Jackel Loc: California

I served in the US Military from April of '46 to Nov. of '48 during The Occupation of Germany. I brought home with me a beautiful German War Bride. Thus, I am interested in European-oriented WWII "war" stories. And, especially so if there is a female element.

I'm reading an interesting book entitled "Operation Chowhound," by Stephen Dando-Collins, a story about a U.S. bomber mission organized at the very end of WWII to drop badly needed food supplies to a starving Dutch citizenry.

Holland was still occupied by the Nazis who refused to share their adequate food supplies with the Dutch people.

In the book it tells of young Dutch citizen, 16-yr old Audrey Hepburn (later to become a movie actress, whom I admire.)

The chapter entitled "Audrey Hepburn's Birthday Present" reads as follows:

"On Friday, May 4, 1945, living at her grandfather's villa at Velp with a host of refugees as house guests, Audrey
Hepburn turned sixteen. She and her mother, both near to starvation, had heard of the radio reports that said
the Allies were on the brink of liberating occupied Holland. But Audrey's birthday passed without any sign of liberation.

Then, the next day, Audrey received a belated birthday present. At 8:00 a.m. on May 5, the tanks, jeeps and trucks of the
1st Canadian Army began rolling into German-occupied Holland. At last the Netherlands was again a free country.

Audrey would later tell how she whooped and hollered and danced with joy. Standing in the crowd watching the Canadian troops pass by as they advanced into occupied territory, she wanted to kiss every one of them.

Sixteen-year-old Audrey was five feet six inches tall, but she weighed just ninety pounds. Her starvation diet over the past seven months left her afflicted with anemia, jaundice and asthma.

But with the Canadians came food... truckloads of food and candy and cigarettes and things that the Dutch had not seen in years. Simple things like salt and sugar, which had become beyond luxuries in their absence from Dutch tables, they had become the stuff that dreams are made of.

The next day, Audrey sat down to the most luxurious breakfast she could remember...oatmeal from the Canadians coated with sugar, also from Canadians. Audrey cleaned her bowl. It was delicious but so rich that her system couldn't cope with it...the meal made her violently ill. But Audrey didn't mind. She would never forget that first meal as a free person once again.

Several days later, the Canadian troops stationed in the area would set up a gasoline powered electric generator in the village square at Velp, hookng it up to a movie projector. Audrey and her teenaged friends joined the rest of the people who packed the square that night to watch the first Hollywood movie screened in the town in five years.

Audrey later couldn't remember which movie it was. Everything was too exciting, too heady. A good feed, a movie, and the gift of freedom.

Now that was a heck of a way to celebrate a sixteenth birthday."

wilikioti Loc: Deep South, USA

A fitting tribute to a fine, beautiful person. One of my favorites.

CliffC Loc: Colorado USA

That's a wonderful story. I thought Audrey grew up in America. One of the most delicate beauties of American cinema.

Jackel Loc: California

I agree, she was one of the finest actresses. And, her lifelong dedication and substantial financial contribution to the starving folks of Africa were commendable.

Cragzop Loc: NYC

Thanks for the post Jackel. A classy lady and wonderful actress, to be sure. I can't help but think after reading this story, how this generation of kids has such a sense of entitlement, and god forbid should this great nation have to go through some disaster, would they be able to survive?
I suspect some would, but the vast majority not. The whining I see in public when a parents requests the child put away their cell phone gives me reason to pause.

I truly believe adversity breeds character.

Again, thanks for the post.

phlash46 Loc: Westchester County, New York

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

ebbote Loc: Hockley, Texas

Great story Jackel.

Babs

Take a look at Love and War by Diane Smook on Amazon. She's a friend who compiled her dad's letters from the front.

BBurns Loc: South Bay, California

Great post.

I agree. Those who do not know what it means to be hungry are clueless. They don't know how to live broke.

I truly believe that we could improve our youth if it we simply made mandatory that, before they were allowed to graduate from high school, they were required to spend 1 summer on a farm.

YoungEsqr Loc: Minnesota

Great post and thank you. I plan to get the book and read it.

denoferth Loc: Portsmouth, NH

Inspirational story; too bad today's kids will never know it.