Those who have lost their loved ones may not fully share the sentiment. Let us hope and pray that there will never again be a next time. The souls of Americans who came here to save the old continent for a second time. Souls that were the founders of a united Europe.

We must never again forget their sacrifice, for the sake of their souls. Thanks to these thousands of souls, and many more. We have been living here in freedom, for seventy years now. They gave their futures in exchange for ours, in freedom. Not only the futures of the soldiers who lie here, but also the futures of their friends and loved ones were reduced to nothing with a single blow. It could have just as well been you or me in these pictures.

Intimate pictures taken among families and friends. The photographs of the soldiers we commemorate, and to whom we are so very grateful, are especially gripping. Snapshots that we have in our wallets, on our smartphones. Pictures like the ones we all have at home, in albums, on the mantle or simply pinned to the fridge. They leave an even deeper impression when we put faces to the names, which is what we do today. The graves here, at our feet, leave a deep impression with every visit. This goes to show that this memorial and cemetery are important parts of the heart and soul of the south of Limburg. Many of them have even adopted a grave here. Not just the families of those who have found their final resting place here, but also many local folk who come to pay their respects. Every day, countless people visit these grounds. Young men and women, who gave their lives and surrendered their own futures for the freedom of a people unknown to them. Buried in these twenty-six acres of fertile ground are the bodies of over eight thousand soldiers. Dit waren zijn woorden.ДЄs the Deputy Governor, it is an honor for me to speak to you on this very special and valuable stretch of American land, in our beloved province of Limburg. Gedeputeerde Koopmans was als plaatsvervangend Gouverneur namens de Provincie Limburg aanwezig.

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