OPIJNEN - The Dutch Village That Still Cares

The bomber, a B-17 Flying Fortress from the U.S. 8th Air Force, was reportedly struggling back to its home base in England after a raid on Kassel, Germany. If not disabled, it certainly would have stayed with the massive wedge formation always flown by heavy bombers on their way to and from a target. Despite the bravery of its crew and at least eight machine guns strategically placed from nose to tail, the lumbering giant didn't stand a chance against a pair of swifter, more maneuverable fighters.

Aboard the four-engine B-17 was the customary combat crew of 10 men: only two of them survived. Lieutenants Keene C. McCammon, John P. Bruce and Daniel V. Ohman, respectively the pilot, copilot, and bombardier, were able to bail out just seconds before the burning ship exploded in midair. According to an eyewitness on the ground, the German planes strafed the fliers as they dangled helplessly in their parachutes.

McCammon, who was not wounded, splashed down in the Waal, near the hamlet of Heesslet and was escorted by two dutiful Dutchmen to Bart Formijne, the Burgemeester of Est and Opijnen at that time. Since most of the population of the district had followed him, the poor pilot's presence couldn't he denied. Before being seized by some of Hitler's soldiers, he only had time to tell Mr. Formijne his name, that he was from St. Paul, Minnesota and that he had been a motor patrolman there. The 28-year-old McCammon who had already completed 25 bombing missions and was due to retire from combat soon,  spent the rest of the war - nearly two years - in German prison camps.

Meanwhile, Bruce had landed -- alive, but with a knee injury -- at the village of Varik near Opijnen. He too was captured, then taken to a hospital some 10 km (7 miles) north in the town of Tiel. The parachute of Ohman, the bombardier, may have been shredded by bullets from the German aircraft. He died shortly after plummeting through the thatched roof of a barn.

Of the eight men aboard the bomber who were killed in action that day, four were only 22 years old, one was 24, two had reached 25, and the oldest would have been 29 if he had lived just one more month. Two of the crew, McCammon and Ohman, hailed from the same state: Minnesota. Otherwise their homes were widely scattered -- "from sea to shining sea" -- in California, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Wisconsin. But due to World War II they had become blood brothers in combat.

In the silence that followed the angry growls and gunfire of the aerial clash and subsequent crash, Burgemeester Formijne and some other men from the village retrieved the burned and broken bodies of the Americans. Four were in the flaming wreckage (the tail gunner's finger was still clutching the trigger of his machine gun). They brought the bombardier down from a nearby barn and three other crewmen were found among the rows of potatoes and sugar beets in surrounding fields. The remains were carried on a horse-drawn farm wagon to the local mortuary. Mr. Formijne managed to obtain special permission from Berlin to bury the eight fliers in the village. He chose a place of honor for their graves: in the center of the walled cemetery next to Opijnen's 17th century Dutch Reformed Church.

Their funeral was held two days later at 9 p.m. The Germans had scheduled it for 11 p.m. -- curfew time during the war -- to prevent the villagers from attending, but because of torrential rain storms the hour was changed. After the war, Burgemeester Formijne wrote:

The Germans had ordered that no one except myself was allowed to be present. Nevertheless, the whole population was outside. After the burial, I opened the cemetery for the public and in no time everyone assisted the diggers. When everything was finished, they placed flowers. A few months later, the people brought flowers again and the graves are still covered with them.

It must have been heartrending for the bereaved families to decide to entrust their sons or brothers, whom they would never see again, to people they had never seen and could never really know. Yet the people of Opijnen did receive the consent of the families and of the American Government.

During the past several hundred years Europeans traveled to America to find new homes. Some of their sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons returned. Among them have been American soldiers, sailors and airmen -- many of whom fell on European soil in defense of freedom. In a sense you have welcomed these eight men here in your friendly land. You have cared for their resting place as if they were your sons. . . which in a way they are. Your example and the deeds of these valiant men have taught us one very important lesson: none of us today can live alone -- neither people or nations. We must help each other and, if need be, we must die for each other. You, the people of Opijnen have shown that even in death, a warrior need not be alone. On behalf of the relatives of the men who rest here, and on behalf of all the American people -- I sincerely thank you.

