André van Duin is a national treasure as a comedian, actor and singer and on this day he spoke from the heart and is was felt by all who listened to his speech. Thank you for your reaction.
@jer quake to me, Finkers and Van Duin are equally exceptionel in their own unique way. Van Duin being more slap stick foolishness and Finkers having more of a dry sense countryside humor ( a real "tukker") Both men can sing and act as well. To me it's comparing apples to oranges.
He is such a wonderfull person. he makes you laugh, he made me cry during this speech. The handkiss at the end was for his late husband Martin, who sadly passed away from cancer in 2020 at only the age of 55.
@@frans_bauer Sorry, am I responding to THE Frans Bauer? Maybe I'm not. In the end that is not really of great importance. Anyway, your comment to the comment surprised me somewhat. But that probably is just a limitation of mine. Groeten.
@@frans_bauer So now I'm responding to the TRUE father Chistmas for the first time in my entire life? How nice :) Then again, there are some things you did not bring me.. That was not very nice. I was nice! So why not you? I think Sinterklaas is nicer than you.
As a Belgian this also hits home, ofcourse we had a different experience, but it was similar enough to understand what they went through, as a Belgian, which is a neighbor of the Netherlands, I feel this. Thank you André, thank you!
My grandfather was on a german train to put to work. But he escaped and made his way back to my father(who was a toddler) his wife and his mother in law. He hid in the field, the cellar and behind my great grandmothers house for the Germans! The house is still there, when i see it..i smile and think of my grandfather! ❤
my father also had to work in German. His mother died during that time. He couldn 't get back to the Netherlands for her funeral. He never talked about it. After he got home he rebuilt the country. It destroyed him. He had a massive heart attack at 52. He lived for 13 years after that. Several heart attacks until, 1 day before his 65th birthday, he died. It is a wound that will never heal for me as well.
André is one of my very few heroes, he’s been part of my childhood, my parents childhood and even my grandparents know of him. I remember watching this speech, it was incredible, the man that brings so much laughter and joy is also such a kind and wonderful person and it really shows, not just here but in everything he does. Truly a legend in my eyes.
This one had hit me so hard in my heart deep in my soul ! When I was a little girl in group 8 of school . I had to built a family tree to show where I came from . And I remember very well that I asked my grandmother who helped me, what are those stars by these names and why don't I know these people , what does the crosses mean . I looked at my grandmother , her bottom lip started to shake, and I saw tears in her eyes. She said " my beautiful grandchild , these 🌟 by their names mean that they where Jewish ( the Germans made us wear those ) the crosses mean that we have lost them in war , most of them where with me in auschwitz . I survived because I was a singer and the German soldiers loved hearing me sing. But the rest of the family tree besides your grandfather did not survive. And never returned. I remembered that I showed my family tree at school and my teacher his face, he walked up to me and didn't say a word , but gave me the biggest hug ever. It turned out that after the war my grandmother and grandfather both found each other at the return station in Amsterdam . She saw him , in his military outfit and he saw her in a long dress with a black long coat that had the star still on it. He walked up to her and pulled her star off and she started crying . And from that moment on they changed their faith and fall in deep love. She never said anything ever again over the war. Never spoke about her parents and her sisters and her brothers. Same as my grandfather.. he never spoke about anything. ( it's a long story I know, but it felt right to write this pain down ) I will soon be back on Discord I promise.
I was impressed and in tears, just as I was in 2021. I taught my sons about the war and how important the 2 minutes of silence of may 4th are. My eldest son is 23 now. He went to Margraten last monday with a few friends to see with his own eyes the fields with the white crosses which i told him all about in his live. Imagine, those boys, now 23, with autism, on their own have driven by car from Noord Holland to Margraten in Limburg on a monday..... I was so touched.... My heart is full, i am so grateful for my son. Today is important, and with what is now going on in the Ukraine.... it's more relevant than ever. Thank you Suzette and Emma for the translation of this .... 💜💜🌹🌹
Same feeling here, i told our daughter about the war,and we took her to Groesbeek to lichtjesavond where she could lite a candle and bring it to a soldiers grave for the holidays (christmas) And last year we went to Margraten and there she could see it with her own eyes. She was crying when she saw all the graves and read that the soldiers died at he age of 19 and 20 years old 😢
My father died 20 years ago, I am now 37, but he told me then that he had been in de train and sat with Andre van Duin and that he had a conversation with him and that he liked him very much
A very impressive speech. Although I was born many years after the war and fortunately nobody from my family was involved in the war, as a German I would like to apologize from the bottom of my heart for my compatriots to all those affected. And it makes me very sad that people still experience this madness today.
The German people today are not to blame for anything that just was caused by one person, one lunatic called Adolf Hitler. And many of the German people back then were indoctrinated in a very clever way. Most of the people of Germany were not even aware what happened to the Jews who were deported to the East. It's true that years, even decades there was a lot of hate and resentment against Germans in general, but this is not the case anymore. As being Dutch, I see the German people being our closest friends now, one of our biggest ally within our common family (NATO), practically in the same way how Japanese and Americans fought a bloody war in the Pacific, island by island, until the two nuclear warheads ended it. And now, in this time, those two countries are the closest allies. Whoever lived in 1940, might have thought how all of these countries would be after the year 2000 and so on. We formed a big united family (NATO) with lots of friends (Japan, Australia, South Korea, Vietnam, The Philippines, and most likely also India), but sadly enough today we have a new war raging, but despite this war is more localized, the stakes for the world are much higher.
(A comment to thank all the commentors:) Earlier today on the discord server (a link is around somewhere on the community or info page) we have been talking about hearing storys about the war and how we did or did not hear the stories of our loved ones. I have been scrolling trough the comments so far. Usually i dont read them so much, but now I have read the ones ive passed by and plan to read them all. It is nice to see the compliments and appreciation given to Highly (and the translators suzet and Emma) but it is also nice to read that alot from you know something about the war, and see the importance of passing on what we know. A big thank you to all who share little storys from their beloved ones, cause i never took the chance to ask mine!
