Meeting Our Heroes Wednesday, Nov 11 2009

Picture by John Reidy

As the sun reached the middle of the sky on Tuesday, September 15th, twelve students from College of the Ozarks flew out of Springfield Missouri to embark on an adventure of our lives. We flew from Springfield to Chicago, which is which is where we met up with our veterans. As students who love history, we were all extremely thrilled to meet our heroes who fought in World War II.

We were amazed to find out how quickly we connected with the veterans. Although we were greatly honored to be with the heroic veterans of World War II, we were also humbled to realize that they were equally excited to be with us. Our first reactions of meeting the men we had been dreaming about all summer were reactions of joy, astonishment, and wonder. All of the veterans were in great shape and ready to cross the ocean to revisit the battlefields of the past.

We arrived safely in Amsterdam, and we immediately headed to the American Embassy for our first adventure. As we entered the embassy, we were amazed at the cheering staff members. All of the veterans were held in great honor as people lined up to get the opportunity to simply speak with them. After a few hours of conversing with the staff members, we departed so our veterans could get some well needed rest.

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Remembering Lieutenant Colonel Robert G. Cole Monday, Nov 9 2009

Picture by John Reidy

Remembering Lieutenant Colonel Robert G. Cole
As I stood in the middle of the ceremony in memory of Col. Cole. I look to my right and see the Veterans taking their seats with many people taking pictures of them, shaking their hands, and some just staring in amazement at the bravery they had done by risking their lives. To my left arrived elite soldiers with badges of merit ranging from airborne trained troops to 10th mountain special forces. Children were once again present to see the faces of these heroes. Speeches were given and a presentation of the Dutch and American flags were revealed to show the bond that had been formed.

This was followed by a moving display with two fighter jets making multiple rounds overhead that brought back memories to the Veterans of the relief they felt whenever air support arrived. As the fighter planes flew overhead, you could have looked down from that plane and saw a great crowd gathered around one individual. That man was Bill Cowell. Everyone stood listening intently as this was the beginning of where he gave a detailed account for one of his battlegrounds.

I tried to make the people around me disappear and try to visualize a war zone as American troops came through the wood line to be immediately shot by enemy fire and their bodies falling limply to the ground but it was too difficult with the lush green trees and children playing in the field. But it happened and there was at least one veteran at the ceremony that could visualize what it looked like much better than I. That man is Bill Cowell.

No words can place the emotion that was made during this day. This can especially be said when Bill Cowell started reliving the battlegrounds that all of us gathered at for the ceremony. This is where Mr. Colwell took us all back for a quick glimpse into the memories that were left buried along with all of his fellow soldiers. The memories of the respected death of Col. Cole, the sniper fire from the enemy that came within inches over the top of his helmet, the artillery fire that took off the body limbs of a fellow comrade before his very own eyes, and I couldn’t even start to comprehend the pain and suffering that had to have caused him. Mr. Colwell then relived the account of the dreadful, yet necessary experience of killing his first German.

He distinctly remembered what the man looked like when he came around the hedge rose within point blank firing distance. There was still a vivid image that showed this German with sweat running down his face. The anguish he felt after killing this man was very great after the enemy lay lifeless on the ground in front of him. Mr. Colwell couldn’t help but think back to the life the other man might of had. He wondered about the type of family he had and that he will never be able to erase the image of the death for the rest of his life. He said these things with tears in his eyes.

This is just one account of the MILLIONS of Veterans that served during World War II. Dutch historians wanted to know his story. Some just wanted his autograph. But above all and most importantly, Mr. Colwell was able to find a sense of closure for a battleground that once haunted his dreams and had been infested with death, destruction, and violence.

-Written by College of the Ozarks student

Trip provided by the Greatest Generations Foundation

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University of Eindhoven and General Patraeus Monday, Nov 9 2009

Picture by John Reidy

We were promised a slow day, something so very welcome to us at this point in our trip. We didn’t have to leave very early for the Freedom Lecture at the Eindhoven University of Technology, so most of us enjoyed sleeping in. The Freedom Lecture is given to honor the Four Freedoms speech given by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941 around four universal freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from fear, and freedom from want.

The first honorary speaker, Lieutenant Colonel James Megellas, was a man we’ve had the honor of interacting with all week. He gave the small auditorium an overview of the war’s beginning, and some of his own heartbreaking experiences during its duration. The story that stuck in my mind most was about a Dutchman whom American troops had rescued from a camp, and his emotional gratitude afterward. His description of the man was sobering: frail, haggard, exhausted… Megellas said the Dutchman had but days to live. When the man had thanked them, he had cried. “I don’t know where he got the strength to cry.” The auditorium had been respectfully quiet until then, but to me, instantly became solemnly silent. It is impossible for anyone to hear such stories and not be deeply impacted. And we have heard so many such stories on this trip…

General David Petraeus, the next honorary speaker, began his speech by describing his own ties to the country and the history we were remembering. Son of a Dutch sea captain, and former commanding general of the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions, this event and the national commemoration of it means something to him. He is not merely a visiting celebrity, but a friend returning to a place of personal history. I think the veterans with us appreciated his relationship to them even though it was indirectly.

The veterans ate lunch at the University with Megellas and Petraeus after the Lecture, but the students were asked to eat in a different room. It was the first time we’d been separated from our veterans all week for any of the activities, and several of us commented on it. It felt strange. We’ve become so attached to them, and so used to doing everything by their side.

After lunch the group of us walked back the few blocks to the hotel to change clothes, grab some money, and prepare to head out into Eindhoven. We split up into groups and wandered malls for a couple hours, taking advantage of the only free time we’d had all week. We had been wondering if we were ever going to have time to pick up a few things for the people back home who had asked us to!

After we’d finished eating dinner at the farewell banquet, Timothy Davis asked each of the veterans to stand up and gives us their reactions to the trip. Of all the things we have done this week, hearing how this trip has influenced them is by far the best. They were glad to reunite with old comrades and to experience the love of the Dutch people.
All of them expressed gratitude that they’d decided to come; several mentioned the reservations they’d had before hand. They had put the most painful time in their lives behind them, and to revisit it had not made any sense. But Bill Hannigan reassured us with his closing words that the trip had been a success: “I’m over it.” And everyone knew how powerful those words were, and what they meant.

-Written by College of the Ozarks Student

Trip provided for Veterans and students by Greatest Generations Foundation

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