Toespraak van minister-president Rutte bij de Veterans' Ceremony

Toespraak | 06-10-2015

Governor,
First Lady of Georgia,
Brigadier General,
Commissioner,
Your Excellencies,
ladies and gentlemen,

70 years ago, Europe and the Netherlands were liberated by brave, young Americans. 70 years ago, those courageous soldiers put their lives on the line for peace and security on the other side of the world. 70 years ago, far too many of them died a long way from home.

This May on Memorial Day I was at the American cemetery in Margraten, a solemn and moving place in the hills of the southern Netherlands. Today, more than 8,000 white marble crosses bear silent witness to the sacrifices that were made.

People still in the flush of youth, like Private First Class Robert Long of Worth County, Georgia. These sons and daughters answered the call to fight for a country they didn’t know and for people they’d never met. They left their homes, families and loved ones behind. Families who waited in vain for them to return.  

As always, that visit made a deep impression on me. In 2005 the entire Dutch government attended the memorial with President Bush. And this year too, there were veterans and surviving relatives there whose advanced age may prevent them from visiting the graves of their loved ones again. But as I said to them: the people of Europe will never forget them. We will keep saying their names and telling their stories.

All the graves at Margraten have been adopted by people who live close by. By families and school classes. There’s even a waiting list. Year in and year out, these people tend the graves. They write to the families of the fallen, and arrange visits back and forth. And they do it out of respect and gratitude to our liberators.

It is an honour to pay my respects to them on American soil today. The Netherlands will be forever grateful for the sacrifices that Americans made to secure our freedom. Today, we remember the fallen and honour the men and women willing to give their lives to make the world a safer place - in the past, and today. Men and women like Airman 1st Class Kcey Ruiz from Georgia, who was killed in a plane crash in Afghanistan, only this Friday. Our thoughts are with her family.

The courage of these heroes still inspires us today. It inspires us to keep working for peace and security worldwide. Just as the United States and the Netherlands have fought shoulder to shoulder in Korea, Afghanistan and in the battle against ISIS.

Our joint efforts symbolise the age-old friendship between our two countries. A friendship based on shared values. On our deep-rooted faith in democracy, freedom, justice and human rights.

Seventy years later, freedom is still not a given for everyone. Thousands of refugees are knocking on Europe's door because they fear for their lives in their own country. We have a duty to our liberators to keep working for peace worldwide. Together we must work to achieve the liberty that General Eisenhower called for.

On the eve of D-Day, the general encouraged the troops with his Order of the Day. He said, 'The free men of the world are marching together to victory. I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. '

The courage, devotion and skill of those free men still resonate 70 years later, in the hills of the southern Netherlands and here today. Thanks to them we stand here in freedom.

Thank you.