Appropriate for me to see this on Remembrance Day (11/11) here in the uk. Im an ex-dutchie, this had me in tears. I remember the stories my mother told. I’ve always loved Andre and happy to rediscover him. This speech was just amazing. Thank you for sharing. ❤
proud of the Netherlands andre van duin normally so happy now so seriously beautifully spoken tonight we will stand still for 2 minutes for all war victims and tomorrow we will celebrate that we can and can live in freedom thank you for your respectful response love back from us the Dutch
Yeah this one was a special one when he read it. Freedom is definitely not a given. My heart breaks for everyone, present and past, going through these horrific times. Today we remember, tomorrow we’ll celebrate! ❤️❤️
Andre van Duin is such a beautiful human being. Remembering on the 4th of May is still so very important. I watched the live broadcast this evening with my two oldest boys who are 9 and 11 years old. I think it is so very important for them to learn from an early age how fortunate we are to live in peace and how important it is, especially in difficult times, to help others in need.
This made a big impact on me a year ago. I had tears as well, and now again watching it with you. Especially knowing his husband just died and mentioning the gay monument for the first time.
As a (ex)servicemen myself(air cav/heavy assault troops). thank you for your respect and your words. It's nice to see that the human connection remains despite the political world we live in causing more divides.
The semicircular wall surrounds on the back side of that monument contains eleven urns with soil from World War II execution grounds and war cemeteries in each of the Dutch provinces and a twelfth urn with soil from present-day Indonesia Dutch Ewast Indies at that time. Today, in couple of hours from now, at 20 CET, we will keep silence again on the memory of our beloved heroes. Thank you for showing so much respect to the Netherlands. Peace to you all!
Thanks for Your emotional reaction. I am born same Year as Andre 1947, and my father was also send to Germany for work.. There he met my mum she was from Belgium. Most people where poor when I was a baby, but we where stil happy even I was happy as a child. When I was a smal kid we always went to a war monument where they shot 12 Dutch guys in The Hague in 1945. and later after my mums funeral we brought al the flowers to that war monument as a respect, cos Ouer mother was a young girl during the war. I always stand stil for 2 minutes to show my respect to them. also for the people who has saved us from the war. Thats why we respect al those soldiers who freed us from the Germans.
I love how you learn from this side off the pond ! The video off you reacting to if America's the greatest world really got me! You are very sincerely..love you man !
this man is amazing , funny , kind en beautiful inside and out ...always a good word for everyone never offending anyone never making jokes at the expence of someone else he moved me to tears that day and still does and i know you heard him sing too he has got such a beautiful voice to he is 75 years at the moment i do not have to think to live in a world without this beautiful soul that will be the biggest lose of the century for everyone
😢Tysm for your intense sweet reaction, we are a small Country but we are fighters ..I was born after the war gladly.. and I was born when Rotterdam stand up strong and build a new city ..I love my Rotterdam for now and forever ❤
Seeing this speech again makes me feel the same as in 2021 when i saw this live. I was not born in the Netherlands but moved here (Rotterdam) with my parents when i was 7 years old. Now i am 52. For me this is one of the greatest speeches of freedom ever and it stands for everthing i love about this country. The majortity of the people love this country. Yes of course some things can be better but believe me when i say that in most countrys things are much worse. Here you are free to be who you want, to dress as you want, to give your oppinion, to be listened at, and more. That is real freedom. Big respect for you Highly. I love the journey you are on and your connection with ' us' dutchies. Thank you for that....
Great lovely reaction Highly! And indeed, André van Duin is a great person, in many ways. He have also very beautiful Dutch songs. Met him many times, he is very nice then as well
The thing which made this even stronger in my opinion was the fact that this was during a period where there was a lot of criticism about the lockdown and people were comparing their lack of going outside with the lack of freedom during the 2nd world war. So to hear such clear statements about how free the Netherlands is, was in my opinion a big finger to all the people daring to compare war with the dutch lockdown. And is a very political statement at least. But everyone loves Andre, so he could do that. And probably achieved a lot of awareness.
It is so tempting to take freedom for granted. I was walking through a military cemetery the other day. There were thousands of crosses there, of Americans and Canadians between the ages of 18 and 21. Killed in 1945 to liberate us. That hit me hard at the time, too. What did they have to do with Europe? And yet they came and gave their live. Freedom is not a given, and I am grateful I'm free 🙏
Thanks for your great comment. My parents where both born before the war. My mother lost her brother, he was eight years old. She never stoped talking about him. Again thank you.
What a Storyteller our Dear André. These words are so intense. This touches you with Heart and Soul. 😞 We should be Grateful that WE may LIVE in FREEDOM NOW. Thanks to ALL HEROES, who fought for us. That's why our Flag is hanging 🇳🇱 half-mast and we are quiet for 2 minutes in the evening. Every Year on May 4 🌹 Everywhere in the Netherlands. Thank you 🙇🏼♀️
You know, it's like a hardcore heavy metal band suddenly playing a beautiful ballad. It knocks you off your feet.😳 Thank you very much for your reaction. Especially for your "American point of view". It is truly hard for people of countries that never have been occupied to grasp the consequences of it. I'm glad you interrupted the video for this. Once more, thank you.👏 (I'm glad I had a head set on, because my visual part was blurred also most of the time.)😢
With the help of Americans, English, Canadians and countless others, the Netherlands made it through. after this terrible time this should never happen again in Europe. and what do we see now, in Ukraine.... this commemoration of death is, as far as I am concerned, also for the soldiers who are now killed in Ukraine and anywhere in the world because they are overrun by aggressors.🇳🇱🇺🇦
I guess that our own experience during WWII, makes that the war in Ukraine hits so hard. Silly, naïeve me was convinced that we pass war, that we learned. Unfortunately, again a european country is invaded by another european country. Just for the ego of one man. I really hope that somehow we can prevent an escalation to WWIII.
For us Dutch the Americans and Canadians are our liberators. The Russians took a great part in defeating hitler but the Americans and Canadians not only fought the Germans but truly set us free.
My father was forced by the Germans to work in Berlin. After the war he was traumatized until the day he died. In Berlin the Russians were the liberators of these forced laborers.
Actually my point is also that after WWII Holland more or less could shelter under the nuclear umbrella of the Americans. This meant that also myself, who was born in 1959, have had a live in which I can enjoy freedom in the most broad sense of the word.
Your response hit me hard. The way you look at it from a different perspective, the true emotions. Thank you! And yes, we are grateful for helping us back then and being a part of how we live our lives now… in freedom. 🙏🏽
You're very respectful to my country. Want to thank you for this. The world needs more peace. The Netherlands suffered a lot. There are places that suffer even now, in 2022. It's unimaginable. Even 80 years later, EVERYBODY here knows people that suffered through the war. Be it people that are still alive today, or people that are relatives of them. And these times we remember but also celebrate their lives and what they have built for the future generations too. Today, May 5, is our Liberation Day. Thanks to all who suffered for our freedom.
