Good morning all:

Weekly Wisdom:

“What are you going to wear in the game Sunday?” —Julie Brown to Emmitt Smith, Dallas Cowboys running back (Super Bowl XXVIII)

My little plastic “cheese-head” hat has magically surfaced. I have it from the time that I was stranded at Green Bay airport and spotted it at a kiosk (end of season stuff). Sunday I will be wearing it at a my former office-gang bowl party (first half), and at our place (second half). Now some coffee to aid in the hat inflation event.

– Some time back I was given a 1st edition signed copy of a book. Ever since it’s been sitting on my bookshelf. The reason? Its written in Dutch. I can speak and read the language, but reading a “grown-up” book is a different beast. However, I really had no choice and had to read it—let me tell you why.

So, last weekend I picked it up and tentatively started on my journey. Slowly it’s been getting easier and I am picking up speed.

The book is the autobiography of a (1900 – 1976). Leendert was a preacher to whose congregation my parents belonged in my birth city of Enschede. He baptized me. And, most importantly, he was a family friend.

What I found out later was that during WWII he was the organizer behind probably the largest network created to extend aid and shelter to the persecuted of that time; primarily Jews, but also Dutch who were on wanted lists, and occasionally a German soldier who had gone AWOL. It is believed that during the final years of the war he (assisted by his two sisters – Corrie and Maartje) and his network were providing cover for over 1000 individuals (documented) and probably many more.

It didn’t take long for me to recognize names and addresses. The van Dam’s were one family mentioned as being provided shelter (their two teenage daughters spent a little time hiding in our house). A family residing at 70 Stokhorstweg received and re-distributed a constant stream of people requiring shelter—#70 was a few doors down from my grandparent’s home. My early childhood memories were quickly becoming a living history.

Providing shelter sounds so easy, so innocuous. But the reality was that it required unbelievable effort. Rev. Overduin spent one full day, bicycling into an adjacent province, knocking on door after door to finally find a home willing to provide shelter. The house belonged to another preacher, his wife, and two small children. The man refused saying with children it was too dangerous. Leendert said he understood and upon leaving stated; “I think it’s just a matter of trust and faith.” After he took his leave the preacher chased him down and agreed. That preacher became the lead for a major sub-group. They too survived.

For each person false identity papers had to be generated. Any food stuff required carefully issued ration cards—to get extra for those in hiding required monies, collaboration, or theft. Trading the ration cards in for food in small villages required skill and trust since people knew the number of people in any household. Occasionally a severe medical condition required that trusted medical staff had to be available. At times there would be a death and again, it required an ambulance or farm wagon to assist with the disposal of the body. Many of these efforts required money and this had to be obtained.

Most importantly, the network had to stay aware of arrests of their contacts or any hint of a raid and be able to redistribute individuals into new ‘safe’ houses.

Rev. Overduin spent about a year in jail as a result of three separate arrests. His last arrest occurred in March of 1945. He was sentenced to death at his hearing and told that he’d be shot the next day – March 31st, 1945. The morning of April 1st, 1945 Canadian allied troops overran the city of Enschede—liberation had occurred. The SS, the SD, nor the Gestapo were ever able to silence the one who became know as “The Pimpernel of Enschede”.

With the occupation over, Leendert immediately set about the business of continuing to help those in need. Now it was making certain that arrested German collaborators were judicially punished, but not abused in the process.

Near the end of his life he made one of his rare public statements about those times; “I only wish I could have done more.” He allowed his name to be placed on a monument in Jerusalem by the Holocaust remembrance group Yad Vashem, but nothing more. However, he did have a large medallion issued by the Carnegie Hero’s fund – issued 13 October, 1947; this for the rescue of a woman caught in the undertow at a beach on the North Sea. Overduin himself could not swim.

On a lighter note – Living in a place which has now taken on all the signs of a polar land of ongoing and seemingly never ending cold, snow, and ice, means it’s a pain for the adults, but horrible for the kids.

Last weekend Jason took his two and I took Vai to the Children’s Museum. The cousins played their hearts out. About the time that the museum staff started checking their watches we packed it in. Then went to Adrianne’s for dinner. Adrianne has been on bed rest so it was the remaining adults, led by Marcia, who organized this instant party.

Three more inches of snow today

Closing –Yesterday I sat for an hour or so for Vai. When she woke from her nap – quite soaked I might add – she sputtered up to me and, clear as a bell, said; “Opa, Happy Valentine.”

This reminded me to advise you to go out and do Hallmark proud!

Make it a great week

Cheers,

Dirk