VE Day | Canadian Veteran Celebrated in The Netherlands - REACTION 

While Dutch royalty took refuge in Canada, the Canadians made a hospital temporarily Dutch territory so that a Princess could be born Dutch.

♥️Thank God for sending the Canadians,thankyouCanadians for coming and liberating us♥️🌹✝️🙏♥️

I'm from Ontario Canada and I tear up everytime I see this exposè. It makes me proud.

Not one mention of Leo Major and his balls of steel? The guy literally liberated Zwolle by himself.

My uncle was one of those soldiers. Back in the 70s, I would occasionally ask about his march through the Netherlands. But every time he'd try to answer, his eyes would fill with tears and he couldn't squeeze out a word.

The Canadians are considered our Prime liberators (yes I am Dutch, how did you guess?) but make no mistake, we honor the US, Polish and Brits as well. (For example, their is a big graveyard in Margraten where every remembrence day a ceremony is held for the Americans who fell on our soil trying to free us). However, as you can see in the video, the moment the Canadians came, a large part of the country just suffered a brutal winter with severe famine. Obviously I wasn't there but my parents and grandparents were and they have told me enough stories about the "Hongerwinter" to understand that this made a huge impact on "Us". Besides that, they had sheltered our Crown Princess. During that time, the Crown Princess gave birth to her 3rd daughter. {romcess Margriet (fun fact, had she been English she would have been Princess Daisy as Margiet means Daaisy) In honor of that ocassion, the Canadians made the room in the hospital where she was born temporarely Dutch teriitory so the Princess would be officialy Dutch. They also flew the Dutch flag from an important tower I forgot the name off. Due to all of this, we consider the Canadians our very close friends and allies till this day. We will never forget. Thank you Canada, America, Poland and Brittain for all the help.

Thank you Canada, for liberating the city where i was born.

the canadians have liberated my home town and they will always be welcome here.

The Dutch where starving and once the town was freed canadian soldiers gave them their rations. After fighting so hard and dying for their freedom they still gave up their food to feed the Dutch. My grandfather was there, he has notes and letters written to him from then and pictures from children all the way up till he passed in 2004. I personally think it was the fact that they gave so much and then willingly gave more just to help then even more so but never asked for anything in return.

I'm surprised the video didn't talk about the most famous liberator of the Netherlands... Corporal Leo Major who single handedly freed an entire town.

Oops, I came here suddenly and get instantly tears in my eyes. My very sweet mama passed away 3 years ago. She told us so many times about the second world war, how real hunger feels, how she was laying in the bed as a child feeling cold and not able to sleep because of hunger. How her mother was searching in the shed for a small remaining from fodder beet ( cattle food) to give to her. She was so skinny. She was 9 when the Canadians liberated her town here in the Netherlands. She never tasted chocolate in her life before. Suddenly a Canadian soldier gave her a piece of chocolate. She said that she never tasted something so delicious before. She said many times that she will never forget how sweet and kind the Canadian soldiers were and how they were sharing food from their own rantion with the hungry children in the streets. So she raised us to be very thankful to the soldiers who liberated the Netherlands and how generous and sweet Canadian people are and that we have to keep memorizing the soldiers who gave their life. Since that very first piece of chocolate she was a huge chocolate lover her entire life. Thank you Canadian soldiers and thank you sweetest mama for always being such a sweet, loving and caring mama and giving us always such delicious and healthy food and for your delicious dinners what you were lacking in your childhood. You deserve the best place in heaven together with your Canadian friends who liberated you.

My father in law was one of the Canadian soldiers who liberated Holland. And yes, he said that some families were so hungry that they ate tulip bulbs. He’s still alive at 96.

from my whole being: thank you Canadians! and offcourse all other countries who helped us... we are forever in your dept...

About 24 years ago I also greeted many Canadian veterans. The Dutch invite most Canadians to stay at their homes. Not only are we thankful for liberation. Also for giving protection to our royal family, who stayed in Canada. In the 50's and early 60's many Dutch emigrated to Canada to start a new life. Mostly farmers. Great video!!!!

Makes me so very proud to be a Canadian. Thank you so very much to the Canadian military past and present!!

