D-Day flag displayed in Rotterdam museum
An important American flag from the Second World War will be displayed in the Kunsthal in Rotterdam for two weeks, starting Monday. The D-Day flag flew on landing ship LCC 60 on 6 June 1944, the only landing ship that managed to reach Utah Beach during the Allied invasion of Normandy. According to experts, this is one of the most important objects of the invasion that is still in private hands, RTL Nieuws reports.
Rotterdam art collector Bert Kreuk bought the flag in 2014 for over 450 thousand euros. "It is one of the most important flags in existence. It is a sign of the liberation and the sacrifices that have been made. The symbolism appealed to me", he said in an interview, according to the broadcaster.
With the 75th anniversary of D-Day coming up, Kreuk decided to donate the flag to the United States. That's where the 'stars and stripes' belong, he said. Until recently, the flag was displayed in the National Military Museum in Soest.
The flag will be brought to the Kunsthal with a military guard, and will be received there by Minister Ank Bijleveld of Defense and Pete Hoekstra, the American ambassador to the Netherlands. The flag will be displayed in the museum until February 17th According to Hoekstra, president Donald Trump may come to the Netherlands to receive Kreuk's donation.
