemetery reminds people of the fragility of democracy and freedom, and that remembrance is very important. Taylor also agrees with this view, emphasizing that if we don't remember, we may repeat the mistakes of World War II. In this special way, the Dutch make the sacrifices of heroes always remembered.