Mr. Evert van de Poll, owner of the Van Gelder Group, the infrastructure partner of the Netherlands, recently turned 80.For his birthday, he had set up a campaign in which his guests could make a donation to 2 charities. In the context of his 80th birthday and living in freedom for 80 years, one of these charities became our foundation. 80 years of freedom must be celebrated and everyone must be aware of this luxury. Our freedom has cost many…
Thank you for continuing to honor the men we lost during that river crossing in September 1944. It was an honor to participate in the march as the designated veteran on 25 June 2025. All the way! John WhiteColonel, RetiredUS Army
Dear Sunset March Team Thank you so very much for the honour of allowing our group of sons, daughters, and other relatives of the Canadian liberators of the Netherlands to partake in the emotional and meaningful Sunset March on April 30th, 2025. Particularly for me as the daughter of a Canadian Veteran, and as a Canadian Veteran myself, it was a privilege to have been selected to lead the “In Our Fathers’ Footsteps” contingent in this poignant act of remembrance….
What a solemn honor to join the Sunset March on 1 April 2025. The 82d Airborne Division was my first assignment as a US Army Chaplain in the late ’90s. I have jumped many times on the Drop Zone at Fort Bragg named in the memory of those tough, courageous paratroopers who captured the bridge over the Waal River vicinity Nijmegen during Operation Market Garden. Thank you, Peter and team, for keeping their memory alive. I commit to carrying the…
Dear Chairman of the Sunset March organization, Peter,On behalf of all of us, thank you for taking the time to share the story of the Sunset March with us and joining us for the walk. We were all deeply moved by the experience.Thank you.Jayne Yeo (VAC/ACC)International Commemorative EventsCommemoration DivisionVeterans Affairs Canada
I definitely had some issues with the language barrier, but it was great to have a chance to do the walk. Please pass along my thanks to your entire group. My father was aware of the support from the people of The Netherlands and he was very appreciative of it. He always wanted to return here someday, but he never got the chance. It meant a lot to me to be able to come in his place. Alan Driver
North Shore Legacy Tour: 80th Anniversary of D-Day On June first 2024 our 273 canadian students, teachers and local tour guides participated in the daily Sunset March held in Nijmegen at the place the Waalcrossing took place on September 20th 1944. Each evening a veteran walks the same route using the newly build bridge call The Crossing. 48 lamppost join the veteran and all the participants from south to north on its way to the famour town of Arnhem. Both…
Leading the Sunset March as the Veteran of the Day alongside fellow veterans from Norway, the Netherlands, and Canada is both an honor and a tribute to those who sacrificed their lives crossing the Waal River. The march and the ceremony at the memorial stones are profoundly moving moments to remember our fallen comrades and to reflect on the value of peace today. Peace requires continuous effort and investment from society and government, but the cost of war is far…
Thank You! It was an honour to serve as the Veteran of the Day for the Sunset March. As a former member of the 8th Canadian Hussars with a number of WW2 8th Hussars buried in Groesbeek and the grandson of a soldier who served with the Canadian Scottish Regiment buried in Groesbeek, taking part was incredibly meaningful for me and my family. Thank you Team Sunset March and Team31. Sean Wallace
Sir, Good morning! As a proud veteran of the 82nd Airborne Division’s 2nd Battalion 325th AIR and 2nd Battalion 505th PIR, it was an honor and privilege to do the Sunset March. The Dutch do not forget! I wish I could express how humbling and honorable that is. It means everything. Most Americans seem to have forgotten that those men traded all of their tomorrows for our today. The Dutch don’t forget and in doing so, honor themselves and all…