“I hope you realize you were also among the founders of freedom and democracy in Europe..”

HISTORIC!   American Rosie the Riveters Thanked by Belgium

Thank you West Virginia Rosies for attending this Historic Event to hear this Historic Speech by a Woman who represents one of the Countries You Worked to Liberate!

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Thanks! Plain and Simple held a historic event on Nov, 7th, 2009, when the first WWII allied nation - Belgium - thanked American Rosies, at our invitation, with West Virginia women present and on West Virginia soil. Further, the speech given by the Belgium Embassy's representative, Lt. Colonel Martine Dierckx, is historic in content, context and mutual compassion and camaraderie.

Lt. Colonel Martine Dierckx, thanks some of the remaining Rosies.

"Did you know that in Belgium, there is a tradition of honoring American graves on Memorial Day? More than 14,000 American soldiers are buried in three U.S. military cemeteries in Belgium, which are kept in pristine condition. Schools “adopt” graves. They research the background of the soldier, place flowers on the grave and meet with next of kin. "

News stories about this event.   Full Text of Speech.   Comments.


Henri-Chapelle , Belgium . 7,992 U.S. military burried there.

The American Cemetery at Ardennes , Belgium . 5,329 burried.
Flanders Field , Belgium . 368 burried.
Letter sent by Jan Matthysen, Embassador of Belgium, to the people of West Virginia, prior to the event.

 

REMARKS TO THE “ROSIES”, SHEPHERDSTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA
NOVEMBER 7, 2009
By Lt. Colonel Martine Diercx, Belgian Embassy, Washington
“Belgium Thanks American Rosie the Riveters”

Ladies and Gentlemen,

One of the most binding ties between Belgium and the United States was woven by history /sixty-five years ago: in Belgium it is known as the Campaign for the Ardennes; in the United States you know it as the Battle of the Bulge –one of the deadliest battles of World War II.

I arrived in Washington in 2007 and in the last two years, I have had the privilege of speaking on many occasions with veterans of the Battle of the Bulge. It is always interesting to me to hear their stories, to listen to them recount their experiences in my country. When I tell them that Belgium will never forget their courage and their sacrifice, I mean it from the heart.

Today is my first opportunity to speak with Rosies. Ladies, I look forward to shaking hands with each of you and to hearing your individual stories. I want to thank Anne Montague. In her dedication to gather the stories of West Virginia’s Rosies, she shows us what role citizens can play in activating memory, in preserving the heritage of the past to guide the future

I mentioned that I have met a number of veterans of the Battle of the Bulge. Their contribution to the lasting peace achieved in Europe has rightfully been memorialized both in the United States and in Europe.

Did you know that in Belgium, there is a tradition of honoring American graves on Memorial Day? More than 14,000 American soldiers are buried in three U.S. military cemeteries in Belgium, which are kept in pristine condition. Schools “adopt” graves. They research the background of the soldier, place flowers on the grave and meet with next of kin.

These traditions are important and I hope that they continue forever. We need to remember those who fought and those who died. But there are others who should be remembered also. As the years pass and as we gain perspective on World War II through the research, books, films, and stories that have come out, we all realize more and more that “The Greatest Generation” isn’t only about soldiers. Nor is it only about men.

Slowly, but surely, stories about the crucial role played by women during World War II are emerging.

I was born after the war, and my generation is used to speed in communication. We can send a message on our cell phones and we can let people across the world know of an experience we are having before it is even over. I know from personal experience, however, that it has not always been so easy to tell and share stories.

My parents survived World War I and World War II, but basically refused to talk about the war with their children. My father was a prisoner-of-war and my mother, who lived on a farm, had to replace the men who had been deported and imprisoned. My parents never provided the details to me. Some of their stories are just too painful to share.

There is, of course, not an exact parallel between the American and the Belgian war experience. Belgium, as you know, was occupied for almost all of World War II. In Belgium, as in the United States, many women – like my mother—must have been expected to do work that would ordinarily have been done by men.

When preparing these remarks, I asked a colleague in Belgium what tributes have been paid to honor Belgian women who worked on the home front from 1939 to 1945. I still haven’t received an answer. I fear that the answer will probably be “none.” I did learn, however, that about a year ago, a Belgian scholar at a university in Belgium began a study on the 30,000 Belgian women who were deported to Germany to work for the enemy’s war machine. The realization that these women have stories that should be told and that should be kept as part of our history has come late, but hopefully not too late.

These stories are important and, Rosies, your stories are important.