The kiss he gave at the end, was meant for his late husband. Who he lost only a year previous to this beautiful speech. This speech by André left the whole country speechless and with tears.
Thank you for your respectable reaction🙏🏻 we cannot honor and remember the veterans and victims enough. By remembering them they stay alive in our memories and hearts.
My grandmother called today just to see how we were doing. She's German and lost her brother in Ukraine. Her later husband and my grandfather had a sister who was married to Hendrik Offereins of the Dutch Resistance. He was arrested in 1944 and died on 08-01-1945 in concentrationcamp Neuengamme near Hamburg just before the war ended. The man even has his own Wikipedia page. My greatgrandmother from Germany already got a broken husband back from World War 1. By the end of World War 2 she was pregnant and she got abused by the Russian soldiers, although she was treated right by the Americans. Sadly she ended up on the wrong side of the Berlin Wall, and as a result she died in 1992 after only a couple of years of freedom. The war for our family lasted far long than 1940-1945, it lasted from 1914-1989 and it scarred us all for life. Still it was wonderful to see that after World War 2 my grandfather and grandmother were able to find each other in an international relationship.
ever since i was a little boy, i always went to a memorial service on may 4th or watched it on tv, and now i'm 34 years old and i'm still going to a memorial service close by or watch it on tv, to honor those who have fought for our freedom
It was a very beautiful and emotional speech by André van Duin. Have met André once and no matter how big he is (literally), as a person and well-known person, is such a sweet, gentle but above all a normal person. On a day like today, you are (even) more conscious about what many of our ancestors had to endure and experience in all areas. Thanks again for your great reaction!! 💙🏳️🌈
André van Duin made us laugh and cry. He is a National Treasure as Japer said but for me he is an example on how to be a celebrity also. Being humble and never bragging about his succes. Manny longtime friends chips. Witch shows his character. He was himself in every situation without even an inclination of star behaviour. His humour was never about hurting people. Very open about being Gay and doing so, helping so manny others to come out of the closet. A friend of mine said to his Mother:’ I’m just as André and she said: That’s a good way to be! I love you.’ In this speech you can see why he is (in my eyes) a World Treasure. We need more people like him!
Thank you for your respectful reaction to this great speech by André van Duin. My parents too were heavily affected by the war. My father as a young boy was sent to Germany to work there, and survived the "arbeidseinsatz" camp. My mother was severely wounded by a bombshell in The Hague; the allies tried to bomb the launching site of the V1 rockets. Her mutilated leg kept hurting until she died in 1992. So, even though I was born 10 years after the war, it has been a constant awareness all through my life. One other thing: you state that your country was never invaded. I think you are forgetting something. The Americas have been invaded by the Europeans ever since Columbus landed there in 1492........
Always love your reactions! My grandmother was in her teens when she saw those bombs fall. We live near Rotterdam and every time I pass where she lived during the war, I think about it. Also a survivor of the Watersnoodramp in 1953. She is terminally ill..but her stories will live on. Through me..my children and so on. It's our duty to keep those stories alive.
I've had the joy to meet Andre at my workplace and the amount of joy and laughter he gives out is palpable. The energy shifts whenever that man enters a room. So as a born and raised dutchie hearing you speak in such high regard of this man's legacy and reputation. Is heart warming. Thank you Mr highly combustible!! I needed this today.
Thank you for sharing this.my grandmother was a survivor of the bombarding of Rotterdam.she never talked about it.but her trauma still echoes in our family.tonight at 8 pm.i think of her and every victim of war.
Thank you for your kind words. Andre did a fantastic job with this speech. He is a warm personality. He is gay and he has always been open about it. After years of being married to his great love, his husband passed away a year before he gave this speech. You also saw him send a kissing hand to the sky.
Thank you so much for thinking of this,it means a lot,End the Dam in Amsterdam wil be full today again thanks for that,Now you really know how we love the people who set us free,much respect to you for waching this and thank you for your service god bless you
i'm just back home from visiting my father. He was 7 when the war ended and the only thing he remembers were the people who hid in his house and the canadians rolling through the streets of Winterswijk and were given a true liberators welcome! We watch the ceremony on the Dam every year together but last year was special since he's also a big big fan of Andre. He's actually also one of the best dutch singers ever! great video again!
André is such a wonderful person. I grew up watching his shows and later on i learned about the man behind the smile. My grandfather was send to one of these camps just like his father was. I'm thankful my grandfather did speak about his time there, now i get to tell his story to my younger familymembers. Sadly he passed away when i was only thirteen years old. I have so much respect for my grandfather. The way he was a positive but truthful person. I loved him and still miss him every day. Thank you for doing a video about this speech.
Last year when I saw this speech, it touched me. Now that I'm listening to it again, paying closer attention to the words and also watching your reaction to it, I'm literally almost crying. 🥺 And when you paused the video... It's like you just gave a speech yourself. Thank you so much for that! ❤ If I could I would have given you a hug after this.
Hé is great . This man deserved a medaille. Great personalisatie. Hé also sinds. One of him called "een vriend " mening a frend . Love that simpel song .
Thank you so much for your respectful reaction to André van Duin's speech! It still moves me after two years! My father who is 92 now, still tells the stories about his experiences in the war, fortunately he can talk about it. My late mother had more difficulties to speak about it due to a war trauma! Freedom is so precious! Thanks man for showing it!
Thanks for sharing this video on this special day for the Dutch people. But, as you mentioned, it is important to remember all who died for our freedom! ✌🏻
One of the best quotes I've ever read was: "you don't know freedom until you've been occupied". I'm glad that we still focus on what happened in the past. Even though it sounds so far away, the second world war still affects our daily lives over here.
