Page 56 - Discover Spring 2021
P. 56
Reign of Terror CONTINUED
Although news regarding the war was She remembered one soldier in
kept from the people, updates managed to particular who was from Washington State,
leak out and were passed word of mouth from and had come to visit her and George after his
one household to the next. The word was that wife died.
Germany was losing the war, and would soon
surrender. Such news also typically reaches the “He was always so quiet. I didn’t
ears of children, no matter how careful parents think we would see him once he went back
try to be. Perhaps that is what made Tini, who home. But he told us he would come with his
was now nearly eleven years old, brave enough grandchildren, and he did.”
to say to a soldier as she passed him in the Over the years she has kept in touch
street, “There is nothing to eat anymore in with several others of the soldiers who
Germany.” liberated her town. One was from California,
With those words the soldier, furious another from Ohio, and another from New
by the cheekiness of the child, reached out Orleans. The men from Ohio and New Orleans
and slapped her in the face. Obviously, she also came to visit her family.
was speaking the truth and that is why he was Besides the joy and gratitude of
so upset. Also, perhaps she said it a bit more being liberated from the hated Nazis, Tini
jubilantly than the soldier liked. remembers the GIs passing out candy to the
Then, one day, as quickly as they had children, even throwing it from the train
come, the Germans left, raiding the belongings windows as they rode through town. Also, she
of the townspeople one last time before said, it was the first time that she had ever
leaving, and then destroying all the bridges. tasted white bread when the Americans came.
It seemed to be a memory that was even more
“A river runs through the town,” Tini pleasant than the chocolate that the soldiers
explained “so every house had a bridge to it. had passed out.
The Germans blew them all up.”
The war ended with the unconditional
On the heels of the Germans’ retreat, surrender of Germany in May of 1945. At
in September, 1944, the Americans lumbered about that same time, two of the townspeople
into view with tanks that were too large to were shot for spying on their fellow townsmen,
pass through the “gates” leading into town. while some others had their heads shaved, to
So, the liberation of Valkenburg by the 30th shame them for their behavior toward their
Infantry Division was delayed by a couple of fellow countrymen during the occupation.
hours, until they found a way to bring the
motorcade into town. Tini and George have been back to
Valkenburg several times since the war ended.
A German sniper had stayed behind Tini has nieces and nephews still living there.
long enough to kill the first American soldier But, she says, “My family is here in the USA.”
to cross the bridge that day, Tini said. But he
was caught. As you can imagine, the people Tini and George have three daughters:
celebrated the arrival of the American troops Zita who lives in Richmond, Rose who lives in
and welcomed them into their homes. Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, and Lisa, who is
a resident of Smith Mountain Lake and works
“Many times there were four or five at Bayside Marina. Tini also has one surviving
American soldiers in our house at one time,” brother still in Holland who is 88 years old.
Tini said. “They would bring food and my
mother would cook for them.”
54 Discover Smith Mountain Lake SPRING 2021
