Members of Legion in Netherlands visit Lethbridge

Members of the Royal Canadian Legion in the Netherlands have made their way to the windy city for a special event this weekend at the Lethbridge Legion. Staff are inviting Lethbridge military enthusiasts to come down and listen to a presentation they will be making on the work they have done in their country and to remember the veterans who have sacrificed so much for the freedoms we enjoy today. Berry Swarthoff, a member of the Legion in the Netherlands, says the collecting of memorabilia and stories started within his own family.

“It started with my father, my Dad is still alive. He was 12 years old when the war ended. He asked the Canadians for a uniform and the Canadians said if you give us six eggs we will arrange a uniform for you. He got a uniform and I have a photo here where he’s 12 years old. It was like pajamas, he lived in it. He went everywhere with it. That’s the way it started to collect.”

The presentation will also include activities at the Liberation Museum which is located near the legion in the Netherlands. The focus is on the Second World War and the battle of Lochem Holland on April 2nd of 1945.