My mother was an 11 year old girl in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, in 1944. The 82nd Airborne Division was of course instrumental in liberating the city. One of the stories she just the other day told me again is of how she, her Dad and Mom, and some other people, were hiding in the basement of a house that was burning (I’m not sure if they were aware it was on fire). Suddenly the basement window opened and an American soldier stuck his head in and said, we thought there might be some people in here, let’s get you out. My grandfather and my mother were both injured in their legs because of a previous grenade explosion (and my grandfather received some of the first penicillin available also from the 82nd Airborne Division, thereby saving his leg). There were about three or four soldiers and they carried my grandfather and my mother on their backs, while my grandmother walked along. They asked where they wanted to go and took them to a friend’s house somewhere.
My mother and her family’s lives (and a few other people that were hiding with them) were saved that day by these selfless American soldiers, and she was hoping to somehow connect with any of them.
I know this might be a needle in a haystack, but if there's anyone out there who might know about this story, please let me know. Thank you!