I'm 2.5 minutes into this video and not only was I surprised to see my hometown of Apeldoorn but in 1995 I was along the route as an 11 year old shaking hands with some of the veterans. I never knew there was video material of this.

I had the privilege to shake the hand of a Canadian liberator a couple of years a go. It was our national liberation day, May 5th. I said: "Thank you for liberating us" and the man just said in this kind of shy, humble way "Oh, it was nothing". It meant the world though and we will always be thankful for our liberators❤

Canada liberated most of the Netherlands. This while the Americans just ignored most of it and went straight to Berlin. This is why Canada is loved as it is. They took the time to liberate all of us while not running towards Berlin like the Americans did. There are locations where the Americans did pass trough and seen as heroes, but for the most part it's Canada who takes the lead by miles. My plan is to travel to Canada at some point in the future and visit specific sites to place flowers on the graves of these heroes. I can't play it on every grave due to financial reasons, but even a central point might do the trick. With luck, if there are any veterans left I wish to meet them, talk with them. Thank them from the bottom of my heart. It's the least I can do for these brave men.

About four years ago I walked through a Dutch city with a Canadian uniform on. I have never been hugged so much in my life.

RESPECT FROM hOLLAND!!

We Dutch will never forget....

Heroes, thank you for what you did. Greetings from the Netherlands. Lest we forget...

Anyone from Canada that is from Newfoundland, is basically Irish. They're the Irish canadians, the slightly off, but super amazing people lol.

Dutch: Thank You. Canadian: Sorry. American: What language are you two speaking? ...Just messing with you, 'murica

After my parents passed away we find among their documents three small notebooks. My father kept a diary for the last three months of the war. In the last one there was a name and adress from a canadian soldier. We also have a small picture of my dad with this soldier. My brother did manage to contact a son of this soldier, told him te story. He did not have a foto from his father in those days. We sent it to him. You can't compare this with what the canadians have done for us but maybe this shows how we still are grateful.( this soldier did survive the war)

My uncle was a cree code talker,in the Canadian army,,1939-1945

Hartbraking and beautyfull at the same time. Much love for the Canadians and the veterans. So humble! ☮🌷❤🌷☮

Leo Major who served in the Canadian Army is largely unknown hero in Canada but in Netherlands he is well known hero because he liberated the town of Zwolle all by himself and he even captured 93 Germans in one night when he was on Reconnaissance you should check out the Video of him how he liberated the town all by himself

They Still Send thousands of tulip bulbs every year in gratitude!

The Netherlands still send tens of thousands of tulips to Canada every year

Every years Netherlands send thousands of tulips bulbs at the Montréal Botanical Garden as a gift for the liberation.

We call that last winter "de Hongerwinter " The winter of hunger.

I lost my Great Uncle (F/O Don A. Brigden) in the skies over Holland on Jan 1st, 1945. It is nice to see how his sacrifice is appreciated. I visited his grave site in 1990 and his photo is right above me as I type this. My kids know his story, so the memories live on.

Hopefully due to these sacrifices no one will ever have to experience that hell again.

My best friend is a trumpetist. He played for the Dutch Military. He was living in Eindhoven. He was asked to play "the last post" for the soldiers who lost their lives during the liberation of Holland. He has done this for the last 30+ years. And he has done so proudly. I admire him for doing this 1 day event which has such a big meaning in our history.....

That's the voice of Canadian legend Peter Mansbridge, he did the olympics coverage and W5, kinda like 60 minutes😎

we will never forget our hero's. we will always remember the hero's and fallen hero's. they carried us and we will carry them, we will laugh and cry next to them thanx for my freedom!

On the 4th of May we (the Dutch) commemorate and honor the victims and falen of the WW2 (and all the the other victims and fallen of all the other conflicts worldwide) on the 5th of May we celebrated our freedom. This year it would have be the 75th year, and it should have a extra big. But due to the coronavirus, all activities are canceled. Ironically all the restrictions we now have, made me realize what the feeling of freedom, insecurity and safety really means. One thing is for sure, I took those feelings to much for granted.