My career as a woman in the military has afforded me a special perspective on what you have accomplished. I am one of nine children. Growing up, the career options that seemed to be open to me were to become a housewife, or a nurse, or a teacher. That’s what my sisters chose. My brothers chose the military, which was a source of great pride to my family. I wanted to share in that pride, I also wanted to do what the boys did and so I too joined the military.

This experience of moving beyond society’s expectations is something that I feel I share with the Rosies. In a way, the Rosies made this possible for my generation. They showed the world that they could not only do men’s work, they could do it well. In their response to the call of their country, they also provided a lesson of strength and courage. Some Rosies were called upon to learn new skills –in mechanics, or engineering or aviation, – as training for their jobs. You did jobs that were not traditional for women. As a woman, I appreciate how your work changed forever the perception of what women are capable of.

As a member of military, I understand and appreciate the need for quality materiel. I know the level of precision that is involved in the defense industry. What you produced was vital to the Allied cause.

Belgium was certainly one of the countries that benefited from your efforts. And that is why I am so honored to be with you today. It is truly a privilege to be one of the first Belgians to say “Thank You” to the Rosies.

Rosies, as you reflect on the many achievements of your lives, I hope you take pride in what you accomplished for the War effort and I hope that you realize that you were also among the founders of freedom and democracy in Europe. Your work clearly had an international dimension and Belgium is very proud to add its voice to those who have expressed gratitude to you.

Thank you very much.

PUBLIC COMMENTS ON SPEECH BY BELGIUM’S LT. COL. MARTNE DIERCKX
TITLED, “THANK YOU, ROSIES”
Delivered on Nov. 7, 2009, Shepherdstown, WV.
If you would like to hold a public discussion of this speech, please call 304 / 776-4743.

Comments about this historic event were submitted by various historians and citizens by invitation and are the opinions of their respective writers. Comments are in the sequence they arrived:

  1. Barbara Humes, daughter of Mable Humes, a Rosie:  Jefferson County, WV
  2. Agust Gudmundsson, former political consultant, writer: WV
  3. Ken Hechler, World War II correspondent, statesman:  Charleston, WV
  4. Marlene Caroselli, Ph.D, Leadership Development Specialist:  Pittsfield, NY
  5. Bob Patrick, Director, Veterans History Project, Library of Congress, Washington
  6. Dorothy Finn, ** Rosie the Riveter **, St. Albans, WV
  7. Gloria McCormick, ** Rosie the Riveter **, Charles Town, WV
  8. Hanno Kirk, Ph.D, Lewisburg, WV
  9. Tijah Bumgarner, Videographer, Meadow Bridge, WV
  10. Betty Monnig, Lead Volunteer for Thanks! Plain and Simple
  11. Anne Montague, Exec. Dir., Thanks! Plain and Simple

COMMENT 1:   by Barbara Humes, daughter of a Rosie, greater Martinsburg, WV, Nov. 24, 2009  (Present during the speech)


Anne: 
When  I heard Lt. Col. Dierckx’s speech I was struck by how well she made the  connection between the European war experience and the support of  American women in the factories who were also part of the war  experience.   She, herself, as a female military person of today's  generation, exemplified the "can do" spirit that the Rosies  exemplified a generation earlier. 

There are many cemeteries  containing the graves of American soldiers in Europe.  There is an  intercontinental connection because of WW II.   For Belgium to step  out and recognize the American women of the war effort is historic.  

Unlike European women who were suffering in a war torn land, the  United States was not under attack, our factories were functioning  and American women were able to "man" those factories.   I though her  speech was cogent, intelligent, and served as a reminder that we need  to never forget the lessons of history and who our friends really are.

