Finally I managed to upload the AVI!

I made this video on September 18th during a ceremony at the city square in Eindhoven. Bill Guarnere is also in this video, commenting on the conversation between major Winters and mayor Sakkers of Eindhoven.

Because of the dark the images are not very clear, the voice-recording is excellent.

Major Winters honoured

This is fantastic! How can I ever thank you enough for this Tango

Also a big thanks for letting me share this with the MDW.com members, they'll be thrilled

wow! the wonders of modern technology.... Thanks for posting this.

Excellent work!!!! This is so great!!!! I am proud of my country, and specifically of Eindhoven that has always honoured it's liberators. I wonder who made this all possible... it must have been quiet some organisation!!!
Thanks again for sharing this with us!!

Outstanding. Much thanks for sharing this with us. It is so great to see and hear this.

Regards,

Frank

Wow, thanks for sharing that, made me cry.

Sandy

wonderful... moving... so strong...

This is one for the ‘Posts you must read’ thread.

It is a magnificent find.

Thank you!

Ade

Just one word for this: Outstanding!

Really great to hear this.

Oops guess that's more than one word

Jo

Hello Bart,

Peter vd Wal and Alexander Omhof have been working on this for several months. If you check Peter's website you can read the story about the ceremony with pictures added to it.

It's admirable that Peter did this, great effort and great result. Respect for that.

C U
Frank

Who else than Peter vd Wal! I've never had the honour to meet him in person, but his name is popping up everywhere. He sure knows how to organize things and how to honour our liberators. Great job!

Was it also his / theirs initiative to nominate Major Winters in the first place, or can the municipality of Eindhoven take credit for that?????

As far as I know it was their own (Peter and Alexander) proposal to make Major Winters an honorary citizin of Eindhoven. I tried to do the same for Bill and Babe two years ago but the City of Eindhoven wasn't ready for such a thing at that time. I think it should be part of the current discussion as well. Bill and Babe have been back to Eindhoven around 15 times since the end of the War, Babe was the first American soldier to enter Eindhoven during the liberation. In my opinion, more veterans from the 101st should be honored by the city in the same way as they did for the Major.

Just my opinion for what it's worth. Bye the way, that doesn't mean that I don't highly appriciate what the city of Eindhoven has done to honor the Major.

C U
Frank

I agree.

But... speaking as the Devil's advocate.... there's one big disadvantage when you start honouring more men in the same way: the Major's decoration will automatically become less unique and therefore 'less exclusive'.

I think that Eindhoven's way to honour Major Winters, indirectly also honours the men he commanded.

Bart,

I also have to agree with your point of view. It's hard to tell what the best choice would be in a situation like this. On one hand I think every veteran from the 101st should receive the same acknowledgement as the Major, on the other hand where does it stop then?

I don't know but somehow the first approach would be my favourite. Do the same for all the 101st veterans that were part of the Eindhoven liberation.

C U
Frank

How about a compromise ?

Bill and Babe certainly deserve one because they have returned for so many times.... and brought busloads of tourists with them as well. Liberators ánd the best ambassadors Eindhoven could wish for... I do hope they'll be honoured next year.

Btw... I haven't been in Eindhoven this year, but have you by any chance seen vets from the British XXXth Corps?

I agree Bart, like the certificate sais "The medal is granted for exceptional services rendered by Major R.D. Winters, and all Allied Troops who risked their lives to bring about the liberation of Eindhoven and the surrounding region under life-threatening circumstances.

Hello Bart,

I'm sorry but I did not get the chance to talk some British veterans. I had the honor to spend two nights with Bill and Babe listening to them signing songs from the past including the famous Irish song Babe sang during "We Stand Alone Together", very special and moving. They even made Marco, Ruud and me sing the short version of the Dutch National Anthem two times

C U
Frank

And did you translate the part ... "Wilhelmus of Nassau, am I of German blood?"

Too bad there are no voice-recordings of your performance, Frank. Glad to hear that you had a great time... I do hope they'll pay a visit to our country at least one more time more.

Well Bart,

Funny you talk about that part of the Wilhelmus. Although it's in Dutch we explained that that's a part of the Wilhulmus we always prefer to skip

C U
Frank