Page 46 - Lubbock Senior Link Magazine Fall 2019- Online Magazine

HONORING SENIORS

Perspective:
WWII FROM

INSIDE EUROPE

Hindrik Vera’s

Story

Goeie middag. Ik heet Hindrik Vera en ik ben een Nederlander.
TRANSLATED:
Good afternoon. My name is Hindrik Vera, and I am a Netherlander (Dutch citizen).

was asked to talk about the
World War II years from the
I perspective of someone who
lived in Europe at the time.

Just a little background about
my country: The Netherlands
(Holland) is a small country, densely
populated – only 16,000 square
miles and nearly 17 million people! over the next years for them was the time, living with my parents
By comparison, it would be like one imprisonment and annihilation. and grandmother. We lived on the
fifth of the population of the United Hitler became the German dictator outskirts of town, with chickens,
States living in Oklahoma! Much of in 1934, seeking to expand Germany rabbits and homing pigeons. Over
the land is below sea level, and the by taking over the surrounding the next two years, life became
weather is windy and rainy most of countries – Austria, parts of harder and harder.
the year. But it is the moisture and Czechoslovakia, and half of Poland. Goods became very scarce; bananas,
mild temperatures that paint the England and France had a non- oranges, coffee, tea, and tobacco
spring landscape with tulips! aggression pact with Poland – and were unavailable. We could not

Many terrible things happened so the war began. Soon Germany keep the homing pigeons as they
in the late 1930s, beginning with invaded Norway, Denmark, Holland might be used in espionage. We
Adolph Hitler and his hatred of the and Belgium, to protect against wore wooden shoes and repaired
Jews. In November of 1938, Hitler’s attacks over the North Sea, and then them with old tire treads as there
army attacked their own Jewish France, to secure their forces on the was no leather available. The
people, smashing the windows of Atlantic coast. school was confiscated for a military
their shops and homes, assaulting By May of 1940, German troops hospital, so that part of life was
and arresting them. This event came entered Holland. My home was greatly altered as well.
to be known as Kristall Nacht, or only 25 miles from the border and It was not long before everyone over
Crystal Night. It marked a serious not at all defended, so there was 15 had to get personal identifications
change in the war against the Jewish no resistance, and the Germans papers to move about. By 1943,
people. From then on, they had were entrenched around us for the we could no longer have a radio,
to wear a yellow star of David on duration of the war. I was 12 at as listening to Radio London was
their outer clothing. What followed

46 Lubbock Senior Link