- Barbara Humes, Daughter of a West Virginia Rosie, greater Martinsburg area

COMMENT 2:   by Agust Gudmundsson, Marlinton, WV, December 6, 2009 


I think the average American does not know the following:
Did you know that in Belgium, there is a tradition of honoring American graves on Memorial Day?   More than 14,000 American soldiers are buried in three U.S. military cemeteries in Belgium, which are kept in pristine condition.  Schools “adopt” graves.  They research the background of the soldier, place flowers on the grave and meet with next of kin.
I liked that she personalized her presentation. 
My parents survived World War I and World War II, but basically refused to talk about the war with their children.  My father was a prisoner-of-war and my mother, who lived on a farm, had to replace the men who had been deported and imprisoned.  My parents never provided the details to me.  Some of their stories are just too painful to share.
With the above personalization she makes our Rosies comfortable and reminds their future ancestors that, when she gave this speech, Martine Diercx sincerely honored them on that day in November. She adds perspective by reminding us that we may only recently have thought about women’s contributions to global freedom.
As the years pass and as we gain perspective on World War II through the research, books, films, and stories that have come out, we all realize more and more that “The Greatest Generation” isn’t only about soldiers.  Nor is it only about men.
I think that the efforts of Thanks! To honor the Rosies will be an inspiration for those who also think the ladies – all over the world – should not be forgotten.
When preparing these remarks, I asked a colleague in Belgium what tributes have been paid to honor Belgian women who worked on the home front from 1939 to 1945.  I still haven’t received an answer. I fear that the answer will probably be “none.”
The closing of her speech, declaring the Rosies as “founders of freedom” is probably one of the most profound statements I have ever read from any person who today is enjoying the freedom fought for and earned by the great generation the Rosies represent.
Belgium was certainly one of the countries that benefited from your efforts.  And that is why I am so honored to be with you today.  It is truly a privilege to be one of the first Belgians to say “Thank You” to the Rosies.

Rosies, as you reflect on the many achievements of your lives, I hope you take pride in what you accomplished for the War effort and I hope that you realize that you were also among the founders of freedom and democracy in Europe.  Your work clearly had an international dimension and Belgium is very proud to add its voice to those who have expressed gratitude to you.

COMMENT 3:   by Dr. Ken Hechler, Statesman, Charleston, WV 

Belgium Thanks American Rosies:
A New Avenue to A Clearer Future
 
I deeply hope that humankind learns across generations and genders, so I offer my thoughts about Lt. Colonel Martine Dierckx’s speech, delivered November 7th, 2009 at Shepherd Univ.  She spoke to West Virginia “Rosie the Riveters” who were born not long after me, which was 1914.  Young adults were also present, as were the mid-aged children of these women.  

The event was historic.  Until that day, no allied nation had thanked American women who worked “on the home front” in World War II in defense jobs that were usually “men’s work.”  Their contribution was critical in our winning World War II.

My comments on this speech are influenced by my World War II experiences. I was drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II, graduated from Officer Candidate School and was a combat historian in the European Theatre.  After the war, I interviewed many defendants before the Nuremburg Trials, and I was White House Assistant to President Harry Truman from 1949 to 1953.  In the 50s, I wrote a book about the capture of the Ludenforff  Bridge over the Rhine River at Remagen, Germany, by the 9th Armored Division infantry-tank force, which became a movie in the late ‘60s.  

Now to her speech.  Lt. Colonel Dierckx expressed herself.   She is a modern woman who understands the human struggle, and she genuinely appreciates these women and their seminal work.  She connects to us by showing us that:
1.    Her roots are deeper because of her people’s struggle for freedom. Without explicit detail, we see that her family and her country have been shaped – and hurt -- by this grave war.    
2.    Belgians appreciate Americans, as people, because we have helped them gain freedom.  This seems an opening to us to build stronger ties, with women as full participants.
3.    She is looking for evidence of women’s “home front” effort in Belgian.  We seem to have opened an avenue for her nation to look for Belgian women’s contribution.
4.    She relates to West Virginians and our Rosies.  This helps us, a small and often ignored state, to do work that exemplifies what America is, can do and will do.
5.    She values precision in work.  She tells us about her respect for the technical demands of defense by valuing Rosies’ high-quality manufacturing and production.  This common understanding of quality is important to our cooperation with Belgium in the future..
6.    “War is hell!”  She accepts this AND that the enduring human spirit includes women’s contributions. 
7.     Pulling together is possible.  We will remember how and why we pulled together, and we will reinvent ways to pull together in the future. 
8.    “Thank you, Rosies” is spoken by her as a commitment.  Woman to woman, we feel that the camaraderie between the women present that day – the speaker, the Rosies and Anne Montague who opened the way for this historic event - come together to bond us all.

I don’t feel that Lt. Col. Dierckx is driven by the emergency that we have lost 6.5 decades so this is a last chance to thank the “Rosies.”  Her pace is as comforting as her words are sincere.  Her dignity as an officer is not from higher rank but from her respect for these women and the job they have done.  As she brings personal experience to the horrors of war and to women’s struggles she is not impatient or strident.  She shows solid strength that will endure, while she is clearly determined to connect to these women now.

