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In WW II Grandpa was Marine. But Grandma was a Nurse.
A short story about freedom.
Update June 2019
Area where my grandparents lived.
Personal article 3 min. reading time - Between 1970 and 1988 I spent parts of my childhood with my grandmother for whom I tell this story. This is the story as given within the family: Grandfather was marine in WW II and fought with US Marines for liberation of the Netherlands. As real love stories go he married Maria, my grandmother who worked as a hospital nurse. In 1944 she was put to work by Germans as cleaner for a German officer. Early in the morning. She managed to get a wooden hand stamp from the desk and hide in a cupboard. She stamped dozens exit certificates for people leaving the Netherlands. At the end of the war the German officer had to go. He liked my grandmother and gave her a golden chain and added: " Maria, I always knew about that stamp ". If that had been one evil German, I myself might not have been here.After the war the love story goes on. Grandfather and grandmother got a big house with a big garden. On the edge of a forest near the Marines training center. 3 children; 1942, 1944 and 1948. Grandfather remained Marine instructor till '55. All went well. Enough money, newest cars. Between '45 and '55 my grandfather started drinking more and more. He hit my grandmother sometimes. When he also start beating the children, my grandmother intervened. She was waiting for him with a frying pan or rolling pin. She was one of the first after WW II to divorce her War Hero. She was also one of the first to step out of the Catholic church, put on trousers, drive a car and to raise her children alone. She also gave me toy's as tanks and weapons since my 4th birthday. Which led to arguments between my mother and her. Grandmother thought that my mother was raising me wrong.
Everyone was welcome at grandma's when she was divorced. Whether a few or many suddenly came, she took good care. There was always something simmering on a petroleum cooker, or soup waiting for you. She barely cooked for herself but was able to set up an Indian rice table for 10 or 20. In between cooking, she slaughtered the chicken herself. All sisters and brothers came to grandma on birthdays. Listened to music from younger day's. Laughed and sang together, nice and soft. Told stories about the war. Meanwhile many details have been lost. Another story is that before the war there were actually 13 brothers and sisters, instead of 12. After the war one brother was shot because he had run over to the enemy. One thing in the house that remembered was a miniature model of a US truck with tank and trailer. Another was a metal helmet. Serving as water bowl in the hen house. When I was 7 grandma told me it was a German helmet. Later I understood the model was wrong and it was the old marine helmet of my grandfather.
My grandmother did learn me a lot at a young age. About cooking, cleaning, first aid and lazy people. She also made me hard. I've never seen her angry. The only thing she drank was half a glass of champagne with New Year. Because of my grandmother, I am very proud that I joined the medical service where I worked 5 years. Last thing my grandmother saw, before she passed away on the age of 93 years, is me as an army ambulance co-driver. We had this ride from the city of Zwolle to the city of Utrecht and back. Along the way I say to my mate, the driver; Come on, let us go somewhere ''. We drove softly through the neighborhood where my grandmother lived. We turned onto her driveway, real soft. I can still hear the pebbles creaking softly under our tires. She is standing in front of the window, and sees how two men in white suits get out and walk quietly towards her. Neighbors had seen it too. My grandmother talked about it for weeks. Of course we showed grandma the ambulance later, but she didn't dare take a ride. Superstition I think. We had coffee. Of course we had something to eat. My grandmother hardly said anything, she couldn't get the smile off her face. I had never seen my grandmother like that.
Photo below; I know the area, approximately 2 by 2 kilometers within the circle, very well. I played here for years or walked with grandma's dogs. Those dogs always found something, rabbits, pheasants, or some camouflaged Marines. Doing their field exercises, hidden in the bushes. Then I heard: " Hey boy, walk on, they can find us this way ". Sometimes I got an object from them or some shot loose blanks. If you were in Grandma's garden, you could hear shooting exercises. All those men with guns were scary at first, then exciting and fun. Then, it became a challenge to go through the forest without being noticed. Once I could stand in the forest, very still, while Marines passed without seeing me. At the age of eighteen I entered the army and received training at O.C.M.G.D. the Training Center Military Medical Service. The 60 man big platoon went into the forest, for the first time, stamping. Instructors saw something and came to me. They said, and I quote, "that it seemed as if I had disappeared".
A Barracks / sports complex.
B The Military Revalidation Center was built here around 1982.
C Grandma's house.
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