Thank you HXC for showing and hearing this 'show your emotions that you have a good heart' we love you very much 'we have embraced you in the Netherlands because of your purity and sincerity and your interest in this country' by showing this side 'you have fought for many years in the American armed forces and experienced a lot, we can see that in your moving reaction of your 'you know very well that war is nothing but misery' your heart is in the right place HXC 'We hope you have many years of fun and success on your channel, we certainly wish you that. Many thanks for this. If you ever come to the Netherlands (we would like to know what you would like to know) let me know and I will ensure that you have a special reception and a nice and good time 'and ensure that you If you will have a coffin-free stay 'certainly you as an old veteran of the American army', me and my fellow veterans from the Dutch army will receive you with all honour. gr from an old Lebanon Veteran and fellow Veterans greetings from the Netherlands.💖
I often think about my father. Born in 1916. Enlisted in the military in 1936. Called up again in 1939 due to the threat of war. Fought against the Germans in May 1940. He survived. His younger brothers and brothers-in-law have all been deported to Germany. My father managed to go into hiding, to flee when he had to. To fight and rob when necessary. He survived the war fighting, robbing, hiding, thanks to my mother, without the Germans ever getting hold of him. And man, man, man have they been looking for him. In June 1945 he voluntarily enlisted under Canadian command. Retrieve stolen goods from Germany. There were still troops there that did not want to surrender. The war was at the table at my house.
It's breaking my heart....my Dad also had to go to 'work-labour' and never talked about it. My brother and I recently are trying to trace his 'war-history'. Respect for the speech, the translation and your reaction ..
Lieve Andre, that was a beautiful speech..and I never get tears when we have our WWII memorial...This touched mew and even touched me more while seeing you respond to it. Thank you for chosing this particulair Dutch video...the war is still a thing we talk about from generation to generation. Eventhough we are such good friends with Germany now, the memory will be something that will always be tought at school, but it also makes us appreaciate our feeling of freedom we have today. Thanks again man!
My mother and father were teenagers when the war began. They both lived in Nijmegen, which was bombarded by the Allies by mistake. My mother’s father had foreseen this possibility and he had someone build a bomb shelter in the garden. So the family went in there, and after they came out after the bombardement their house was completely destroyed. And about 45 years later in Spain there was fireworks, not beautiful fireworks, but mainly a lot of noise and bangs. And suddenly my mother started crying after so many years. So you can imagine how traumatic the experience had been for her. She had not thought about it for decades, and then it all came back to her.
I never write something but i am a fan of youre chanel for a couple of years no and the one thing i wanna say to you is that you are one of us and i got respect for you Brother
Thank you so much for this respectfull, emotional reaction. Even though, as every year, ive sesn this speech, it brought me tears again, but also the same gratefullness (is that the word?) As andre van duin mentions.Thanks for translating suzet!
As soon as I could understand what war was (all was it a bit) my parents learnt me how important those 2 minutes of silence are. Ive have heard so many story's from my grandparents and I am so greatful that they are able to thel me them. That they have survived even when they were born in the war. I was so touched by this speech. Everyone should have heard this at least ones in there life. It is so important and it is so sad that there still is war in many places and sometimes it's just for stupid reasons because people want power. To this day I still don´t understand why there is war in the world because it makes just no sens.
This speech touched my heart. I love Andre van Duin. But with this he grew even bigger in my heart. And as you said all of our families have been affected by this war at some time. We have seen the traumas it inflicted on our loved ones. As such I always try to watch the dodenherdenking and take part in the 2 minutes silence for all victims of war all over the world. We need to cherish the freedom we have today.
That,s why we love him so much. Beautiful speech we talked about it this evening, 1 year later! Proud to be a Hollander, and we appreciate our veterans
hello Highly I would like to thank you very much for your thoughts about the Netherlands you follow the group Doe Maar Toon Hermans and Andre van Duin you sometimes have tears in your eyes from laughing but now you have tears of emotion because of Andre's beautiful words greetings from the Netherlands
As being Dutch I can only confirm how thankful we are to the Americans, but also Canadians, Poles, even the Russians in that time that helped defeat the Nazi's. But also it's not only The Netherlands that suffered greatly during this war. Germany occupied many other countries as well, and yes, the population was hit hard, but the reality of that war, how cruel and fearful it was, to my honest opinion the population during that occupation was better off than what the Ukrainian population today has to endure. How cruel the Russians currently are is beyond imagination and we really thought we left all that behind us, but no, and like André said, "freedom is not a given thing". We commemorate the victims of the 2nd World War each year, but now, we put as much heart and soul into helping Ukraine not to suffer the same as what happened to us. I am grateful for all the help the Americans gave us back then, and now for Ukraine, but now, we do all together, in ONE family: NATO, with a lot of friends. We contribute as much we can to eliminate this terrible war, to stand for our freedom, and democracy. God zij met Nederland, God Bless America, Slava Ukraïni.
When Andre van Duin sis his speech i was bawling my eyes out....i always said that he should be our president....he would do a great job forfilling it..... Love this man so much!
Man!This a very good speech!Tears came into my eyes when i heard this.I almost cried!What a remarkable man he is.I never had that in the past years when others did a speech.
My mum was born in 1933 in Arnhem the Netherlands, she was only 7 when the war started, she had lost all of her hair, due to alopecia from stress, her mother, my grandmother had to evacuate with 9 children, they never spoke to me about the war, and i was very close to both, my mum passed when she was nearly 60, my grandma at 95...
André van Duin is a national treasure as a comedian, actor and singer and on this day he spoke from the heart and is was felt by all who listened to his speech. Thank you for your reaction.
Juistttttt
@jer quake to me, Finkers and Van Duin are equally exceptionel in their own unique way. Van Duin being more slap stick foolishness and Finkers having more of a dry sense countryside humor ( a real "tukker") Both men can sing and act as well. To me it's comparing apples to oranges.
He is such a wonderfull person. he makes you laugh, he made me cry during this speech. The handkiss at the end was for his late husband Martin, who sadly passed away from cancer in 2020 at only the age of 55.
Never knew he was gay
@@frans_bauer Sorry, am I responding to THE Frans Bauer? Maybe I'm not. In the end that is not really of great importance. Anyway, your comment to the comment surprised me somewhat. But that probably is just a limitation of mine. Groeten.
@@somedutchguy2062 no sorry im just a random guy called Christmas in real life. Frans Bauer is my alter ego 🤭
@@frans_bauer So now I'm responding to the TRUE father Chistmas for the first time in my entire life? How nice :) Then again, there are some things you did not bring me.. That was not very nice. I was nice! So why not you? I think Sinterklaas is nicer than you.
@@somedutchguy2062 well i dont have slaves
Much respect for your video Sir ❤
That handkiss to heaven was a gesture to his husband that passed in 2020🥀
As a Belgian this also hits home, ofcourse we had a different experience, but it was similar enough to understand what they went through, as a Belgian, which is a neighbor of the Netherlands, I feel this. Thank you André, thank you!
