First American flag planted on D-Day arrives in the Nethrlands

On Thursday the National Military Museum in Soesterberg received the first American to be planted on D-Day in 1944. The flag is on loan from collector Bert Kreuk, who bought it at an auction for 500 thousand dollars.

The flag arrived at the Military Museum by Chinook helicopter, according to news wire ANP. A special ceremony was held in the presence of a number of veterans, after which soldiers presented the flag to Minister Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert of Defense.

"This flag should remind us that freedom should never be taken for granted. Together we must do our utmost to uphold the values for which the heroes of D-Day were willing to die", the Defense Minister said.

The flag was carried by U.S. Navy Ship LLC 60, which led the invasion in Normandy on June 6th, 1994. Commander of the landing craft Howard van der Beek, whose father was born in the Netherlands, had the flag in his possession until his death in 2014. The flag was then bought in an auction in June by Kreuk.

Kreuk loaned the flag to the museum, where it will be on display until the end of this year.