On Memorial Day, as has been the custom for many years, the people of Opijnen and a good many Americans gather in the churchyard of the village in memory of your brother or son made on behalf of all of us twenty years ago. I have participated in this commemorative ceremony and I find that the appreciation of what those heroes gave for their country and for the Netherlands is as strong, or stronger than ever. Yesterday, 107 school children of the village of Opijnen placed flowers on the graves of the eight airmen. Dutchmen and Americans participated in the offer of thanks to these valiant Americans.

We are always inspired to hear of the devotion of the Burgemeester and the people of Holland to the graves of the airmen. It is indeed a tie between Europe and America, we only wish more people could know about it. I am always especially touched by the participation of the school children. Last year I sent a little Christmas check for them and the Burgemeester wrote me he had purchased a moving picture projector for the school. My appreciation is very deep for the people of Opijnen.

We received your nice letter and what it all meant to us you'll never know. We do appreciate every thing that you all over there have done for us and all the other families. We always send money each May to buy flowers for Memorial Day and they in return send us pictures which we are so grateful for. We have two girls in their 40's. Our son was all the boy we had so God seen fit to take him. He was our baby too. We know there's no good in this old war and hope no more comes very soon. The Mayors all have been so nice to us in the last 20 years. We kept in touch with them each year for Memorial and at Christmas time. With Love and Prayers to all you fine people.

Carved into polished granite, those words were accentuated with gold gilt. Mounted on a 4-foot-high pillar, the plaque stands next to the sidewalk, near the entrance of the 17th century village church and adjacent to the churchyard.  When Carol Andre' de la Porte, our Club's President, was looking for a stone mason to make the memorial, she contacted a company in Haarlem, near her home. By sheer coincidence, the manager/owner of that firm, H.M. Troupin & Zonen (Sons) , was one of the 410 thousand Dutchmen who were shipped to Germany during the war and forced to labor in Nazi camps. When he heard the Opijnen story, Mr. Troupin declared he would not charge for the words on the plaque. That, he said, would be his "way of thanking the Americans who helped liberate Holland."   As the American Consul General of Amsterdam said in 1960:

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

Anyone who has been an AWCA member in May-any May since 1949-knows our special tradition. Historically, it occurred on U.S. Memorial Day and now May 4, when Dutch people observe two minutes of silence at 8:00 p.m. to honor those who sacrificed their lives in warring times so that we may live in peace and freedom. Together, with the villagers of Opijnen, we lay flowers at the graves of eight American airmen buried in the churchyard cemetery.

U.S. Air Force B-17 "Man-O-War"-the 91st Bomb Group's oldest plane-was shot down over Opijnen, near the Waal River on July 30, 1943 after a successful bombing raid on the Messerschmidt aircraft plant in Kassel, Germany. Enroute back to their base in Bassingbourn, England, it was the first, and last, combat mission for the crew of pilot 2Lt Keene C. McCammon and copilot 2Lt John P. Bruce. In a group of 27 aircraft, "Man-O-War" and "Yankee Dandy" were hit by enemy fire over Holland and failed to return. It is the story of "Man-O-War" that is linked to the AWCA.

While two "Man-O-War" gunners were killed instantly, the other eight were able to parachute out. Only the nightmare wasn't over. The infamous German yellow-nose 190's based at Schiphol circled the dangling men and peppered them with machine gun fire. Five died as they descended, and one who had only a riddled parachute, succumbed when he crashed through a village roof and struck a beam. The villagers of Opijnen, including eyewitnesses alive today, risked their lives to bury our fellow Americans and care for their graves. Fifty-nine years later, they are still caring for them.

