Airborne remembrance: flowerchildren of 1945 and the child-mayor

Suited up for the occasion the child- mayor of Renkum, Remi Bakker walked side by side with mayor Agnes Schaap to lay a wreath at the Airborne cemetery in Oosterbeek during the annual commemoration.

A special 75th, which is not the only why it was special. It was the first time that a child was present as mayor of Renkum and laid a wreath with the College of Mayor and Aldermen but also the first flower children were present.

Remi was kept informed during the ceremony by Alderman Verstand. On the side were some 20 elderly men and women with flowers in their hands. 74 years ago they were among the first flower children who laid flowers on the graves of the fallen during Operation Market Garden. The organisation traced them to lay flowers again this year

They were allowed to sit a while longer while, the much younger, Dutch, British and Polish schoolchildren went to 'their' war grave. Remi in the meanwhile walked with the College and a wreath to the big cross at the end of the cemetery.

After the wreath was laid, the college walked back to their seats but not Remi. Together with an employee of the municipality he made his way through the crowd to his classroom to lay flower on 'his' war grave.

When: "Hold up the flowers you brought" sounded, the flower children of 1945 were also in place and they held their flowers above the rest. Supporting each other they laid flowers on 'their' war grave.

The moment when hundreds of children hold up their flowers, turn around and lay the flowers, with the stems facing the stone, is the most impressive moment.

It is thé moment veterans are waiting for and what a sight it must have been this year, each grave contained flowers, not one excluded.

After Remi had laid a wreath with the College, he rushed to his classmates so he could lay his flowers together with all the flower children, including those of 1945