My grandfather was on a german train to put to work. But he escaped and made his way back to my father(who was a toddler) his wife and his mother in law. He hid in the field, the cellar and behind my great grandmothers house for the Germans! The house is still there, when i see it..i smile and think of my grandfather! ❤
my father also had to work in German. His mother died during that time. He couldn 't get back to the Netherlands for her funeral. He never talked about it. After he got home he rebuilt the country. It destroyed him. He had a massive heart attack at 52. He lived for 13 years after that. Several heart attacks until, 1 day before his 65th birthday, he died. It is a wound that will never heal for me as well.
André is one of my very few heroes, he’s been part of my childhood, my parents childhood and even my grandparents know of him. I remember watching this speech, it was incredible, the man that brings so much laughter and joy is also such a kind and wonderful person and it really shows, not just here but in everything he does. Truly a legend in my eyes.
This was such a great speech. Really hits home. Every family still has their own stories about the war.
This one had hit me so hard in my heart deep in my soul ! When I was a little girl in group 8 of school . I had to built a family tree to show where I came from . And I remember very well that I asked my grandmother who helped me, what are those stars by these names and why don't I know these people , what does the crosses mean . I looked at my grandmother , her bottom lip started to shake, and I saw tears in her eyes. She said " my beautiful grandchild , these 🌟 by their names mean that they where Jewish ( the Germans made us wear those ) the crosses mean that we have lost them in war , most of them where with me in auschwitz . I survived because I was a singer and the German soldiers loved hearing me sing. But the rest of the family tree besides your grandfather did not survive. And never returned. I remembered that I showed my family tree at school and my teacher his face, he walked up to me and didn't say a word , but gave me the biggest hug ever. It turned out that after the war my grandmother and grandfather both found each other at the return station in Amsterdam . She saw him , in his military outfit and he saw her in a long dress with a black long coat that had the star still on it. He walked up to her and pulled her star off and she started crying . And from that moment on they changed their faith and fall in deep love. She never said anything ever again over the war. Never spoke about her parents and her sisters and her brothers. Same as my grandfather.. he never spoke about anything. ( it's a long story I know, but it felt right to write this pain down ) I will soon be back on Discord I promise.
May their memory be a blessing
Your comments made me cry...
Greetings from the Netherlands....🙏
I was impressed and in tears, just as I was in 2021. I taught my sons about the war and how important the 2 minutes of silence of may 4th are. My eldest son is 23 now. He went to Margraten last monday with a few friends to see with his own eyes the fields with the white crosses which i told him all about in his live. Imagine, those boys, now 23, with autism, on their own have driven by car from Noord Holland to Margraten in Limburg on a monday..... I was so touched.... My heart is full, i am so grateful for my son.
Today is important, and with what is now going on in the Ukraine.... it's more relevant than ever.
Thank you Suzette and Emma for the translation of this .... 💜💜🌹🌹
Same feeling here, i told our daughter about the war,and we took her to Groesbeek to lichtjesavond where she could lite a candle and bring it to a soldiers grave for the holidays (christmas)
And last year we went to Margraten and there she could see it with her own eyes.
She was crying when she saw all the graves and read that the soldiers died at he age of 19 and 20 years old 😢
Thanks a lot for your reaction Highly. It was an honor to translate this one together with Emma!
Great translations...THX
Txs Suzette en Emma. I've been touched!
Beautifully translated Suzette & Emma 💕
It was a privilege to be part of it Suzette.
Great translation. Thanks for doing that
Every time I hear this speech, I get a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes.
Andre is my nr 1 Hero!!!! Thanx a lot mate!!!!!Love you man!!!
Thank you for your service Highly.
And thank you to your fellow Americans who served in WWII.
The best ever and spot on
My father died 20 years ago, I am now 37, but he told me then that he had been in de train and sat with Andre van Duin and that he had a conversation with him and that he liked him very much
Thank you André, thank you Highly.
A very impressive speech. Although I was born many years after the war and fortunately nobody from my family was involved in the war, as a German I would like to apologize from the bottom of my heart for my compatriots to all those affected. And it makes me very sad that people still experience this madness today.
No need to apologize for the acts of your ancestors. You are you.
The wehrwacht were following orders it wasn't their fault, the SS on the other hand were brainwashed from a young age, they didn't know any better
The German people today are not to blame for anything that just was caused by one person, one lunatic called Adolf Hitler. And many of the German people back then were indoctrinated in a very clever way. Most of the people of Germany were not even aware what happened to the Jews who were deported to the East. It's true that years, even decades there was a lot of hate and resentment against Germans in general, but this is not the case anymore. As being Dutch, I see the German people being our closest friends now, one of our biggest ally within our common family (NATO), practically in the same way how Japanese and Americans fought a bloody war in the Pacific, island by island, until the two nuclear warheads ended it. And now, in this time, those two countries are the closest allies. Whoever lived in 1940, might have thought how all of these countries would be after the year 2000 and so on. We formed a big united family (NATO) with lots of friends (Japan, Australia, South Korea, Vietnam, The Philippines, and most likely also India), but sadly enough today we have a new war raging, but despite this war is more localized, the stakes for the world are much higher.
(A comment to thank all the commentors:) Earlier today on the discord server (a link is around somewhere on the community or info page) we have been talking about hearing storys about the war and how we did or did not hear the stories of our loved ones. I have been scrolling trough the comments so far. Usually i dont read them so much, but now I have read the ones ive passed by and plan to read them all. It is nice to see the compliments and appreciation given to Highly (and the translators suzet and Emma) but it is also nice to read that alot from you know something about the war, and see the importance of passing on what we know. A big thank you to all who share little storys from their beloved ones, cause i never took the chance to ask mine!
Appropriate for me to see this on Remembrance Day (11/11) here in the uk. Im an ex-dutchie, this had me in tears. I remember the stories my mother told. I’ve always loved Andre and happy to rediscover him. This speech was just amazing. Thank you for sharing. ❤
❤❤wanna hug you if I see tears.
the person behind the artist. Dutch most pure man
proud of the Netherlands
andre van duin normally so happy now so seriously beautifully spoken
tonight we will stand still for 2 minutes for all war victims and tomorrow we will celebrate that we can and can live in freedom
thank you for your respectful response
love back from us the Dutch
Yeah this one was a special one when he read it. Freedom is definitely not a given. My heart breaks for everyone, present and past, going through these horrific times. Today we remember, tomorrow we’ll celebrate! ❤️❤️
'Je bent hier vrij. Vrij, met de oorlog als het negatief van de kleurenfoto van de vrede.' 🇳🇱
Andre van Duin is such a beautiful human being.