Let me clarify something.  I am not implying that allied nations have been lax by not thanking these American women before now.  Look what happened when Thanks! Plain and Simple presented Belgium with an avenue to thank our Rosies – Belgians immediately responded with depth and clarity.   Many advances in society occur simply when someone creates a new way for people to participate in change.  Thanks! Plain and Simple, a West Virginia nonprofit organization, created an opening for an allied nation to thank these women, then they offered the opening to Belgians, first.  The result is a historic moment for humankind’s ongoing struggle for equality, as well as freedom.  

This speech is a piece of the puzzle of what we humans are and can be.  We should be looking for a clearer picture of the human family to know where we are going.  Her speech fits with the historic event that is part of a larger picture, and these connected pieces fit with other pieces to help us see how both genders and many generations can guide us better to connect the pieces of the puzzle that is humankind.  
   
Finally, I am proud to be a West Virginian who is commenting on this event and its central message.  We West Virginians are humble people who believe in America at her best.

I remain a loyal and hopeful servant.
 
 

COMMENT 4:   by Dr.  Marlene Caroselli, Ph.D., Pittsfield, NY, December 07, 2009


Sometimes, ironically, we see ourselves most clearly through the eyes 
of other people. And so it is that the definition of America is  sharpened through the vocal prism of Lieutenant Colonel Martine Dierckx, assistant defense attaché with  the Belgium Embassy.

She writes:
Did you know that in Belgium, there is a tradition of honoring  American graves on Memorial Day? More than 14,000 American soldiers  are buried in three U.S. military cemeteries in Belgium, which are kept in pristine condition. Schools "adopt" graves. They research the background of the soldier, place flowers on  the grave and meet with next of kin.
My thoughts:

This Belgium tradition is probably not known to many Americans, even  those whose parents or grandparents fought the Battle of the Bulge.  To realize the respect and appreciation of schoolchildren in a foreign land is to wonder if such a tradition could be started in America, so sacrifices in the name of freedom will never be forgotten.

Lieutenant Colonel Dierckx's stirring words help us better see the image of America held by people far, far away. People with long memories and deep awareness of patriots willing to give their lives for those on another shore.
 

COMMENT 5:   by Bob Patrick, Veterans History Project Director; Library of Congress, Washington, DC, December 7th, 2009

I think this marks a very important occasion with the “Rosies’ contributions being recognized in this way.

Keep up the good work! The pride of the West Virginia ‘Rosies’ flows through the way they are relating their very interesting stories.  You are honoring them and are performing a great service to West Virginia, the nation and, most importantly, these wonderful women who served so well during WWII. 

COMMENT 6:   by Dot Finn, Rosie the Riveter who worked in Point Pleasant, WV in a chemical lab, St. Albans, WV, Dec. 11, 2009

What an inspiration was to to have a military officer from Belgium speak before a group in Shepherdstown, West Virginia on Nov. 7, 2009, thanking the United States for our contribution for a lasting peace in Belgium.

She reminds us of the 14,000 soldiers that sacrificed their lives in the Battle of the Bulge.  She noted that the Belgium school children honor those soldiers by placing flowers on their graves on memorial Day.  Belgium women were deported to Germany to work for the enemy!

She thanked the Rosies for their contribution toward the war effort and that they helped in the founding of freedom and democracy in Europe.   This is right and it is, personally, very important to me.  

COMMENT 7:  by Gloria McCormick, Rosie the Riveter, Charles Town, WV, November 15, 2009    (Present during the speech) 


It was outstanding.  I never dreamed I would be part of something so much a part of ME!


COMMENT 8:  by Hanno Kirk, Ph.D., LICSW, Psychologist, Lewisburg, WV, Dec. 12, 2009    

The fact that Lieutenant Colonel Martine Dierckx, assistant defense attaché with  the Belgian Embassy felt that it was worthwhile to recall and honor the efforts of Rosie the Riveters some 50 years after the war ended is a reminder of their critical role American war production. 

Without their wholehearted participation on the home front, the war might indeed have lasted longer, and the countries suffering under Nazi occupation would not have been liberated until later.  That's why we owe them all a debt of gratitude.

COMMENT 9:  by Tijah Bumgarner, Videographer, Meadow Bridge, WV Nov. 29, 2009   (Present during speech)

This was an excellent presentation, and I am fortunate to have video taped it.  She spoke directly to the harts of the “Rosies” who were present and to the audience.  She shows appreciation for women.  Everyone in the room appreciated her words and the way she had been affected by World War II.   She reached out and she had something to give.  It wasn’t about status.  It was about knowing there is something more.

COMMENT 10:  by Betty Monnig, Lead Volunteer for Thanks! Plain and Simple, South Charleston, WV, Dec. 7, 2009  (Present during speech).

