Playing Tribute To Canada's Fallen

03 May Playing Tribute To Canada's Fallen

Together with other volunteers from Faces To Graves and members of the Canadian Embassy, NCCC Executive Director Julie Allen was at the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery on Friday and Saturday, placing bunches of tulips at the side of all the graves. 

Thanks to The Dutch Liberation 2020 Canadian Society, 2619 bunches of tulips were delivered and it took 2 days to get them all placed. "We had some sun, quite a few downpours, hail, high winds and got completely soaked on more than one occasion. But it was all worth it," said Allen. "There won’t be a big ceremony and event as we had hoped, but at least the tulips will bloom and look beautiful on the 4^th & 5^th for the 75^th anniversary.

"It's a way of marking the 75th anniversary in these restrictive times of Covid-19"  she continued. "The bad weather made it all the more poignant, thinking about how those young men suffered. Many of the volunteers have made deep friendships with the families of the soldiers they have researched and had personal messages and thoughts at some of the graves. I talked to many of the men as I placed their flowers. For some I said a prayer and told them that I had met their families and how they were all doing. It's important for them to know that even though it is 75 years later, they are still missed and still remembered."