Wondrously, pilot McCammon landed in the river and copilot Bruce in nearby Varik. Both had survived with minor injuries. However, they were betrayed by Nazi sympathizers and reunited by German soldiers the following day, underway to an isolation cell in Amsterdam. After four or five days, they were sent by train to POW camps in Germany. If you recall the film, "The Great Escape", you can begin to imagine what their next two years were like. McCammon and Bruce were in the same POW camp where this true story occurred. Today, John Bruce uses "stalag3" as his e-mail address in deference to his "Stalag Luft III" prison address from 1943-45. The AWCA has had sporadic contact with McCammon and Bruce after we began in 1949 to actively support the people of Opijnen in caring for the eight gravesites. Mr. McCammon, Mr. Bruce and their wives, even attended the special 40th anniversary Opijnen Memorial Service in 1983. Much of the contact in those years was via our late, and still missed, member, Lyn Ritchie. For the past several years, Lucy Correll has been active on behalf of the AWCA with the people of Opijnen. When member Janet Sked moved in 1999 from Amsterdam to St. Paul, MN, she discovered that the McCammon's lived in the next zip code, so she started up a friendship with them. Along with attending the May services for several years, I've been snail-mailing with the McCammon's the past two years, while e-mailing with the Bruce's.

A high point for me in all of this was the opportunity to meet John and Eunice Bruce in Orlando last July. I had made photo albums of the May 4, 2001 memorial service for the McCammon's and Bruce's. It is truly an honor to have met Mr. Bruce and I was privileged and touched to have personally heard him relate his incredible story.

The Keene McCammon crew's first combat mission to Kassel was aborted due to cloud cover over the target. Two days later on July 30, the target was again the Messerschmidt aircraft plant at Kassel. My position was copilot.

We were assigned an old plane, Man-O-War, the oldest plane in the 91st Bomb Group. It had endured combat as evidenced by the small aluminum patches on its outer skin. I discovered other evidence as I climbed into my seat. A splotch of dried blood on the floor near my foot. A copilot's blood. I wondered if he had survived. I hoped so.

With the crew in their positions, we began readying for takeoff. All four engines were started. . . good engines with 4800 horses. All systems checked and it was last call for crew check-in. Familiar voices checked in one by one. On cue, all 27 Forts were rumbling and snaking down the taxiway. In turn, we received our green light from the tower and proceeded to get airborne with our ten 500 pounders. This was no time to lose an engine.

We put on oxygen masks at 10,000 feet and within 45 minutes, at 17,000 feet, the group had assembled into formation. We were not to have fighter escort on the way to target but escort P-47's were to meet us on our return. We flew up the Channel, crossed the Holland coast and continued climbing to target altitude of 25,000 feet.

At this altitude, the outside air temperature is -40 degrees F. Only the flight deck and nose section were designed for some heat from the engines. Protection for the other crewmembers was provided by electric suits underneath bulky sheepskin-lined clothing. The two side gunners stood with their 50 caliber guns at window openings in the fuselage. The worst locations.

All eyes were on the lookout for enemy fighters from this point on. There was some light amount of anti-aircraft bursts, puffy black clouds we call flak, but they were not at our altitude at this point. Other group formations could be seen off at a distance on our left, but ahead of us. It was surprising that we had no encounters.

As we approached our initial point, the lead plane started a turn onto the bomb run. Flak began popping up in all directions around our formation. It was intense. Our bombardier, Dan Ohman, released our cargo and our group turned for a heading home. While doing so, we could hear fragments hitting the plane.

The fighters stay away from the target area because of the flak barrage. From here on in we could expect the FW-190's and ME-109's. Hopefully, our escort would show up soon and give us some cover on the way back.

McCammon called on the interphone for the crew to check in. Fortunately, no one reported any problem. No injuries. The task of sky surveillance resumed, but we didn't have too long at it until someone shouted that fighters were sighted and coming toward the formation. They were attacking our nine-ship element, the lower one. These were the infamous yellow nose 190's based at Schiphol airport.

Our gunners were shouting out the directions of attacking planes amidst the chatter of their 50's. It sounded as if all guns, top, rear, sides and underneath were opening up. This was an entirely new experience for all of us. A shocking one.

At one point, I watched a yellow nose 190 passing underneath our right wing and I saw him look up at us as he zipped underneath no more than thirty yards away. It was also at this time that I noticed a hole in the cowling of #3 engine, on my side. The oil pressure gauge for #3 indicated a dropping of pressure. We were losing that engine. The #2 was coughing and it wound down as well. Both inboard engines gone.
 

