Devastation of War

The devastation in the village of Opheusden was massive. 160 dwellings were beyond repair and another 193 were heavily damaged but repairable. Also, the area was covered with unexploded shells, dead animals and the remains of many soldiers and civilians who lost their life months earlier. Because of the risk of disease, many of the bodies were quickly buried at the loss of accurate identification. This is why Captain Froemke remains were accidently buried in a mass German grave. Below is a main road of the village, Dorpsstraat, as in looked in 1945 when civilians returned to their homes. Below that picture are American soldiers of the 10lst crossing the bridge over the Linge Canal in the village of Valburg in October, 1944. This village was about eight miles east of Opheusden.