Remembering on the 4th of May is still so very important. I watched the live broadcast this evening with my two oldest boys who are 9 and 11 years old. I think it is so very important for them to learn from an early age how fortunate we are to live in peace and how important it is, especially in difficult times, to help others in need.
Thank you for watching this together with us Dutchies. Much appreciated.
Any time!
This made a big impact on me a year ago. I had tears as well, and now again watching it with you. Especially knowing his husband just died and mentioning the gay monument for the first time.
Thanks for this video, especially today. Greetings from the Netherlands.
Prachtig,dank je voor je reactie en plaatsen.
Much love Highly, thanks for your participate on this memorable day of 04-05-2022. lots of respect to all people. Much love to all.
As a (ex)servicemen myself(air cav/heavy assault troops).
thank you for your respect and your words.
It's nice to see that the human connection remains despite the political world we live in causing more divides.
The semicircular wall surrounds on the back side of that monument contains eleven urns with soil from World War II execution grounds and war cemeteries in each of the Dutch provinces and a twelfth urn with soil from present-day Indonesia Dutch Ewast Indies at that time. Today, in couple of hours from now, at 20 CET, we will keep silence again on the memory of our beloved heroes. Thank you for showing so much respect to the Netherlands. Peace to you all!
Thanks for Your emotional reaction. I am born same Year as Andre 1947, and my father was also send to Germany for work.. There he met my mum she was from Belgium. Most people where poor when I was a baby, but we where stil happy even I was happy as a child. When I was a smal kid we always went to a war monument where they shot 12 Dutch guys in The Hague in 1945. and later after my mums funeral we brought al the flowers to that war monument as a respect, cos Ouer mother was a young girl during the war. I always stand stil
for 2 minutes to show my respect to them. also for the people who has saved us from the war. Thats why we respect al those soldiers who freed us from the Germans.
I love how you learn from this side off the pond ! The video off you reacting to if America's the greatest world really got me! You are very sincerely..love you man !
this man is amazing , funny , kind en beautiful inside and out ...always a good word for everyone never offending anyone never making jokes at the expence of someone else he moved me to tears that day and still does and i know you heard him sing too he has got such a beautiful voice to he is 75 years at the moment i do not have to think to live in a world without this beautiful soul that will be the biggest lose of the century for everyone
😢Tysm for your intense sweet reaction, we are a small Country but we are fighters ..I was born after the war gladly.. and I was born when Rotterdam stand up strong and build a new city ..I love my Rotterdam for now and forever ❤
Seeing this speech again makes me feel the same as in 2021 when i saw this live. I was not born in the Netherlands but moved here (Rotterdam) with my parents when i was 7 years old. Now i am 52. For me this is one of the greatest speeches of freedom ever and it stands for everthing i love about this country. The majortity of the people love this country. Yes of course some things can be better but believe me when i say that in most countrys things are much worse. Here you are free to be who you want, to dress as you want, to give your oppinion, to be listened at, and more. That is real freedom. Big respect for you Highly. I love the journey you are on and your connection with ' us' dutchies. Thank you for that....
Great lovely reaction Highly! And indeed, André van Duin is a great person, in many ways. He have also very beautiful Dutch songs. Met him many times, he is very nice then as well
The thing which made this even stronger in my opinion was the fact that this was during a period where there was a lot of criticism about the lockdown and people were comparing their lack of going outside with the lack of freedom during the 2nd world war.
So to hear such clear statements about how free the Netherlands is, was in my opinion a big finger to all the people daring to compare war with the dutch lockdown. And is a very political statement at least. But everyone loves Andre, so he could do that. And probably achieved a lot of awareness.
It is so tempting to take freedom for granted. I was walking through a military cemetery the other day. There were thousands of crosses there, of Americans and Canadians between the ages of 18 and 21. Killed in 1945 to liberate us. That hit me hard at the time, too. What did they have to do with Europe? And yet they came and gave their live. Freedom is not a given, and I am grateful I'm free 🙏
Thanks for your great comment. My parents where both born before the war. My mother lost her brother, he was eight years old. She never stoped talking about him. Again thank you.
What a Storyteller our Dear André.
These words are so intense.
This touches you with Heart and Soul. 😞
We should be Grateful that WE may LIVE in FREEDOM NOW. Thanks to ALL HEROES, who fought for us.
That's why our Flag is
hanging 🇳🇱
half-mast and
we are quiet
for 2 minutes in the evening.
Every Year on May 4 🌹
Everywhere in the Netherlands.
Thank you 🙇🏼♀️
You know, it's like a hardcore heavy metal band suddenly playing a beautiful ballad. It knocks you off your feet.😳
Thank you very much for your reaction. Especially for your "American point of view". It is truly hard for people of countries that never have been occupied to grasp the consequences of it.
I'm glad you interrupted the video for this. Once more, thank you.👏
(I'm glad I had a head set on, because my visual part was blurred also most of the time.)😢
With the help of Americans, English, Canadians and countless others, the Netherlands made it through. after this terrible time this should never happen again in Europe. and what do we see now, in Ukraine.... this commemoration of death is, as far as I am concerned, also for the soldiers who are now killed in Ukraine and anywhere in the world because they are overrun by aggressors.🇳🇱🇺🇦
I guess that our own experience during WWII, makes that the war in Ukraine hits so hard. Silly, naïeve me was convinced that we pass war, that we learned. Unfortunately, again a european country is invaded by another european country. Just for the ego of one man. I really hope that somehow we can prevent an escalation to WWIII.
For us Dutch the Americans and Canadians are our liberators. The Russians took a great part in defeating hitler but the Americans and Canadians not only fought the Germans but truly set us free.
My father was forced by the Germans to work in Berlin. After the war he was traumatized until the day he died. In Berlin the Russians were the liberators of these forced laborers.
Don't forget the Brits and the Polish forces. They also gave their lives for our freedom.
Actually my point is also that after WWII Holland more or less could shelter under the nuclear umbrella of the Americans. This meant that also myself, who was born in 1959, have had a live in which I can enjoy freedom in the most broad sense of the word.
