Waalcrossing Remembered

September 20, 2009

Ambassador Hartog Levin and General Petraeus at the wreath laying ceremony at the Waalcrossing Monument. Photo: Gemeente Nijmegen

Ambassador Hartog Levin with U.S. Commander, U.S. Central Command General David Petraeus attended the Market Garden Commemorations in Nijmegen.

In the morning a wreath was laid at the Waalcrossing monument in Lent. The monument commemorates the fact that on September 20th, 1944 two companies of the 82nd Airborne Division’s 504 Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) crossed the Waal River in broad daylight by 26 rowing boats made of canvas.  At least 13 boats reached finally the other bank and succeeded to capture the bridges over the Waal River in the north to allow the British tanks advancing.

It was one on the highlights of the visit of General Petraeus in the Netherlands, who also participated in WWII commemorations in Margraten and Eindhoven, where he held the Eindhoven Freedom Lecture.

General Petraeus father was born in the Dutch city of Franeker (province of Friesland).

In the afternoon the ambassador attended a memorial ceremony at the Traianusplein, close to the Waalbridge. Several dignitaries, including Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, the British Prince Philip and former NATO Secretary and Nijmegen veteran Lord Carrington and the German Ambassador. 

Thousands of people watched the ceremony, and a parade of historic vehicles.