Jerry Vink says liberation of the Netherlands will never be forgotten
Canadians paid a high price to wrest control of northwest Europe from German occupation
Jerry Vink of St. John's was born in the post-war baby boom in Holland, a region of the Netherlands, but can say with great authority that the German occupation of his homeland during the Second World War was "a horrible time."
His late parents, John and Eva, survived the occupation, and were there to celebrate the country's liberation by Canadian soldiers.
John and Eva lived in the city of Utrecht and endured years of hardship, fear and hunger, including the so-called "Hunger Winter" of 1945.
"People were eating peelings of potatoes," Vink said during an interview with the St. John's Morning Show on Tuesday, the 70th anniversary of the liberation.
"My aunts used to go out in the country on bicycles and barter for food from the farmers."
Canadians were largely responsible for ending the Nazi stranglehold on the area, and the price paid was a heavy one.
The Dutch people have never forgotten the sacrifices that so many Canadians made to restore their freedom. That gratitude is once again on display this week during remembrance ceremonies and parades, with the country's youth front-and-centre.
Vink said that's not surprising, considering that education about the occupation and liberation begins at an early age.
"School kids are taught to respect and remember what the Canadians did," he said.
No military draft in Canada
John and Eva Vink married just months after the war ended, but the end of conflict didn't immediately mean prosperity and opportunity.
There was no silk for a wedding dress, but many Allied soldiers were dropped by air into the Netherlands during the Allied advance, so there was an abundance of parachute fabric.
It was a suitable substitute, said Jerry.
So why did the Vinks come to Canada?
The European economy was devastated by the war, and with large waves of Dutch people, many of whom were highly educated, coming back to their homeland, job opportunities were scarce.
Many citizens took advantage of free passage aboard emigrant ships to places such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The Vinks picked Canada as their new home for one reason: military service was not mandatory.
"My parents didn't want us to go into the military," Vink said.
The irony, however, is that Jerry's brother pursued a career in the military.
They arrived in Canada in 1958. Jerry was just 11 years old.
But he has not completely let go of his heritage. Jerry has many memories of his early life in Holland, and is fluent in the Dutch language.
He's also visited his homeland on several occasions, and is quite proud of the strong bond that remains between Canada and the Netherlands.
With files from Anthony Germain