What started as a tribute to a fallen soldier and his comrades designed to have a brief TV life on UNC-TV has become a staple of Memorial Day observances in North Carolina.
The Wet Bird Production of “Thank You, Eddie Hart” will appear on UNC-TV at 4 p.m., today. This program, focusing on the World War II experiences of three young men from Lenoir County, will be only one of three Wet Bird films set to air today.
“Thank You, Eddie Hart” continues to strike a response in viewers. This public television documentary reminds us both of the sacrifices of those who fought and died during World War II — and the actions of those who faithfully remember the cost they paid.
Eddie Hart was born and reared right here in Lenoir County. He arrived in France in January 1944 with Fate Smith and Jesse Grant, two other replacements from Lenoir County.
Eddie’s regiment was part of the lead division that drove entrenched Nazis from their strongholds. The 83rd landed in Normandy 17 days after D-Day — June 23, 1944. The 83rd left a trail of its dead and wounded as the division fought its way through France, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. The 83rd came within 65 miles of Berlin, the closest American unit to approach Hitler’s capital.
By the time the 329th approached Berlin, Eddie had fallen. He was wounded April 12, 1945, and died the same day. His life ended a little more than a month after his 22nd birthday, only nine months after he enlisted.
Fate Smith was critically wounded on the same day Hart was killed. Smith survived the war and, along with Grant, returned to Lenoir County. Grant and Smith lived, worked and raised a family in Lenoir County.
But Eddie’s death and burial do not end his story. In 1946, a 21-year-old Dutch girl, Betty Vrancken, adopted his grave. Betty was the same age as Eddie’s sister, Hattie. Hattie Hart Holloman still lives in La Grange and I spoke to her on the phone just a few days ago.
In Betty’s first letter to Hattie, dated exactly one year after Eddie’s death, Betty wrote that she had adopted Eddie’s grave and hoped the care and tribute she would give in attending to his grave would bring some small comfort to his family. She wanted Hattie and her family to know that Eddie’s “grave is not lonely and forgotten.”
When Betty died, her brother Johan, who also appears in the film, continued to care for the grave. In fact, a few years ago Johan adopted the grave, pledging to continue the tribute Betty began 60 years earlier. By now, this Dutch family has paid tribute to Eddie Hart’s sacrifice for nearly 70 years.
The Vrancken family understands something too many Americans forget: Without the dogged determination of U.S. service personnel, and without the deaths of so many like Eddie Hart, Hollanders could be living under a flag bearing the Nazi swastika.
The film also shows Hattie, her daughter Debbie, Debbie’s husband Bob, and their children, Robby and Rebecca Walker, during their first visit to Eddie’s grave.
Two other World War II films produced by Wet Bird Productions are scheduled to honor our North Carolina veterans on UNC-TV. “North Carolina’s World War II Experience,” a two-hour documentary, will air at 2 p.m. today. “Marching Once More — 60 Years after the Battle of the Bulge” is set for 9 p.m. today on UNC-TV.
When we think of the commitment families of Dutch citizens have made to the graves of fallen U.S. soldiers who freed them from Nazi rule, the least we can do is commit a few hours on Memorial Day to view these films and pay tribute to the soldiers of what has been dubbed “The Greatest Generation.”
Mike Parker is a columnist for The Free Press. You can reach him at mparker16@suddenlink.net or in care of this newspaper.