We'll be in Apeldorn in May 2025. Friends always 🇳🇱 🇨🇦. Love from Montréal 🍁

Unfortunately, they forgot to mention the most chanted individual Canadian soldier of them all in the Netherlands. Léo Major, a French Canadian from Montreal, like a one-man army has liberated a whole city by himself, the city of Zwolle (among other feats like capturing a gazillion of Nazis). Look up for him on RU-vid, his story is amazing :)

Listen @ 9:00 " The little thing we did " .. the humility of what they endured actually put me in tears .

Appropriate that this video turned up in my recommendations on this day May 5, where the Netherlands celebrates the liberation from Nazi Germany. And very refreshing to see a reaction to a non-music video too. Thanks!

Wanna sign up, as a Dutch person, to clean off a Canadian tombstone and leave flowers every year? Too bad, you can't... There's a WAITING LIST ❤❤

This video brings tears to my eyes.

The "little thing they did" that generation always amazes me, the only thing that surpasses their courage is their humility.

That’s a famous Canadian commentator. Forget his name.

It's hard to imagine these old men as young men fighting in the war. What a bittersweet reunion it must be for them returning to the country and seeing the reaction of the people.

ever heard of the movie "a bridge too far." that's about the Netherlands … "Arnhem" to be precise. another famous one … Operation market garden. also about the Netherlands. What might not be too clear. is the germans in the fall of 1944 knew the allies were comming. They gathered all the supplies they could find, food, fuel, anything that might make a difference. And basicly stipped the land bare. And then the coldest winter hit. To the dutch that winter even now is know as "de honger winter." "the hunger winter." Anything that would burn was stripped for firewood. trees, traintracks. every thing and anything. people walked entire days to gather food, anywhere. tulip bulbs as stated in the clip. But also pets dogs cats. there's even old clips of people walking the Streets scraping garbidge bins with spoons. in the end it was calculated that if the liberation had been delays by no more then a month millions might have died from simple hunger

The major contributions of Canadian troops, sailors and airmen in WWII are, so often, forgotten. Canadians were there on Day at Normandy, were the largest escort force crossing the Atlantic, played a major role in the liberation of Holland and Italy. Let's all remember them.

My brother was 10 months and got a big piece of roast beef from a Canadian soldier. He had a weight problem for the rest of his life. No doubt it was given with the best of intentions. ;)

Canadians .if you look at their history remind me of the lions on the plains and in the mountains they quietly observe then quietly creep up on you then it is too late.Amen.

My Grandfather was there at that time.

Thank you from Toronto.

Thank you from Dutch guy👌🏼

The one that sounded Irish was likely from the east coast. Newfoundland has a heavy Irish background.

In times of emergency: you learn who your real friends are. We thank the canadians (and all other allied forces) for liberating our country. We will never forget.

I wasn't there, my parent's weren't there but they remember the stories of my grandfather, my grandfather was in the war, he didn't forget, I will never forget and I'll make sure my offspring will never forget.

my canadian father was--there----tks for coming home so-i could born

I live in Apeldoorn :) Thank you Canada to allow me to live free.

Every year we have many items on tv about the second world war, there are s many stories to tell and many books to read. I remember reading them as a kids, usually about the underground resistance. Some americans like to think they freed the world but we remember the canadians, they never claim such things. Many dutch people also emigrated to Canada before and after the war, plus the celebrations left a number of babies. Though like anytime humans are involved bad things happened too like looting. People can easily forget their civility when they've been fighting a war for a long time.

This year, due to this pandemic, will be the first time in my life (I'm 46) that I know of, that liberation day will not be celebrated like this and to be honest, it hurts! Even after the last soldier that liberated us from Canada, the USA and Great Britain have passed away, and everyone that lived in the war, we WILL remember and celebrate the soldiers, from than but also from today. War leaves scars for generations. I feel heartbroken for the people in the middle east that are living in the hell we went through right now.

Another connection to Canada not mentioned in this news clip is that the Dutch Queen and Prince came to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada after the Netherlands was occupied by the Nazis. While there in 1943 they gave birth to their daughter Princess Margriet. Every year since WWII the Netherlands has sent 10 000 tulip bulbs to Ottawa as a thank you. Every spring the tulips bloom in Ottawa and are a reminder of the aid that Canada provided to the Netherlands during WWII.