With the loss of power, our effort to stay in close with the formation was a losing one. We began lagging behind into that well known vulnerable position, "Tailend Charlie". An easy target with no firepower help from the formation.

What happened next was chaos. McCammon and I heard the top gunner, Cianfichi, yelling from his position behind us. We turned and saw flames roaring in the bomb bay and billowing into our flight deck. McCammon flipped on the bailout bells and called on the interphone to leave the plane. It was evident that it was a fuel fire from damaged fuel lines.

Cianfichi had a small fire extinguisher in his hands trying to extinguish the flames. As I was getting out of my seat while clipping on my chute pack, I yelled for him to leave it and go. I dropped down to the nose hatch and saw Ohman and Duggan huddled at their positions, probably held down by force, as the plane had started downward in a tight spiral. I pulled myself to the hatch and popped through the opening. I had enough awareness to delay the chute opening until a count of three.

It was a sudden jerk bringing pain to my shoulder that brought me out of my daze. My right arm had been caught in the shrouds as the chute opened and my boots had dropped away at the same time. It was so quiet. The din of battle was gone. A yellow nose encircled me and was gone.

I was at about 10,000 feet and couldn't make out any detail on the ground except the small buildings. Eventually, I could detect a few people beginning to gather below me. I landed near the edge of a road and tumbled down an embankment that was covered with large stones. I learned some years later that I had dropped down at Varik.

Stunned, I looked up into faces of several people gathered around me. I noticed one was an old man with a hearing aid horn pressed to his ear. Someone asked, "Deutch?". I shook my head and answered, "American". Smiles and "Ah's" were their responses. They helped me out of my chute and helped me up to the top. In doing this, I realized that I had a sprained ankle and a cut knee, as well as the shoulder pain.

The group was talking amongst themselves, probably discussing what to do with me. A young boy and girl appeared on bicycles and I was led to the boy's bike where I sat on the bar behind the handlebar. I wondered if this was to become the start of evasion.

We rode down a road until we sighted a blue-uniformed policeman walking toward us. The bikers stopped and chatted with him and the bikers left. We were waiting when a car drove up. The driver was in a suit. The policeman and I got into the car and we stopped at a residence where the man led us into what turned out to be a treatment room. He was a doctor. After wrapping my ankle, he put clamps on my cut knee, made a sling for my right arm, and left the room.

As he left the room, the policeman pointed in the doctor's direction and gave a Nazi salute. When the doctor returned, I noticed on his lapel a small pin with a swastika on it. So, he was a sympathizer. He led us into another nice room and offered me a chair. He didn't speak to me and I didn't know what was happening next. Within a very short time a car arrived with German soldiers. I realized then that he had notified German authorities. I was their prisoner.

They took me to a small village and stopped at a two-story building where a few soldiers were. I was led upstairs to a room with a cot. One brought me something to eat and I eventually went to sleep.

The next morning I was led downstairs to a waiting car. In the car was McCammon. He told me he had fallen in the River Waal. He also told me of the fate of the rest of our crew. No one survived. This was crushing news. The Germans had made him walk past our dead crewmembers. A form of gloating and punishment, I suppose. We had all been together for five months and though we didn't know much about each other's private lives and families, we had bonded, learned each other's personalities and it ended like this. Devastating and demoralizing.

We were taken by rail to Amsterdam where we were in isolation in a jail for about four or five days. It was a period of time when other downed fliers were brought in to make up a contingent to be sent on to a life as prisoners of war, and that's another story.
 
 
 

World War II Man-O-War copilot, John P. Bruce, provided the following information about his plane, the Man-O-War, from the book, Plain Names and Fancy Noses by Ray Bowden. The title refers to the unique names and artwork found on the noses of combat aircraft. The names and artwork were always created by the crews who flew the aircraft. For example, the Memphis Belle was named for the sweetheart of the pilot. The Belle was a B-17 World War II bomber from the 91st Bomb Group. It was the first aircraft from the 8th Air Force to complete the required 25 missions in order to return to the United States for War Bond drives. The plane, in all its glory, sits on a pedestal in Memphis, Tennessee.

