"In Memoriam"

December 2003 Tulip Talk Article

by Nancy L. K.-T.

In Memoriam

On a quiet day October 22, 2003, a very special American left behind not only family and friends in the US, but also friends and a unique history in the Netherlands.  Keene McCammon passed away just a few weeks shy of his 88^th birthday, closing the book on a full and interesting life.  Many of you have heard his name, but few have met him.  And yet, he will be missed.  You see, Keene McCammon was the pilot of the WWII B-17 bomber, “Man-O-War” that crashed on July 30, 1943 after returning from a successful bombing mission over Kassel, Germany.  Only he and his co-pilot, John Bruce, survived their first and last mission together.  Their fellow eight crewmen lost their lives and are buried in the small village of Opijnen.  Each May, since 1949, the AWCA honors the memory of these young men who sacrificed their lives so that we may live in freedom.  This past May, we marked the 60^th anniversary and I had the honor of reading “Messages from America”, which included a letter from Keene and his wife, Bonney Jean.  The McCammon’s, longtime residents of Minneapolis, last joined us for the Opijnen Memorial Service in 1983.  Although we will miss Keene, his memory will long be with us.  Last Spring, wheels were set in motion to name the streets in a new neighborhood on the edge of Opijnen in honor of the eight crewmen.  A memorial plaque will explain why these Dutch streets carry American names.  The donors will be:  Keene McCammon, John Bruce, the AWCA and the community of Opijnen.  Fortunately, Keene lived long enough to help make this happen.  On December 18, 2003, I have the privilege of personally presenting his donation to the Mayor of Opijnen, Drs. A.W.H.M. Jansen. 

To learn more about the Opijnen story, visit www.awca.nl and click “History” and on the scroll down, click “Opijnen”.