The Silence "Il Silenzio"

[robkelly]

I don't usually share stuff like this, but IMHO this is too good not to...

About six miles from Maastricht, in the Netherlands, lie buried 8,301 American soldiers who died in "Operation Market Garden" in the battles to liberate Holland in the fall and winter of 1944-5. Every one of the men buried in the cemetery, as well as those in the Canadian and British military cemeteries, has been adopted by a Dutch family who mind the grave, decorate it, and keep alive the memory of the soldier they have adopted. It is even the custom to keep a portrait of "their" American soldier in a place of honor in their home. Annually, on "Liberation Day," memorial services are held for "the men who died to liberate Holland." The day concludes with a concert. The final piece is always "Il Silenzio," a memorial piece commissioned by the Dutch and first played in 1965 on the 20th anniversary of Holland's liberation. It has been the concluding piece of the memorial concert ever since.
This year the soloist was a 13-year-old Dutch girl, Melissa Venema, backed by André Rieu and his orchestra (the Royal Orchestra of the Netherlands). This beautiful concert piece is based upon the original version of taps and was composed by Italian composer Nino Rossi.
Watch at the site below and go full screen. It's very beautiful and moving.

http://www.flixxy.com/trumpet-solo-melissa-venema.htm

[Crabman]

Very nice story and rendition of taps. I know of the tragic Market Garden story but had not heard about the Dutch doing that. If anyone wishes to know the story behind "Operation Market Garden" there is the book "A Bridge Too Far" by Cornelius Ryan, and the movie of the same name.

[short kid]

WOW, that was great !!!!!!! It is nice to see things like this, especially after being discharged during the Vietnam aera, and going thru what we did. We should get turn outs like that at our Memorial and Veterans day activities. An awful price to pay for recognition though.

[Threebutchers]

Liberty abruptly taken is never forgotten....liberty slowly taken is never missed.

An excellent tribute and thanks for sharing. My father was flying missions over Europe during that time....I have to check his mission logs to see if he flew support.

[ATTACH][/ATTACH]

EDIT: My father flew his 35th (final) mission 4 weeks before Operation Market Garden