MAN-O-WAR
Tail Number/Year Built/Build Unit: 41-24399
Model Number: B-17F-5-BO
Bomb/Squadron/Plane Code: 91/323-V
Squadron Code/Plane Code: OR-V

"This was the first of three Fortresses in the 91st to carry the name of the famous racehorse MAN-O-WAR, a Triple Crown winner. Assigned to the group as part of the initial complement of aircraft, it deployed with the air echelon to England and took part in the group's second combat raid, to Abbeville. It was an inauspicious beginning for the ship, intended to be the group lead and carrying Lt.Col. Lawrence. Mechanical problems caused it to abort the mission and return early. Although it did lead the group on November 11, 1942 six days later, it was plagued with a series of problems which caused several aborts during the following six months. These problems did not, however, prevent MAN-O-WAR from being the oldest B-17F still in the group, and one of the oldest in the entire 8th Air Force at the time of her loss on July 30, 1943."

"Mission 61 for the group on July 30, 1943 was to hit the Fieseler aircraft plant at Kassel and enemy fighters and accurate flak took their toll. MAN-O-WAR was hit and limped along behind the formation until it was attacked by two fighters which killed two of the crew. Sunshine glinted on the fighters' wings as they banked around and easily outmaneuvered their slowly moving victim and it was not long before parachutes began to blossom below the doomed fortress. As eight chutes slowly descended, the nightmare vision for many an airman came true as the attackers curved around and poured machine gun fire into the chute canopies. Five men were slaughtered as they hung helplessly in their harnesses, and a sixth had his chute riddled. He plunged down and hit a cottage roof, smashed through it and fatally struck his head on a beam. The pilot 2Lt Keene McCammon, was more fortunate and landed in the river Waal with his copilot 2Lt John Bruce landing nearby. MAN-O-WAR crashed to earth near the village of Opijnen, Holland and it was here that the bodies of the eight crewman are buried. These graves remain there today as a result of persuation by the villagers, their white marble headstones regularly tended and honoured by the local people."

Note from John P. Bruce: "It's difficult for me to say how much of the above
report of Mission 61 is actual. I don't know the author's sources."
 

A Special Honor
By Nancy L. K-T. (AWCA Tulip Talk February 2004)

Something wonderful is happening and you, with your connection to the AWCA, are a part of this happiness AND history in the making. Just keep reading and by the end of this article, you will feel really good. Promise!

But first, a little history to place current events in perspective. During WW II, when Germany occupied the Netherlands (May 10, 1940-May 5, 1945) the U.S. B-17 bomber, Man-O-War, was returning to Bassingbourn, England after a successful mission to take out a Nazi aircraft factory in Kassel, Germany. German Luftwaffe stationed on the Esterweg in Opijnen-a charming village nestled near the dike taming the Waal River-detected the 91st Bomb Group plane and lost no time in taking it out. Of those able to eject, only two escaped the merciless bullets the Luftwaffe sprayed at the defenseless airmen dangling from their parachutes. Of the ten-man crew, only the pilot, Keene McCammon, and his copilot, John Brice, survived. They were taken and interred for the remainder of the war in the infamous German stalags.

The Dutch working the fields that sunny July day stared in horror, then ran to the rescue. The Luftwaffe began shooting at the Dutch, who were saved only by the speed with which they took cover in a nearby ditch. Then the villagers were fired upon, after becoming enraged over the Luftwaffe's refusal to allow them to give water to the surviving soldiers or to bury the eight dead. The following day, a villager, passing by in a horse-drawn wagon, was ordered by the Germans to gather up the bodies. Orders insisted the burials take place after dark to prohibit villagers from attending. Despite this, everyone awoke the next morning to a sea of flowers covering the graves. Until this day, the eight remain buried in the cemetery next to the Hervormde (Reformed) church. At the special request of the Opijnen villagers, and with permission from the eight families, these men are among the few American soldiers not buried in the military cemeteries at Margraten and Rhenen.

One of the witnesses, Hendrik de Kock, spent his life caring for the graves of these eight Americans: Navigator Robert U. Duggan, Bombardier Daniel V. Ohman, Radioman Douglas V. Blackwood, Engineer Americo Cianfichi, Ball Turret Gunner Mike A. Perrotta, Tail Gunner Hermon D. Poling, and Waist Gunners Harold R. Sparks and George R. Krueger. He personally tended their graves until he became too old. Another witness, J.A.C. van Arkel (Mr. de Kock's brother-in-law) continues to play organ music at the church memorial services for the soldiers.

