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My father died on Christmas morning at the age of 87.
I’m so proud of him that I want to share some things with you.
My father always had a strong spirit and wanted to be independent of others. He really was self-reliant. Never had a driving license, always used a bike until he was 85. At the age of 80 he went on his bike through 8 inches of snow to visit his new born granddaughter. Until he was 84 he still made trips of 4 miles on his bike. Then he switched to an electric cart to get himself where he needed to go.
A half a year ago he was diagnosed with lung cancer. 9 weeks ago he got the last radiation treatment, after that he got a stomach flu and a double pneumonia on top of it. That was too much for him. He was admitted to the hospital in very weak condition.
Mid December, after slightly recovering in the hospital, he was transferred to a hospice into a room with a view over a wonderful piece of nature. His spirit was high but his body was at its end.
One of his last wishes was to visit the Korean war museum located on a Dutch army base, a war he himself fought in. He was in the Dutch army and volunteered to join the fight in Korea and was assigned to the 38th US Infantry Regiment of the 2nd US infantry division.
We were able to arrange this visit with the help of a volunteer organization called "wish ambulance". The day of the visit to the museum has been unforgettable, the amount of respect he received from all the military personnel, fellow veterans, volunteers, to finally hear him speak about things he experienced there (never shared it with his children, the only thing he ever said was “I wish upon no one to experience what I have been through there”)
My father (and me) with the current commander of "Regiment van Heutsz"
After being in bed for four weeks he managed to get into a wheel chair and sit in it for several hours. The way he carried and uphold himself that day with pure will power showed me how strong his mind was.
The visit to the museum weakened his body so much that we soon knew that it only was a matter of days before he would die. On the 24th we had our last conversation, he watched my daughter make a drawing on his bed, let me shave him (did that almost every day for the past weeks) and we all hugged as we said goodbye.
On Christmas morning he died in the presence of his 3 children.
During the funeral service he got a final salute by fellow Korea veterans.
I’m feeling said because I miss him, but I’m also thankful to have known him and happy to have shared so many nice things together. After many years of asking this summer he finally agreed to join me on vacation, something I will never ever forget. At the age of 86 walking on the beach with a cane, sleeping in the sun, spending quality family time with me, my wife and daughter.
He's my role model for how a man should think and act.
He's a Korean war veteran and participated in peace missions in the middle east in the eighties.
Korea 1951
Lebanon 1982
In 1987 he retired from the army as captain at the age of 58.
In the fifties my dad belonged to the NDVN (Netherlands Division United Nations) who were later transferred to the “Regiment van Heutsz” who were assigned to the 38th US Infantry Regiment of the 2nd US infantry division during the Korean war. They adopted the sign of the 2nd US infantry division, the Indianhead. Because of the heritage we also printed the Indianhead on the funeral card.
Last but not least I would like to mention my daughter, 7 years old, who played on the flute during the funeral ceremony in front of everybody. She had only be practicing for 3 months, volunteered to play, was determined from the beginning and never showed any sign of hesitation. I’m immensely proud of her and I know my father was smiling from above.
My father and his granddaughter on the beach of Texel in the summer of 2016
I’m so proud of him that I want to share some things with you.
My father always had a strong spirit and wanted to be independent of others. He really was self-reliant. Never had a driving license, always used a bike until he was 85. At the age of 80 he went on his bike through 8 inches of snow to visit his new born granddaughter. Until he was 84 he still made trips of 4 miles on his bike. Then he switched to an electric cart to get himself where he needed to go.
A half a year ago he was diagnosed with lung cancer. 9 weeks ago he got the last radiation treatment, after that he got a stomach flu and a double pneumonia on top of it. That was too much for him. He was admitted to the hospital in very weak condition.
Mid December, after slightly recovering in the hospital, he was transferred to a hospice into a room with a view over a wonderful piece of nature. His spirit was high but his body was at its end.
One of his last wishes was to visit the Korean war museum located on a Dutch army base, a war he himself fought in. He was in the Dutch army and volunteered to join the fight in Korea and was assigned to the 38th US Infantry Regiment of the 2nd US infantry division.
We were able to arrange this visit with the help of a volunteer organization called "wish ambulance". The day of the visit to the museum has been unforgettable, the amount of respect he received from all the military personnel, fellow veterans, volunteers, to finally hear him speak about things he experienced there (never shared it with his children, the only thing he ever said was “I wish upon no one to experience what I have been through there”)
My father (and me) with the current commander of "Regiment van Heutsz"
After being in bed for four weeks he managed to get into a wheel chair and sit in it for several hours. The way he carried and uphold himself that day with pure will power showed me how strong his mind was.
The visit to the museum weakened his body so much that we soon knew that it only was a matter of days before he would die. On the 24th we had our last conversation, he watched my daughter make a drawing on his bed, let me shave him (did that almost every day for the past weeks) and we all hugged as we said goodbye.
On Christmas morning he died in the presence of his 3 children.
During the funeral service he got a final salute by fellow Korea veterans.
I’m feeling said because I miss him, but I’m also thankful to have known him and happy to have shared so many nice things together. After many years of asking this summer he finally agreed to join me on vacation, something I will never ever forget. At the age of 86 walking on the beach with a cane, sleeping in the sun, spending quality family time with me, my wife and daughter.
He's my role model for how a man should think and act.
He's a Korean war veteran and participated in peace missions in the middle east in the eighties.
Korea 1951
Lebanon 1982
In 1987 he retired from the army as captain at the age of 58.
In the fifties my dad belonged to the NDVN (Netherlands Division United Nations) who were later transferred to the “Regiment van Heutsz” who were assigned to the 38th US Infantry Regiment of the 2nd US infantry division during the Korean war. They adopted the sign of the 2nd US infantry division, the Indianhead. Because of the heritage we also printed the Indianhead on the funeral card.
Last but not least I would like to mention my daughter, 7 years old, who played on the flute during the funeral ceremony in front of everybody. She had only be practicing for 3 months, volunteered to play, was determined from the beginning and never showed any sign of hesitation. I’m immensely proud of her and I know my father was smiling from above.
My father and his granddaughter on the beach of Texel in the summer of 2016
