75 year commemoration
On Thursday, September 19th 2019, we are organizing a veterans day on our basecamp DZA Vlagheide.
In cooperation with the Nederland-Amerika Foundation we are expecting to welcome around 20 World War II veterans! Among them we hope to welcome 101st Airborne veteran Vincent Speranza.
The day will start with honoring the veterans from the post-World War II conflicts, who also deserve to be recognized and thanked for their service.
Recently we presented to the authorities a concept plan for our convoys routes and we have been granted permission to finalize this. In March 2019 this plan will be finished and presented.
Our start in Leopoldsburg, Belgium, will add to the historical character of our event and we will be received as liberators, something you do not want to miss out on!
Our finish in Nijmegen on September 22nd will be very spectacular too. With historical boats the Waal river will be crossed by our Operation Market Garden re-enactment groups.
The amphibious vehicles will also be there to show their capabilities on the river. The municipality of Nijmegen has given us full cooperation and we are expecting the same from Rijkswaterstaat.
The precise location of this spectacle will be communicated at a later date.
Proudly we present our committee of recommendation for the Operation Market Garden 2019 foundation. The members of our committee value the remembrance of Operation Market Garden they provide invaluable assistance to our event.
Not just the burgomasters of all the municipalities through which we drive on our convoy days are part of the committee. The Commissioner of the King for the province of Gelderland and the Commissioner of the King for the province of Noord-Brabant as well as the Governor of the Belgian province of Limburg have elected to join.
The Inspector General of the Dutch Armed Forces and the Deputy Commander of the 13th Light Brigade complete the committee.
Click here for a full list of all the members.
We really appreciate the effort of the committee to make Operation Market Garden 2019 a success.
At the time of writing over 250 vehicles and 580 participants have signed up for our event. With just 9 months to go we are well on our way of organizing an even bigger event than in 2014!
If you have not registered yet there still is time but do not wait to long because we are going to reach our limit! For more information, visit our Registration page.
At our event all Allied vehicles from World War II are allowed, not just those from the UK or USA. If you want to bring a German vehicle then you can only display it on our basecamp, it is not possible to participate in our convoys with it.
If you want to bring heavy equipment like tanks please contact us to discuss the details with regards to loading and unloading. For a limited number of participants with this equipment we can offer some compensation in the costs. Please contact us at info@omg2019.nl to discuss the details.
Recently a definitive agreement was made with the municipality of Meijerijstad with regards of the location of our base camp. Originally our plan was to use the same location as in 2014, directly on the corridor to Veghel. Unfortunately due to recent redevelopment plans this was no longer possible.
However the chosen alternative is just as good, in fact it’s even better! On the terrain of the former Dropzone-A directly behind the Koeveringsedijk we will make use of a lightly wooded terrain with roads. It is a beautiful location, close to the windmill at Eerde and it offers us the possibility to build stunning displays. The name of our new location: DZA Vlagheide.
On this exact location the 3rd battalion of the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment / 101st Airborne descended by parachute on the afternoon of September 17th, 1944. This regiment had to capture the bridges at Veghel and secure the access roads, which ran through Eerde. This little village would be the location of a bloody battle later on in the operation.