The AWCA has been involved in annual memorial services since 1949. The AWCA, along with a donation from the Betty MacDonald Foundation, placed a special monument by the church in 1983 when Keene McCammon, his wife, Bonney Jean, and John Bruce also attended the 40th anniversary service. For the 60th Anniversary, as the AWCA Opijnen Memorial Service coordinators, Lucy C and I wanted to organize a special service. To this end, I contacted Keene McCammon and John Bruce.

During these preparations, Keene mentioned that he would like to make a financial gift to thank the Opijnen people for their enduring care of his crewmen. The final decision was a gift to Hendrik de Kock and Douwe de Vries, a public official who's organized the memorial services on behalf of Opijnen since 1961. Furthermore, a larger gift, generously matched by John Bruce, the AWCA and the Gemeente (municipality) of Neerijnen (11 villages, including Opijnen, will double the McCammon-Bruce gift) would be used for a remarkable memorial. I was to have the honor of presenting these gifts after the May 4, 2003 Opijnen Memorial Service. Unfortunately, to the shock and sadness of all, Hendrik de Kock died the evening of May 3. He wished for the May 4 service to proceed. It did.

Despite this sorrow, I presented Keene and Bonney Jean's gifts with a joyful heart and conveyed the value of John's memorial gift on a crisp, chilled, very sunny December 18, 2003 to Anoeshka, Mr. de Vries and Neerijnen Mayor A.W.H.M. Jansen. I translated a message from Bonney Jean and shared my belief that Keene was with us by way of the fantastic weather after so many gloomy, rainy days. After the stunning surprise (only the Mayor knew about the gifts), we were joined by AWCA Vice President, Christa O, to do one of the most incredible things I've ever done. It was equally special for her and in absentia, for Lucy C, who was in the U.S. and unable to personally participate.

Entrance sign into housing complex 't Zandpad in Opijnen

It was all Mayor Jansen's idea. Upon learning of the planned gift to Opijnen, Mayor Jansen proposed naming the streets in the new Opijnen housing development, 't Zandpad, for all eight men, and a memorial plaque explaining why the streets are named for those men buried 300 meters away. And so Christa and I, along with Anoeshka, Douwe de Vries, Henk Hak from the Gemeente and Ludolf van Lith from the housing commission, laid out the computer drawings of the housing development and named the streets!

The whole experience was a pure treat; we worked together in harmony meeting the concerns and requests of all present, including picking Mr. Lith's favorite name for the street on which he'll live. We even were able to include Keene and John's names-in fact, the center of the 70-home development will have a green park area called McCammonplein ("square"; although it's really oval-shaped) and the street around the oval will be Brucestraat. The name most difficult for Dutch to pronounce, Cianfichipoort will be used for the entrance port which has no house addresses. The next two most challenging names will be walking paths (no addresses): Ohmanpad and Kruegerpad. The two names easiest for Dutch to pronounce, and with logical spellings, will be used for the streets with the most homes: Blackwoodstraat and Polingstraat. The entrance into 't Zandpad will be Dugganstraat and the first two streets it crosses will be: Sparksstraat and Perrottastraat.

Opijnen Article

By Nancy L. K-T. (AWCA Tulip Talk September 2004)

To returning AWCA members, what follows is a heart-warming update from my February 2004 Opijnen article, "A Special Honor". To new members, welcome to a story that has been a part of our Club since 1949. If this is one of your first issues of Tulip Talk, you'll want to visit www.awca.nl/history/opijnen.html to understand the bigger picture, but don't let that stop you from being touched by a piece of history that stems from July 30, 1943.