Your response hit me hard. The way you look at it from a different perspective, the true emotions. Thank you! And yes, we are grateful for helping us back then and being a part of how we live our lives now… in freedom. 🙏🏽
You're very respectful to my country. Want to thank you for this. The world needs more peace. The Netherlands suffered a lot. There are places that suffer even now, in 2022. It's unimaginable. Even 80 years later, EVERYBODY here knows people that suffered through the war. Be it people that are still alive today, or people that are relatives of them. And these times we remember but also celebrate their lives and what they have built for the future generations too. Today, May 5, is our Liberation Day. Thanks to all who suffered for our freedom.
The kiss he gave at the end, was meant for his late husband. Who he lost only a year previous to this beautiful speech. This speech by André left the whole country speechless and with tears.
One of the best speeches on the remembrance day. Also very powerful because the Dam was so empty because of Covid.
Thank you for your respectable reaction🙏🏻 we cannot honor and remember the veterans and victims enough. By remembering them they stay alive in our memories and hearts.
My grandmother called today just to see how we were doing. She's German and lost her brother in Ukraine. Her later husband and my grandfather had a sister who was married to Hendrik Offereins of the Dutch Resistance. He was arrested in 1944 and died on 08-01-1945 in concentrationcamp Neuengamme near Hamburg just before the war ended. The man even has his own Wikipedia page.
My greatgrandmother from Germany already got a broken husband back from World War 1. By the end of World War 2 she was pregnant and she got abused by the Russian soldiers, although she was treated right by the Americans. Sadly she ended up on the wrong side of the Berlin Wall, and as a result she died in 1992 after only a couple of years of freedom.
The war for our family lasted far long than 1940-1945, it lasted from 1914-1989 and it scarred us all for life. Still it was wonderful to see that after World War 2 my grandfather and grandmother were able to find each other in an international relationship.
Thank you HxC for the respect!
ever since i was a little boy, i always went to a memorial service on may 4th or watched it on tv, and now i'm 34 years old and i'm still going to a memorial service close by or watch it on tv, to honor those who have fought for our freedom
It was a very beautiful and emotional speech by André van Duin. Have met André once and no matter how big he is (literally), as a person and well-known person, is such a sweet, gentle but above all a normal person.
On a day like today, you are (even) more conscious about what many of our ancestors had to endure and experience in all areas.
Thanks again for your great reaction!! 💙🏳️🌈
André van Duin made us laugh and cry. He is a National Treasure as Japer said but for me he is an example on how to be a celebrity also.
Being humble and never bragging about his succes. Manny longtime friends chips. Witch shows his character.
He was himself in every situation without even an inclination of star behaviour. His humour was never about hurting people.
Very open about being Gay and doing so, helping so manny others to come out of the closet.
A friend of mine said to his Mother:’ I’m just as André and she said: That’s a good way to be! I love you.’
In this speech you can see why he is (in my eyes) a World Treasure. We need more people like him!
Thank you for your respectful reaction to this great speech by André van Duin. My parents too were heavily affected by the war. My father as a young boy was sent to Germany to work there, and survived the "arbeidseinsatz" camp. My mother was severely wounded by a bombshell in The Hague; the allies tried to bomb the launching site of the V1 rockets. Her mutilated leg kept hurting until she died in 1992. So, even though I was born 10 years after the war, it has been a constant awareness all through my life.
One other thing: you state that your country was never invaded. I think you are forgetting something. The Americas have been invaded by the Europeans ever since Columbus landed there in 1492........
Thank you for this love you've given to us. We will thank America for the freedom they give us.
Always love your reactions! My grandmother was in her teens when she saw those bombs fall. We live near Rotterdam and every time I pass where she lived during the war, I think about it. Also a survivor of the Watersnoodramp in 1953. She is terminally ill..but her stories will live on. Through me..my children and so on. It's our duty to keep those stories alive.
I've had the joy to meet Andre at my workplace and the amount of joy and laughter he gives out is palpable. The energy shifts whenever that man enters a room. So as a born and raised dutchie hearing you speak in such high regard of this man's legacy and reputation. Is heart warming. Thank you Mr highly combustible!! I needed this today.
Thank you for sharing this.my grandmother was a survivor of the bombarding of Rotterdam.she never talked about it.but her trauma still echoes in our family.tonight at 8 pm.i think of her and every victim of war.
Thank you for your kind words. Andre did a fantastic job with this speech. He is a warm personality. He is gay and he has always been open about it. After years of being married to his great love, his husband passed away a year before he gave this speech. You also saw him send a kissing hand to the sky.
I am sorry for send it twice. 😔
Thank you it was emotional for me.
Since i Was 5, i m now 61 i szood on this squere every year and i still cry troughout the ceremony.
Thank you so much for thinking of this,it means a lot,End the Dam in Amsterdam wil be full today again thanks for that,Now you really know how we love the people who set us free,much respect to you for waching this and thank you for your service god bless you
Andre is a certified legend here. He made generations laugh without ever offending or insulting anyone
i'm just back home from visiting my father. He was 7 when the war ended and the only thing he remembers were the people who hid in his house and the canadians rolling through the streets of Winterswijk and were given a true liberators welcome! We watch the ceremony on the Dam every year together but last year was special since he's also a big big fan of Andre. He's actually also one of the best dutch singers ever! great video again!
André is such a wonderful person. I grew up watching his shows and later on i learned about the man behind the smile.
My grandfather was send to one of these camps just like his father was. I'm thankful my grandfather did speak about his time there, now i get to tell his story to my younger familymembers. Sadly he passed away when i was only thirteen years old. I have so much respect for my grandfather. The way he was a positive but truthful person. I loved him and still miss him every day.
Thank you for doing a video about this speech.
Last year when I saw this speech, it touched me. Now that I'm listening to it again, paying closer attention to the words and also watching your reaction to it, I'm literally almost crying. 🥺 And when you paused the video... It's like you just gave a speech yourself. Thank you so much for that! ❤
If I could I would have given you a hug after this.
Hé is great . This man deserved a medaille. Great personalisatie. Hé also sinds. One of him called "een vriend " mening a frend . Love that simpel song .
Thank you so much for your respectful reaction to André van Duin's speech! It still moves me after two years! My father who is 92 now, still tells the stories about his experiences in the war, fortunately he can talk about it. My late mother had more difficulties to speak about it due to a war trauma! Freedom is so precious! Thanks man for showing it!
Nice one. Thank you. I'm a Dutchie living in Thailand also.
Thank You, Sir.
Love from The Netherlands.
