European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 03, 1980, Darmstadt, Hesse Tuesday june 3, 1980 the stars and stripes Pago 9 she fends go Graves in Netherlands woman honoured for War pledge stories and photos b Ann staff writer Margrate Netherlands is for 35 years Mary Kryger has devoted herself to a pledge she made during the final Days of world War 11. When you give a Promise to somebody you have to keep it said Kryger 73, a dutch citizen. On sunday she was honoured by her countrymen and the United states during he annual manorial Day ceremony at the Netherlands american cemetery Here. The . Ambassador to the Netherlands Cri m. Joseph presented her a plaque engraved in gratitude because you Al ways Kryger was hiding in a Cave close to her Home in Bergem to Blyt near maastricht when american soldiers liberated the area in september 1944. We were so scared she recalled but then so Happy when the american boys came. And i la never forget they were so careful to save our Young Christmas Trees in the she said several . Soldiers brought one of their wounded comrades to her Home. He died in my House. I wondered what can t do for these people and 1 promised myself i would always remember them and their families who gave them to save us. But i Only knew Many of the soldiers As Bill or Robert or James. I did t know How to write to their Kryger was among the first to Lay flow ers on the Graves of . Soldiers when the Battlefield cemetery was established Here in november 1944. I remember there were Only Small wooden crosses then Many thousands of them. It was impossible to go to All of the Graves so i adopted three to care the ones she chose belonged to men from Frankfort Ohio the Birthplace of the Soldier who had died in her Home. At that time there were about 15,000 buried Here and in the surrounding South cast lip of the Netherlands a farming area of rolling Hills and Green valleys. In 1948, Kryger was invited to Frank fort and stayed six months with families of her she said she made friends All Over America and though she failed to visit mar Gratin on memorial Day in 1948, she attended me Morial ceremonies in the states. In the More than three i cads since she has not missed a ceremony a widowed pensioner she lives in a Small apartment in Vlissingen Northwest of Antwerp. She makes the half Day Jour Ney to mar Gratin by train each year. I have no Garden now so i buy Flowers to bring Here she said As she made her pilgrimage to four Graves sunday morn " she finds it difficult now to walk on legs swollen by age and poor circulation. Though a steady drizzle soaked her cloth coat As she made her rounds she patiently arranged each bouquet beneath each of the four Marble crosses. Her wrinkled hands fumbled As she forced a few stems into the Earth at each White americans like Many colors of Flowers i know she said As she stooped slowly and Laid out Crimson golds oranges and purples. For the grave of a Soldier known but to god she had a bundle of White daisies. She has cared for As Many As 10 Graves at a Lime Over the years. I can t say no she said in a husky voice wheezing at the Effort of getting to her feet. Then Slie leaned against a Marble Marker adjusted a Bright Orange Scarf Over her thin Grey hair and aimed a camera at the decorated grave of her Soldier. She said she sends color photos to the families she Many of the relatives Are dead now. 1 won t be Here for Many More Mary Kryzer makes her annual pilgrimage with Flowers to the Netherlands american cemetery and memorial at mar Gratin. Wii memories come easily to him dutch vet recalls whispering army Margrate Netherlands is in 1940, a Young dutch sergeant named Paul jaspers fired his first shot at an enemy Soldier advancing across the Stone Bridge spanning the River Maas in his Hometown of Days later he was taken prisoner and transported to a Berlin area pow Camp where he remained for six months before being returned to the German occupied he and wife end Stra now live in Amsterdam they were visiting the maastricht Margrate area during memorial Day ceremonies at the Netherlands Ameri can cemetery , 61, said the War memories come 1 talk to my son. He always says a that was your War but i Tell him that we arc free now he is free because there arc Many boys dead. It is difficult for the Young. They do not know. They do not jaspers talked of eating Tulip bulbs be cause there was no recalled the fear of spies in the House next door and the exploits of the described How the dutch people re fused to turn in All their radios to the Ger mans and How they anxiously listened to the 7 . News from London. He remembered that most people had a map on the Wall and they followed the War s Progress with lacks and in september 1944. The Whis Pering army marched into maastricht. Jaspers said the is. Soldiers earned that nickname because they walked so quietly Many of them Barefoot because their shoes and boots had worn out. Others wrapped Burlap about their feet. When the americans came we threw up our arms in but some of the most indelible memories for jaspers Are those concerning Margra ten i saw the big Cartons hastily made mass containers of soldiers. And the dig Ging. When 1 saw it for the first time i thought it was not possible that so Many were a Lime after the liberation jaspers became a messenger for the . Army. I was Riding my Harley Davidson from the . Army to Belgium one Day in 1946. 1 passed a girl who was hitchhiking he said with a Grin. She became his wife. It was All so impossible he said his thoughts returning to the War. Somehow we just did t believe the germans would come Here even though Aachen and the Border arc Only minutes away. When i shot the Soldier in inc leg on the Maas Bridge. I said my god How is it possible " Paul Justn. My is difficult for the Young. They do nol know
