IOFF HQ Dispatch #4 - October 2024 |
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Hello! Fall is gradually making its way into our weather forecasts and it won’t be long before we see its festive show!
Thanksgiving is just around the corner. A celebration of family and food, it’s also a time to reflect on our cherished peace and freedom.
In Our Fathers’ Footsteps is a wonderful opportunity to honour those who provided this gift. Have you booked your trip? Shared your plan with family and friends? Set any goals? Wishing you and your loved ones a Happy Thanksgiving.
The IOFF Team |
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BOOK IOFF 2025 NOW! It's easy as 1-2-3
Effective October 1st, there’s no longer a need to pre-register for IOFF. Just book! Our pre-registration process had become cumbersome for the many participants wanting to book so we’ve changed our process. Just download the Booking Form and follow the instructions. If our planning team requires more information, we’ll contact you. |
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Photo credit: Stichting Nationale Taptoe |
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Experience a Dutch Tap Toe on May 3rd! We’ll be in Apeldoorn for the incredible
“80 Years Liberation Tap Toe”! Attending a tap toe is an incredible experience that offers a unique immersion into Dutch heritage and culture. A tap toe marries the traditional sounds and songs of the military with modern music, dance, and more. This grand event will feature outstanding performances by military bands and celebrate veterans’ dedication to their country.
Dating back to the 1600’s in military towns, a curfew would sound for innkeepers to stop serving the soldiers and for the soldiers to return to their barracks. The Dutch phrase “doe den tap toe,” means “turn off the taps” which has evolved over the centuries to “tattoo.” |
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Photo: Laurent Roussy and Claire Ménard-Roussy |
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"Un lourd prix à payer"
("A Heavy Price to Pay") "Thanks to IOFF, I was able to gather enough information to give my newly published novel its shape and local colour. I thank you all very much for having been a part of the journey." - Claire |
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Congratulations to IOFF 2022 participant, Claire Ménard-Roussy for this amazing achievement!
Written in French, “Un lourd prix à payer” tells the fictional story of a Dutch family who settle in Lancaster, ON (near the Quebec border) after the Second World War. Despite the adjustment to life in Canada, things go well until their 15-year-old daughter disappears without a trace.
One of the characters in the story travels to the Netherlands with IOFF and makes an incredible discovery. Check out Claire’s novel on Amazon. |
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Photo credit: WW2 Memorial |
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Wichmond Cemetery – May 2, 2025 In last month’s HQ Dispatch, we told you about IOFF’s special relationship with Wichmond Cemetery and provided some background on the 13 graves there, including those from an RCAF 427 Sqn crash.
“Faces to Names, a Canadian Remembrance Torch initiative, tells the stories of Canadians who have served, and died, for peace and freedom. This month, we profile the second of five crewmembers: |
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FLYING OFFICER BYRON MCGIE GRACIE - WIRELESS OPERATOR/AIR GUNNER May 29/20 – June 23/43
Byron was born in Big Valley, AB, the son of Louis and Elizabeth Gracie (nee McGie). His brother, Audley, served in the Army. Byron was 4 when his father, a carpenter, died of pneumonia. Byron attended Strathcona High in Vegreville and was an “A” student. He loved swimming, enjoyed baseball and skating, and worked part time as a flower delivery boy. On June 12/40, he enlisted with the RCAF whose trainers described him as “Alert, determined & energetic. Good pilot material.” Bryon was 23 at the time of the crash. He had planned to attend university to become a dentist. |
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Meet Marilyn Kater “From the moment I heard about IOFF I knew I would be participating. I’m usually a solo traveller but this was an adventure I was ready to experience with others.” - Marilyn
Marilyn Kater’s parents came to Canada from the Netherlands soon after the Second World War, in 1948. Marilyn was born in Montreal, and now lives in Edmonton. Her father’s sister Selma was a war bride; she’d married Sydney Smith, a Canadian who’d served with the Lanark & Renfrew Scottish Regiment. Sydney’s daughter, Rose, and Marilyn have always been close cousins. Together, they’ve shared Marilyn’s father’s journals (that have been translated to English), Sydney’s service records, and letters describing life during wartime in the Netherlands and the transition to life in Canada. Rose: “I am proud to have Marilyn walk in my father’s footsteps, to honour his service with the Canadian liberating forces. I will be with her in spirit.” |
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All in the family - Rose (Sydney's daughter) on the left and Marilyn on the right |
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Spread the word! IOFF’s goal is to bring 140 Canadians to the Netherlands for the May 2025 80th anniversary commemorations.
Help us reach our goal by spreading the word to everyone you know. Print our colour poster and ask to have it displayed at your local Legion branch, museum, library, bookstore, or grocery store. Together, we can achieve this goal! |
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For the latest updates …
Follow IOFF on Facebook and if you like, join our chat group, Participants Talk.
We’re also on Instagram. |
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