Opijnen - May 2000

Excerpts from an article by Lucy C.

Published in the Tulip Talk prior to the May 2000 Memorial Day Ceremonies in Opijnen

The AWCA has been going to Opijnen for over 50 years to honor these fallen airmen with the local community including Mr. H. De Kock, one of the few surviving eyewitnesses of the crash, who attends with his granddaughter.The pilot and co-pilot of the plane were able to bail out before the crash and survived. They were captured by the Germans and put into a concentration camp. The camp was liberated by the Americans at the end of the war, and these two men returned to America. The pilot's name is Keene McCammon, and he is from Minneapolis. Last year Janet Sked, an active former member of the AWCA, attended the May 4th observance with her husband, Sam, and her son, Chris, who was visiting from his military base in Germany. This was just about the last thing that Janet did before the the moving vans arrived to move them back to the USA -- to Minneapolis. The Skeds were really moved as is everyone who goes to Opijnen. They have told me repeatedly that attending Opijnen was one of the most valuable experiences of their stay in The Netherlands. During the gathering following the ceremony, we discussed the fact that Keene McCammon was last known to have lived in Minneapolis. Janet was determined to find him in her new home city, and she did. She has visited with him and his wife several times in the past year and told him about the continuing memorial observance which he had attended in 1983, the 40th anniversary of the crash. Mr. McCammon is now in his 80's and in poor health. Janet also met their son, Keene Jr., and carries on an email correspondence with him.Last May the details of July 1943 were verified by Mr. De Kock before the history was entered on Internet by the AWCA Website committee.

The pilot McCammon had never talked about his experiences during the war, and his son knew little about it. Janet referred Keene Jr. to the AWCA Website. For the first time in his life, he learned about what had happen to his father in Europe during the war.I have attended the observance for the last three years, and each time I leave with renewed determination, and an appreciation for the value of keeping it alive for future generations.See also the the website for the 91st bombgroup -- http://www.91stbombgroup.com