__________________________________________________________________ In lieu of the end of the monumental journey we've all been on together for the 70th Anniversary since the Liberation of the Netherlands, our principal guide Glenn had a few profound words he'd like to share with us all:
___________________________________________________________________ Dear Liberation Tour Guests,
As of now most of you have arrived home I would like to take the opportunity to personally thank you again for taking part in the 70th Anniversary-Liberation of Holland Tour. The last weeks have provided us with an unforgettable experience, that as Canadians we can be very proud of. Together we witnessed the wonderful nation of the Netherlands once again offering its extreme gratitude for our countries sacrifice in liberating them from a terrible occupation 70 years ago. The Dutch citizens have never wavered in paying tribute to our veterans, their liberators, their heroes.
No doubt many of you will take away a special moment or perhaps a vision from the trip we shared together. Mine personally are numerous, each day provided another “moment” that added to the experience. Putting them all together creates an incredible story to share with family, friends and co-workers. Together, we travelled far to take part in a historically important time in our history and pay tribute to the men and women that gave so much to ensure freedom was restored to others and in doing so keeping ours intact.
One may ask, “How do we repay such a debt?” I believe the answer is that we cannot. It is too large to ever repay back. The hundreds of cemeteries scattered across Europe and elsewhere, stand as a testament to the enormous cost. Instead we do exactly what we just did and remember the lives lost and the others who survived the wars and carry the leftover physical and emotional scars. Your presence on this tour showed you are doing exactly that, you are remembering. We have not forgotten those who laid down their lives so we could continue ours. They traded their future so we could live ours out in peace. Men like George, Ray, Frank and Bud are part of what many have termed “The Greatest Generation”. For they are just some of the many other Canadians that answered the call of duty and left the safety and comfort of home to go fight for people they didn’t even know in countries they had never seen. For that I say a profound “Thank you” to you 4 men once again! Your presence on this tour added so much and was immensely appreciated.
In closing I would like to wish you all a relaxing summer wherever it takes you. When you look back on our trip together whether through correspondence, conversation or photos, I hope it brings you fond memories and feelings of appreciation that we shared in this journey all together. I would also like to ask you of a favor. When Remembrance Day, November 11th comes, let’s not only take the time to reflect on what was lost collectively but also take someone with you to a service who may not know all what you do about war and sacrifice. Continue to educate and share with others what we all have just witnessed. Let them know that standing for two minutes of silence is all they have asked us for. It is so little compared to the sacrifice they faced in a time of history we would never want to relive again.
Thank you.
We Will Remember Them
Best Regards,
Glenn Edmonds
Tour Manager
Connection Tours
edmonds1@mts.net