Princess Margriet born in Canada.

we will keep welcoming them and thanking them forever if they cant come we will think of them. our history is because of al those heroes!

At 11:16 when you ask if it was Irish accent. He is french canadian from the famous Le Regiment de la Chaudiere (See Leo Major one-eyed scout). Pierre Gauthier passed away 12 march 2021.

Look up the RU-vid story of the Canadian who single handed liberated a town his name was Leo Majors the one eyed scout.

My Uncle Doug Davis of the South Saskatchewan Regiment fought in the Liberation of Holland. He only said he was there.

My Father was in the Scheldt Campaign

my dad was there--as a canadian with first army canada

The guy was not Irish he was a french speaking canadian from Province of Québec.

It's hard to beleive at that time we had a 1.1000.000 man army ..if they needed us again we would come. And they for us.

The canadian soldier saving Zwolle is an amazing story, should check it out.

Look up on YT the American war cemetery in in Margraaten, Netherlands. The Dutch in 1944 adopted the graves…of EVERY US, Canadian and British soldier who now sleep forever in Holland. Holland is, as far as I know, the only nation who does this for liberators who gave their last full measure freeing Holland. The families still keep the graves.🇺🇸🇨🇦🇳🇱

Where was their Princess born during the war? In "The Netherlands", but happenned to be surrounded by Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.. :) as a Canadian who had relatives fight in The Netherlands during the war and I married a woman whose family emmigrated/immigrated just after the war... thanks for showing this.

I wish l could have visited Holland with my dad. He was one of the men who helped liberate the country, but sadly he passed in 85. And I'd also like to visit my uncle's gravesite, he lies in Dalen along with his crew. To this day, the townsfolk lovingly tend to their graves, something for which I'll be eternally grateful.

The price of freedom is high..so many young men stepped up an paid in blood. Lest we forget.

Look at: Lichtjesdag 2017 Canadian War Cemetery Groesbeek

Princess Margriet, born in Ottawa in 1943.

loved watching the video, groetjes from holland

The guy sounded like he may have been from Nova Scotia (north atlantic coastal province). A lot of the people there are of irish and scottish descent and some would say have a bit of an accent

" there's usually a lot of French in Canadia"

If you'd like to learn more about Canada and it's history, may I suggest Canadian Heritage Minutes. 1 minute information packed historical videos.

I live in the Peace Country, where Odette is from, and he is still incredibly celebrated here

The area I live in was liberated by the Polish Pantzer division of general Maczek. We have a Polish military cemetery as well.

check A Tour of Margraten American Cemetery in the Netherlands/ The Faces of Margraten 2018

Check out operation MANA the air drop of food to the starving dutch. Also the story of Leo Major who liberated the town of Zwolle by himself.

im sure someones said it but that man sounds irish because hes a newfie, you should listen to their accents!

The guy you thought sounded irish was french canadian, thats why he had a weird accent hehe

Hey love the video!! please more of these

His name is Pierre Gauthier.

“He sounds Irish” Canada was heavily settled by the Irish, the Scottish, and the French. Those old accents are still found in communities all over the nation. You’ll especially hear the Irish influences along the east coast and up into Newfoundland

The commentator is Canadian Peter Mansbridge

By the Way Mario and Nicole - the 60 minutes guy is Canadian! LOL

first time i watched that video i had so many tears the other powers may have "won the war" against Hitler but Canada liberated a people that was literally starving by the millions, thats just as important

I had the honour of beiing guard of honour on the Canadian Cemetary in Holten. Ik was 1969 and therefore the veterans present were relativily young. Ik was al uplifting experiece for me as a 21 year old soldier. But nowadays, because of the fact that most People who experienced WW2 are dead, remberance is not that important anymore for a lot of people.

Thank you

Some Canadians accents sound a little Irish. My buddy from Texas says I sound Irish. The Newfoundlanders really sound Irish.

He's not Irish he is from the Maritimes. They are from Scotland and Ireland out there.

If you wear a Canadian pin or small flag on your backpack, they will walk up and thank yoi

There's a large Irish, Scottish and Welsh ancestry in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia