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Hello from The Netherlands

Discussion in '☆☆ New Recruits ☆☆' started by Noorbeek 1944, Mar 25, 2013.

  1. Noorbeek 1944

    Noorbeek 1944 New Member

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    Hello people,
    my name is Frank Gubbels, I am 30 years old and live in a small village called Noorbeek, The Netherlands. Noorbeek was liberated on September 12, 1944 thus becoming the first liberated municipality of The Netherlands. Just outside our village the American forces of K-company, 119th Regiment met German resistance. SSgt. Roy L. Booher was killed in action during that firefight. He became the first American soldier who was killed in Holland during the liberation of The Netherlands. It took us one year to identify his name and another year to place a monument.

    The monument was inaugurated in September 2009. You can see more on our website:

    http://www.12-09-1944.nl/index_en.php

    For more questions or so ... feel free to ask them.

    Best wishes,
    Frank
     
    Noorbeek 1944, Mar 25, 2013
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  2. KodiakBeer

    KodiakBeer Member

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    Here is the 119th unit history on events at that time.

    In the image, I pasted a paragraph from the previous page over the bottom of the photo in the upper left, for continuity.

    [​IMG]
     
    KodiakBeer, Mar 25, 2013
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  3. Clementine

    Clementine Member

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    Hello, Frank.

    Thank you for sharing the link. Very nice memorial to SSgt. Booher.
     
    Clementine, Mar 25, 2013
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    Noorbeek 1944 likes this.
  4. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Good Ol' Boy Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    A most gracious welcome to you, Frank and I am glad you dropped by.

    You bought a copy of my book and I appreciate the kind words you used when speaking of it.

    The only person you need to watch out for is FormerJughead, but he is a lot bark and not a lot of bite. :dance4:
     
    Slipdigit, Mar 25, 2013
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  5. Skipper

    Skipper Kommodore

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    Welcome Frank, enjoy your stay with us
     
    Skipper, Mar 25, 2013
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  6. belasar

    belasar Court Jester

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    Welcome Aboard!
     
    belasar, Mar 25, 2013
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  7. TD-Tommy776

    TD-Tommy776 Man of Constant Sorrow

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    Welcome the the Forum, Frank. Thank you so much for posting the link to your website. The memorial to SSgt. Booher is wonderfully moving. I was also very happy to see the "Now & Then" photos on your website. They are some of the best I have seen. Well done! :)
     
    TD-Tommy776, Mar 25, 2013
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  8. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Good Ol' Boy Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    Agreed. I like before and afters.
     
    Slipdigit, Mar 25, 2013
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  9. LRusso216

    LRusso216 Graybeard Staff Member

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    Hello Frank. Glad you decided to join us, The Then and Now pictures on the site are truly amazing. I love those kind of pictures. Your website gives a new view of the 30th Division, with the focus on the 119th. Thanks. The memorial is spectacular.
     
    LRusso216, Mar 25, 2013
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  10. GRW

    GRW Pillboxologist WW2|ORG Editor

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    Welcome to the forums!
     
    GRW, Mar 25, 2013
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  11. KodiakBeer

    KodiakBeer Member

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    It's interesting that the first silver stars awarded to Old Hickory soldiers in Holland were not awarded for killing Germans, but for saving Dutch children. Pvt's Leroy Van Der Kolk and James Messerly left cover to save children caught in a German artillery barrage in Maastricht. Each of them ran into the barrage and scooped up children to run them to cover. Messerly suffered a severe wound, and both men were awarded the silver star. The names of those children were not recorded, but it would be interesting to hear their stories.

    Old Hickory was engaged for some months across the German border and regularly rotated back into Limburg for rest and refit. They had many friends in Holland and for many of them, those interludes were the only pleasant memories of the war.
     
    KodiakBeer, Mar 26, 2013
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  12. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Active Member

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    Hello and welcome Frank


    Lesley
     
    4jonboy, Mar 26, 2013
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  13. Noorbeek 1944

    Noorbeek 1944 New Member

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    Thank you to all of you for your very warm welcome and your kind words. I will try to share some more information ASAP.
    Regards,
    Frank
     
    Noorbeek 1944, Mar 27, 2013
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  14. Skipper

    Skipper Kommodore

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    You'll be more than welcome Frank, feel free to browse our many threads. We have over 500.000 postings here, and believe me when you take away all the funny guy ones, there are still many thousand goodies left :rofl:
     
    Skipper, Mar 27, 2013
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  15. 36thID

    36thID Member

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    Welcome ! Very good to see our European friends honoring American servicemen.
     
    36thID, Mar 27, 2013
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  16. Ruud

    Ruud Member

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    Welcome Frank, happy to have a "neighbour" around. Well i assume we are neighboursbecause Maastricht is only 25 km from Noorbeek.

    Oh, and also a MUST READ: Margraten Boys.
     
    Ruud, Apr 3, 2013
    #16
  17. Noorbeek 1944

    Noorbeek 1944 New Member

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    Hello Ruud,
    nice to hear from you and thank you for your welcome. I read the book and met the author last year in Margraten.
    Regards,
    Frank Gubbels
     
    Noorbeek 1944, Apr 3, 2013
    #17
  18. pistol

    pistol Member

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    Welcome to the forum Frank
     
    pistol, Apr 3, 2013
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