This speech does not have to stand the test of time to be historic.  Her words are powerfully relevant after more than three generations since American Rosies contributed what they could for freedom.

I am just glad that it was given while some of our Rosies can know about it and feel that Lt. Col. Dierckx’s message is spoken from her heart as a woman whose home and home land knew that war.

The event was historic.  The speech lived up to being the main message.   Not many delivering a speech that was 64 years late could have bonded with the people it was intended to thank.   She did a great job, because it is clear that she understood that it was she who was thankful.  

COMMENT 11:  by Anne Montague, Exec. Dir., Thanks! Plain and Simple, who offered Belgium the opportunity to be the first allied nation to thank American Rosies, Dec. 13, 2009  (Present during speech)

There are no clichés in this speech.  “Freedom” as she uses it is a need that humans never quit seeking to understand and achieve, and the cost can be immense.

The sorrow of war, especially one that devastates one’s homeland, is clear from her first words.  Yet, somehow, Lt. Colonel Dierckx’s overall tone and message are not hopeless or even melancholy.  This warm woman, with her firm grounding as a military officer and diplomat, immediately unified those of us who were present.   Across our different in ages, roles and genders, we Americans felt a bond with Belgium’s respect  for the struggle for freedom.  

Many ask me why I chose Belgium as the first allied nation to offer the opportunity to thank American Rosie the Riveters.   True, Belgium is the home of NATO and the European Union, but I chose Belgium more from intuition than from reason or such facts.  These seem important in my choice:
  • I have heard over my lifetime about the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium’s frozen forested Ardennes mountains at the last Christmas before the end of World War II.   I was five years old, but I remember people’s grave talk of Hitler’s fast, surprise attack “on the western front.”  
  • Belgians I have met are openly and deeply appreciative of Americans for our help, even now, 64 years after the war. 
  • My friend from Holland, Roel Kraumhout, who lives in Beverly, Massachusetts, talks of the great struggle of “the low countries” during World War II.   He wrote me recently, “Don’t call Belgium a small country - the county and its people are grand in every other way.”
  • When I was 13, a Belgian woman who had come to Wayne County after marrying a West Virginia soldier, lived with us a short time before she returned to Belgium with two little boys.   She was intelligent and caring – a combination that seems to me worth striving for.  I still wonder what happened to her.
That the Belgium Embassy chose to send Lt. Colonel Dierckx’s that day is a major reason that Belgium has turned out to be a excellent choice.   She started with facts that many did not know about Belgium’s appreciation for Americans.  For example, she said, “More than 14,000 American soldiers are buried in three U.S. military cemeteries in Belgium, which are kept in pristine condition.  Schools ‘adopt’ graves.  They research the background of the soldier, place flowers on the grave and meet with next of kin.”

After connecting this way to Americans, she connected to our West Virginia Rosies who represented American Rosies that day.  She said that her father was a prisoner-of-war, neither of her parents would talk about the war, she moved beyond society’s expectations by choosing a military career, “Rosies” helped make choices available to women today by doing mechanics, engineering and other jobs vacated by men during the war.  In the end, she said to these West Virginia women, “Your work clearly had an international dimension.  You are among the founders of freedom and democracy in Europe.”   

Since then, Rosies who have read the speech as well as those who  were present have told us that the highlights were Lt. Col. Diertcx’s stories about women or families.  For example, Dot Finn of St. Alban said, “I can’t imagine being a woman prisoner-of- war forced to build weapons for my captors to kill my family.”   My feelings were so deep I could hardly reply to this fine lady who worked in a TNT factory in Point Pleasant.  

Lt. Col. Dierckx’s speech set a deep and strong tone for our underlying theme.  The tone of that historic event was not war, but the mutual struggle of the human family to get to freedom with all participating in its rewards, responsibilities and search for openings.  

I think of the vast changes I have seen in my 70 years, and that America claims that we are in the Age of Communications, from advances in technology.  Yet, as a society, we are not hearing those whose experiences have been hard won and should be prized.  

Our challenge to present the Rosies stories and the women, themselves, in ways that people can really hear and understand them.   This speech helps us show that it is not just the Rosies who remember the importance of their work, but it is those very allies whose people and lands that America was defending who are recognizing their importance.

Lt. Col. Dierckx is not strident or a feminist in this speech. She is a woman connecting to many kinds of people by talking to women who are two generations older than she.   This is a new avenue for communicating, and with it, we believe that people will hear and understand better into the future. 

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