Royal decoration for Mr. J.P.A. van Overveld

On Monday afternoon, September 16, 2024 Mayor Suzanne Otters - Bruijnen presented a Royal decoration to a resident with an extraordinary record of service.
Mr. J.P.A.van Overveld has for many years selflessly devoted himself to the benefit of society in the field of culture and remembrance of World War II. Mr. Van Overveld was appointed Member in the Order of Orange-Nassau.
The mayor presented the award during a meeting at the Paulushoef.

For years, Mr. J.P.A. van Overveld (85 years old) has played an important role in keeping alive the stories about the liberation of Son and Breugel. He is founder and host of a private museum in and around his house the Paulushoef. For many years he has welcomed countless interested visitors, guided them around and passionately told stories about the Second World War and the liberation of Son en Breugel.

Operation Market Garden
As a 5-year-old boy in 1944, Mr. Van Overveld was an eyewitness to the parachute landings in the landing area behind his parents' Paulushoef farm. The dropping of thousands of paratroopers in the area north of Son en Breugel marked the start of Operation Market Garden. This was a special historical event that - as it turned out later - heralded the liberation of the Netherlands.
It is enormously important that attention continues to be paid to this important period in world history. The efforts and stories like those of Mr. Van Overveld make a great contribution to this.

American soldiers
The Van Overveld family caught many American soldiers after the landing and helped them in many ways. Many veterans with their families later returned several times and were warmly received by the Van Overveld family.

Private Museum
In the early weeks, the family collected all kinds of items left behind in the drop zone. Because there was also a small airfield for gliders behind the field, many items were found in the fields near the Paulushoef over the years.
With all these items, Mr. Van Overveld set up a private museum. The museum attracted many visitors over the years, organized by various organizations involved, but also unannounced and unexpected.

Celebrate, commemorate, pass on
Over the years, Mr. Van Overveld has cooperated with the organizations of various commemoration and liberation celebrations.
For example, he also regularly received groups of elementary school students to whom he told his stories with great enthusiasm.
Starting in 2011, he made his land available for several years to realize the commemorative parachute jumps, during which many interested parties visited Paulushoef. The jumps are organized by the Round Canopy Parachuting Team The Netherlands Foundation.

Paulushoef marker
On Sunday afternoon, Sept. 17, 1944, thousands of paratroopers land north of Son en Breugel. In addition, Waco gliders, towed by C47 aircraft, landed with heavy equipment and additional infantry men. The Paulushoef was located in the intended drop zone and was an excellent marking point for the pilots. Indeed, the name of the farm was clearly visible in large white letters on the roof. In the days that followed, this area was the scene of incoming supplies and reinforcements landing by gliders and parachutes.