Nuenen suddenly has three more war heroes: James, Alberto and Quentin. These American soldiers died on 20 September 1944 during the liberation of the village. The names were discovered earlier this year during an investigation by the Ministry of Defence.
Eighty years after their death, they will finally receive a tribute in Nuenen. On 20 September, a plaque with their names will be unveiled in the presence of an entire delegation from the American army and various relatives of the soldiers.
James O’Laughlin was a sergeant, Alberto Garcia and Quentin Prussman were paratroopers. Where and how they died was a mystery to their relatives for decades. It was known that they left a young family behind in their homeland. A researcher at the Ministry of Defense came across the names in ‘WW2 after battle reports’, a kind of military archive in the United States.
Honour cord
In addition to the recently discovered liberators, three other Dutch-American soldiers who lost their lives during Operation Market Garden will be honoured. They are Robert van Klinken, Clifford Buren and Leo van Erdeweyk.
These soldiers had Dutch parents, but grew up in the United States. They were sent to Europe during their military service. They too lost their lives during Market Garden in our region. The three soldiers will be posthumously awarded the Oranje Erekoord (orange honour cord).
Joe Mann
The famous war hero Joe Mann will also be commemorated in Nuenen. He threw himself on a grenade to save his comrades. He will be honoured with the Oranje Erekoord, just like the other six. Acting Mayor Madeleine van Toorenburg will pay tribute to the seven special young men in an appropriate manner.
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Bob
