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What started as an assignment for a college course ended up turning into an international trip for Netherlands native Tim Overduin. His journey from Europe brought him stateside as he worked to complete a thesis project regarding World War II museums and veterans.
Not only did Overduin have an opportunity to visit with United States veterans, his journey also brought him to Ritzville to interview local veteran Rudy Thaut and also attend the annual Veterans Day assembly at Gilson Gym.
Overduin, 22, is in the process of obtaining his Bachelor’s degree in Cultural Heritage from Amsterdam University of the Arts. He completed his thesis project on Jan. 4, and now must defend his thesis in front of teachers and extern experts before he receives his final grade.
For Overduin, history has always been interesting to him and one of his favorite lessons in school. He noted while he enjoys history in general, he is especially interested in the military aspect.
During high school, Overduin developed an interest in the military history of WWII. After high school, he began collecting WWII artifacts and expanding his knowledge about the war.
In 2012, he made the decision to attend a WWII commemoration in the Netherlands. The first veteran he met was a British Airborne solider who served under John Frost at the Bridge in Arnhem.
The following year, Overduin attended a book presentation where three 101st airborne veterans were present. After meeting the veterans and exchanging contact information, he began to develop an interest in learning about other countries involved in the war.
Overduin said his collection of artifacts continued to grow and he turned his focus to the U.S. forces. He attended multiple memorials where American veterans were present, and expanded his knowledge on WWII and the U.S. forces.
After beginning college and knowing he needed to complete a thesis before graduation, Overduin quickly decided to use his passion for WWII history and veterans to complete the project.
Overduin explained in his thesis, he compares three U.S. WWII museums to three Dutch WWII museums. While in the U.S., Overduin visited the National WWII Museum, the National Museum of the Pacific War and the United States Holocaust Museum.
The trip was based around the chance to visit those three museums, Overduin said, but he contacted multiple friends he had been in contact with since their introduction at past WWII ceremonies. He also sent letters to veterans he had met and asked for an opportunity to meet with and interview them.
Overduin said his trip quickly fell into place based on the availability of his friends and the veterans. He explained the trip basically planned itself, and he set off for his first trip to the U.S.
After arriving in San Antonio, California, Overduin traveled to Spokane were he spent eight days with friends. He would then continue on to New Orleans, Nashville, Washington, D.C., and New Castle, Delaware.
During his stay with friends in Spokane, Overduin learned about the Veterans Day assembly in Ritzville. He agreed to attend the ceremony, as he believed it would be beneficial to his project and also set up an interview with a local veteran.
Overduin had the opportunity to sit down with Rudy Thaut, and he said the experience and story is one he will not forget. Thaut had been a Prisoner of War (POW) in a Japanese prison camp during WWII.
“I’ve heard about Japanese prison camps before, because the Dutch Indies (now Indonesia) were occupied by the Japanese and they imprisoned the Dutch people,” Overduin said. “I was shocked when I heard Rudy was three years in a Japanese POW camp, because I’ve heard about the horrors of those camps. So it was very special for me to meet Rudy and listen to his story.”
Overduin said there are multiple differences with how veterans are recognized in the Netherlands versus the U.S. He stated the Netherlands does not have veteran recognition ceremonies, and veterans are only recognized briefly during the National Commemoration ceremony on television.
Since starting work at the National Military Museum in the Netherlands, Overduin said he has been fortunate to meet veterans and active duty soldiers.
Overduin added he has always been interested in WWII because, “Those veterans are living heritage in my opinion. They all fought for the freedom that we live in today, and they live to tell about it. I won’t forget those brave men and women, and I want to tell others about the price of freedom. We may never forget that freedom has a price, but unfortunately I see many people live like they don’t care.”
Overduin said his trip to the U.S. left him inspired by the people he met, overwhelmed by the museums and in awe of the beauty of the country. He hopes to return to America in order to interview more WWII veterans and individuals who were alive during WWII to learn about their experiences on the home front.
“What I’ve taken from this trip is that we need to collect as many stories from people that lived during WWII, because time is running out.”
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