Five Brothers and a War

Vacation to Soesterberg—1936

While on their vacation, 12-year-old Jan, 10-year-old Kees and 8-year-old Bertus visited Holland’s air “force” in Soesterberg. This was just three years before the outbreak of World War II, and four years before the German invasion of Holland, so it shows the state of the Dutch military at that time. The base would later become a joint United States Air Force/Koninklijke Luchtmacht base during the Cold War. It was called “Camp New Amsterdam” in honor of the first Dutch settlement in what became New York City. The USAF departed in 1994, and the base finally closed in 2008 as a result of cuts in Holland’s defense budget.

van Pelt

Five Brothers and a War

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