On that fateful day, the U.S. B-17 bomber, Man-O-War, was shot down over the small village of Opijnen, not far from the Waal River near the orchard-famous Betuwe region. Of the ten-man crew, only the pilot, Keene McCammon, and his copilot, John Bruce, survived. While they were held captive in the German stalags till the end of World War II in 1945, their eight fellow crewmen were buried in the Opijnen cemetery next to the Hervormd (Reformed) Church. Their graves are still tended with care and respect by the local villagers. Every May 4, the AWCA joins these wonderful people to honor the memories of the young men from the 91st Bomb Group who gave their lives so that we may live in peace and freedom.

During the May 4, 2000 Opijnen Memorial Service, Burgemeester (Mayor) Jansen spoke of his dream to forever keep alive the Man-O-War's heroic deeds by naming the streets in a new housing development for these airmen. That dream became reality on May 4, 2004 when he and John Bruce unveiled ten street signs in 't Zandpad (The Sand Path). Not only was 83 year old copilot Bruce in Opijnen, but so was his wife, Eunice, as well as daughter, Cheri, and two sons and wives, Gregory & Sheri, and Kelly & Betty Jo.

I had the honor and pleasure to organize the Bruce's April 30 - May 6 visit, and it's with great restraint that I compact an incredible week into far too few words. One of the high points came the first day when long-term AWCA member, Sally M.S., opened her historical (official Dutch monument) home to us, which included a grand tour and a cruise on the Vecht River in their 1899 sloop, with husband Edward at the helm. After dinner at my home, the Bruce's enjoyed poffertjes (special Dutch mini-pancakes) at the famous poffertjes kraam (booth) in Laren (April-September). These were such a hit, that the Bruce's returned several times!

Despite lots of sightseeing plans for the week, most were cut short when Eunice had to be hospitalized the next day. During the months of preparation, we knew that the trip would be a big challenge for Eunice given her diabetes, osteoporosis, kidney dialysis, and wheel chair requirements. She is one strong woman! And, even though she missed the only two things she really wanted to do-visit Keukenhof and take an Amsterdam rondvaart-she was with her family May 4.

The Bruces and I, along with other long-time Opijnen Memorial Service Coordinator, Lucy C., and AWCA (Past) President, Christa O-H., and husband, Stevin O., were the guests of Mayor Jansen and other community officials for a moving and memorable day that started at the castle that serves as City Hall for the eleven villages that comprise the Neerijnen municipality. Over coffee, tea and cake, we introduced ourselves and after opening remarks by Mayor Jansen, we were stilled by the words of John as he recalled July 30, 1943. It was emotional, as were the recollections of Mr. van Arkel, who witnessed the event as a young boy in Opijnen. Sadly, another very important witness, Hendrik de Kock, who also cared for the graves his entire life, passed away May 3, 2003. His special place is now filled by his 18 year old granddaughter, Anoeshka de Kock, who also spent the day with us, as did Douwe de Vries, who has helped organize the annual memorial service since 1964.

We then travelled the Man-O-War route by bus, visiting such places as: the field where the plane went down and a motor was found; the farm house where one of the crewmen crashed through the rietendak (thatched roof); the childhood home of Mr. van Arkel; and the narrow, stoney dike where John Bruce recalls his parachute dropped him. We all tried to imagine how this pastoral terrain must have looked 61 years ago.

Mayor Jansen then treated us to a seasonal white asparagus dinner, after which we made our way to the Hervormd Centrum that adjoins the church and cemetery. There we met members of the community and AWCA members, families and friends. After a "Meet & Greet" with the Bruce's, everyone walked in silence to the eight graves for our annual laying of flowers and raising and lowering the American flag. As happens all over the Netherlands on May 4, we observed two minutes of silence at 8:00 pm.

From the church, we made our way to 't Zandpad, where project developer, Lithos Bouw BV, had set up a big tent to protect us from wind and rain. Several people spoke, none with more feeling and eloquence than Mayor Jansen and John Bruce. We enjoyed the lovely voices of Opijnen choir, Crescendo, who sang Dutch and American songs. Of course, the most dramatic moment was the tugging on the American flags to reveal the street signs.

In case you missed Opijnen this year, please reserve May 4, 2005, because it too will be a unique memorial service. A special plaque will be unveiled on McCammonplein explaining why the streets in 't Zandpad have such unexpected names. Not only do the Bruce children plan to join us again, but pilot Keene McCammon's widow, Bonney Jean, and only child, Keene, along with his wife and daughter, hope to share this incredible occasion.

