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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.driel-polen.nl\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Fotos-toespraken-2014-Hennis.jpg\")
at the 70th<\/sup> Commemoration of the contribution of the 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade to Market Garden\nDriel, 20 September 2014<\/p>\n
Your Majesty, Mr President, Your Excellences, Ladies and gentlemen,
\nFirst of all I would like to extend a warm welcome to you, Mr President and to the veterans gathered here today
\nYour presence here means so much to us.
\nOur heritage of freedom is built upon your brave sacrifices.
\nWe are deeply grateful to you!
\nIt\u2019s your story we commemorate today.
\nPlease allow me to continue in Dutch to share that remarkable story.
\nLadies and gentlemen,
\nIt had to be the decisive battle. Operation Market Garden.
\nNow 70 years ago.
\nBringing down the nazi regime \u2013 and before the Christmas of 1944<\/i> \u2013 certainly was an ambitious plan.
\nThe South of the Netherlands was liberated.
\nBut the operation met with disaster on the North side of the Rhine.
\nThe German resistance was unexpected and<\/i> fierce.
\nA large section of the airborne troops became trapped at Oosterbeek.
\nThey fought very bravely just 2000 steps from here, but the odds were simply against them.
\nAmmunition, food and water all started running out. The situation became more critical by the hour and<\/i> they had been waiting for the much needed reinforcements from the South of the Netherlands for days.
\nVeterans from the 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade,
\nYou were dropped above Driel\u2019s meadows and orchards on 21st September 1944, the fifth day of Operation Market Garden.
\nYou had undoubtedly imagined things quite differently.
\nAfter Poland had been conquered in 1939, you fled your homeland, in order to eventually end up in the Scottish Fife.
\nUnder the inspiring leadership of Major General Sosabowski, you were turned into a tough and skilled parachutists brigade in just three years\u2019 time.
\nWith that one goal: Poland\u2019s liberation.
\nBut<\/i> you ended up fighting here. And all this whilst \u2013 1600 kilometres away<\/i> \u2013 Warsaw was on fire.
\nYou were fighting in another country. For other people.
\nWith an impossible task, to cross the river and strengthen the Oosterbeek lines.
\nThe Driel ferry seemed to have disappeared upon your arrival.
\nThere were just a few small rubber boats. Without paddles. That was all.
\nA small part of your brigade managed to reach the other side with pioneer spades, rifle butts and even your bare hands.
\nSten guns<\/i> against artillery and tanks.
\nIt was an unfair battle, with terrible losses.
\nHowever, your arrival was an enormous moral boost for the closed in para\u2019s.
\nPlus you formed a bridge head here in Driel for four days, which allowed many allied forces to be evacuated across the Lower Rhine.
\nThey would definitely have been lost without your steadfast actions.
\nYour efforts mattered.
\nAnd much more than that.
\nDoing the maximum with the absolute minimum!
\n70 years on, your courage, your determination and your unsurpassed resilience is still inspiring people.
\nA very harsh welcome was waiting for you back at home after the war.
\nThe unbelievable happened.
\nYou ran the risk of being prosecuted in Poland.
\nAfter all, you had been fighting on the side of the Western<\/i> allied forces. Rehabilitation didn\u2019t follow until many, many years later.<\/p>\n
Mr President,
\nNowadays Poland and the Netherlands maintain intensive political, economic and cultural relationships and we are loyal allies in both the NATO as well as the European Union.
\nThe relationship between Poland and the Netherlands is certainly one to be nourished.
\nThe developments of the past six months have once again confirmed that our freedom is never something we can take for granted.
\nAnd the NATO summit, which took place at the beginning of September, therefore also marked an important moment in our transatlantic security agenda.
\nLet it be clear to everyone; the security and stability of the alliance is something which is important to all of us.
\nSide by side. For and<\/i> with each other.<\/p>\n
Veterans present,
\n70 years ago you laid the foundations for the freedom we can enjoy today.
\nAnd you went to absolute extremes to make this happen.
\nAn eye witness said \u2013 and I quote:
\n\u201cThey fought until there was nothing left to fight with \u2013 and then they fought some more.<\/i>\u201c
\nThe Netherlands is incredibly grateful to those Polish heroes.
\nWe are grateful to you!
\nAnd the challenge is to do justice to our freedom. Every single day.
\nThe freedom which you fought so hard for.<\/p>\n
Our gratitude is endless!
\nDzi\u0119kuj\u0119 bardzo!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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