Tuesday, September 30, 2008

This re-enactment video clip of the 101st Airborne's Operation Market Garden landing in Drop Zone "C" was sent to me by my good friends Dorien and her father Jan van den Hurk... I met Dorien and her father last year when I had the opportunity to visit Son, just North of Eindhoven. Dorien witnessed the re-enactment and sent me this video taken with her cellphone camera. 12 paratroopers jumped from the C-47 "Dakota". Holland is anticipating the 65th anniversary next year with a big celebration. In the clip, you can hear Dorien's son Rico shouting "Hi Grandpa" ("he opa").

The drop zone was in Mr. Overveld's backyard. He was 15 when the paratroopers landed in 1944 and remembers giving the soldiers water as they moved towards the highway later to be known as "Hell's Highway". Sometime around 1995, as he was plowing his field, the plow caught on something under the surface. He stopped and unearthed this parachute still in extraordinarily good condition. Shown here are Mr. Van den Hurk, Mr. Overveld, and Dorien Verhoeven-van den Hurk.
If you are fans of the 101st, you'll recognize Mr. Overveld's home.


This is the plaque placed into the side of Mr. Overveld's house by Company "E", the "Band of Brothers". Dad was in Company "A".