You can order a professionally-recorded 55-minute DVD or VHS cassette of the May 4, 2004 evening by contacting Nancy K.-T. at opijnen@awca.nl or TEL: 035 628 45 34. Please indicate PAL for European systems or NTSC for American systems. DVD's and PAL VHS cassette cost 10 euros each; NTSC VHS cassette costs 15 euros. These prices reflect a generous discount by Ron Exalto of ELVIC Productions BV. Price does not include shipping.

Opijnen Article

By Nancy L. K-T. (AWCA Tulip Talk May 2006)

Please note that this article reflects a change of events and locations versus the April 2006 “Tulip Talk” article. Be sure to follow these instructions and not those published in April.

Dutch Memorial Day, THURSDAY, MAY 4, 2006 6:30 p.m. Meet at McCammonplein in the housing development 't Zandpad. Our evening will begin (on time!) with the unveiling of the special monument to honor the ten U.S. “Man-O-War” crewmen downed over Opijnen July 30, 1943. At 7:00 p.m., we'll walk (or drive) to the Opijnen Hervormd Centrum (Reformed Center/Church Hall) for a “Meet & Greet” with coffee, tea and cake. At 7:45 p.m., we'll process to the churchyard cemetery for the placement of wreaths at the graves of the eight airmen buried there. As happens everywhere in the Netherlands, we will then observe two minutes of silence at 8:00 p.m. After the ringing of the church bells and playing of “The Last Post”, the Opijnen choir, Crescendo, will sing as guests file past the gravesite and place flowers. The memorial service will conclude at approximately 8:15 p.m.

Please do the AWCA proud and support this important event. And, please arrive on time! If you'd like, bring flowers to lay at the gravesite.

Come meet and greet surviving copilot, John Bruce, and his family, as well as Bonney Jean McCammon, widow of pilot, Keene McCammon, and their son, along with the late pilot's sister and her daughter, plus the wonderful villagers of Opijnen.

Be sure to save the evening of Thursday, May 4, 2006 to join the AWCA as it remembers the eight fallen WW II airmen buried in the churchyard cemetery in the village of Opijnen. We'll want to have a big turnout for the annual service that the AWCA has supported since 1949. Honoring us with the unveiling of a creatively-designed monument by Dutch artist, Joris Baudoin, will be John Bruce and Bonney Jean McCammon, who will be flying in from the U.S. especially for this event. Mr. Bruce, his wife, their children and spouses joined us in 2004 when he helped unveil the street signs in 't Zandpad which are named for the ten “Man-O-War” airmen. Mrs. McCammon last visited in 1983, joining her husband for the 40 th anniversary memorial service. Everyone who's ever attended the Opijnen Memorial Service has been deeply moved and grateful for the experience. Read more about the Opijnen story on the AWCA website www.awca.nl (History-Opijnen).

DRIVING DIRECTIONS

The small village of Opijnen is located southeast of Amsterdam on the north bank of the Waal River, near Zaltbommel. The drive from Amsterdam can take 1.5 hours. Allow PLENTY of time because this road is notorious for traffic jams and delays. (Currently, there is also road construction on the A2.) Take the A2 south from Utrecht. Then take exit 16 – Waardenburg (the last exit before crossing the Waal River). At the bottom of the exit ramp by the McDonalds, turn left. At the first traffic circle, go left again following the sign to Neerijnen, and later to Opijnen. The housing development 't Zandpad is on the right-hand side of Repensestraat before reaching the village center—approximately 300 meters from the Nederlands Hervormd Kerk (Church) and Kerkhof (Cemetery). Turn right into 't Zandpad onto Dugganstraat and park there, or anywhere on Sparksstraat, Perrottastraat, Polingstraat or Blackwoodstraat. Walk through Cianfichipoort to reach Brucestraat and McCammonplein (a landscaped park area in the middle of the housing development where the monumnent will be unveiled). Free street parking. If it rains, be sure to bring an umbrella as there will not be a tent as in 2004.

NEED A RIDE?

Contact opinjen@awca.nl

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