Thanks for sharing this video on this special day for the Dutch people. But, as you mentioned, it is important to remember all who died for our freedom! ✌🏻
One of the best quotes I've ever read was: "you don't know freedom until you've been occupied". I'm glad that we still focus on what happened in the past. Even though it sounds so far away, the second world war still affects our daily lives over here.
Thank you HXC for showing and hearing this 'show your emotions that you have a good heart' we love you very much 'we have embraced you in the Netherlands because of your purity and sincerity and your interest in this country' by showing this side 'you have fought for many years in the American armed forces and experienced a lot, we can see that in your moving reaction of your 'you know very well that war is nothing but misery' your heart is in the right place HXC 'We hope you have many years of fun and success on your channel, we certainly wish you that. Many thanks for this. If you ever come to the Netherlands (we would like to know what you would like to know) let me know and I will ensure that you have a special reception and a nice and good time 'and ensure that you If you will have a coffin-free stay 'certainly you as an old veteran of the American army', me and my fellow veterans from the Dutch army will receive you with all honour. gr from an old Lebanon Veteran and fellow Veterans greetings from the Netherlands.💖
mate, thnx for the respect.
its a deep video. I love the kind word u got.
Thnx my friend.
Greatings, from the netherlands.
I often think about my father. Born in 1916. Enlisted in the military in 1936. Called up again in 1939 due to the threat of war. Fought against the Germans in May 1940. He survived. His younger brothers and brothers-in-law have all been deported to Germany. My father managed to go into hiding, to flee when he had to. To fight and rob when necessary. He survived the war fighting, robbing, hiding, thanks to my mother, without the Germans ever getting hold of him. And man, man, man have they been looking for him.
In June 1945 he voluntarily enlisted under Canadian command. Retrieve stolen goods from Germany. There were still troops there that did not want to surrender.
The war was at the table at my house.
It's breaking my heart....my Dad also had to go to 'work-labour' and never talked about it. My brother and I recently are trying to trace his 'war-history'. Respect for the speech, the translation and your reaction ..
Lieve Andre, that was a beautiful speech..and I never get tears when we have our WWII memorial...This touched mew and even touched me more while seeing you respond to it.
Thank you for chosing this particulair Dutch video...the war is still a thing we talk about from generation to generation. Eventhough we are such good friends with Germany now, the memory will be something that will always be tought at school, but it also makes us appreaciate our feeling of freedom we have today.
Thanks again man!
Impressive reaction,thx mate.
No problem 👍
Our history friend Hans Goedkoop is giving the speech this evening. Yesterday's speech ua-cam.com/video/nE_9zdkBEzI/v-deo.html
My mother and father were teenagers when the war began. They both lived in Nijmegen, which was bombarded by the Allies by mistake. My mother’s father had foreseen this possibility and he had someone build a bomb shelter in the garden. So the family went in there, and after they came out after the bombardement their house was completely destroyed. And about 45 years later in Spain there was fireworks, not beautiful fireworks, but mainly a lot of noise and bangs. And suddenly my mother started crying after so many years. So you can imagine how traumatic the experience had been for her. She had not thought about it for decades, and then it all came back to her.
Lest not forget 💜Thank you 🙏
If you like movies: you can watch the Dutch movie: Soldaat van Oranje
I never write something but i am a fan of youre chanel for a couple of years no and the one thing i wanna say to you is that you are one of us and i got respect for you Brother
Thank you so much for this respectfull, emotional reaction. Even though, as every year, ive sesn this speech, it brought me tears again, but also the same gratefullness (is that the word?) As andre van duin mentions.Thanks for translating suzet!
As soon as I could understand what war was (all was it a bit) my parents learnt me how important those 2 minutes of silence are. Ive have heard so many story's from my grandparents and I am so greatful that they are able to thel me them. That they have survived even when they were born in the war. I was so touched by this speech. Everyone should have heard this at least ones in there life. It is so important and it is so sad that there still is war in many places and sometimes it's just for stupid reasons because people want power. To this day I still don´t understand why there is war in the world because it makes just no sens.
This speech touched my heart. I love Andre van Duin. But with this he grew even bigger in my heart. And as you said all of our families have been affected by this war at some time. We have seen the traumas it inflicted on our loved ones. As such I always try to watch the dodenherdenking and take part in the 2 minutes silence for all victims of war all over the world. We need to cherish the freedom we have today.
Holland loves Andre van Duin xxx
That,s why we love him so much. Beautiful speech we talked about it this evening, 1 year later! Proud to be a Hollander, and we appreciate our veterans
hello Highly
I would like to thank you very much for your thoughts about the Netherlands
you follow the group Doe Maar Toon Hermans and Andre van Duin
you sometimes have tears in your eyes from laughing
but now you have tears of emotion because of Andre's beautiful words
greetings from the Netherlands
As being Dutch I can only confirm how thankful we are to the Americans, but also Canadians, Poles, even the Russians in that time that helped defeat the Nazi's. But also it's not only The Netherlands that suffered greatly during this war. Germany occupied many other countries as well, and yes, the population was hit hard, but the reality of that war, how cruel and fearful it was, to my honest opinion the population during that occupation was better off than what the Ukrainian population today has to endure. How cruel the Russians currently are is beyond imagination and we really thought we left all that behind us, but no, and like André said, "freedom is not a given thing". We commemorate the victims of the 2nd World War each year, but now, we put as much heart and soul into helping Ukraine not to suffer the same as what happened to us. I am grateful for all the help the Americans gave us back then, and now for Ukraine, but now, we do all together, in ONE family: NATO, with a lot of friends. We contribute as much we can to eliminate this terrible war, to stand for our freedom, and democracy. God zij met Nederland, God Bless America, Slava Ukraïni.
When Andre van Duin sis his speech i was bawling my eyes out....i always said that he should be our president....he would do a great job forfilling it.....
Love this man so much!
Thank you for understanding!
Man!This a very good speech!Tears came into my eyes when i heard this.I almost cried!What a remarkable man he is.I never had that in the past years when others did a speech.
Love you to my man! If only there were more people who where like you.!!! Greetz Wouter NL
My mum was born in 1933 in Arnhem the Netherlands, she was only 7 when the war started, she had lost all of her hair, due to alopecia from stress, her mother, my grandmother had to evacuate with 9 children, they never spoke to me about the war, and i was very close to both, my mum passed when she was nearly 60, my grandma at 95...
Again tears in my eyes . And i still think about the leberators. And every year 2 mi its of silents fot my herows❤❤❤