May 5, 2000 - A dream came true today for a young Dutch woman who was recognized for tending the grave of Guardsman Cecil Wharton, a Canadian who is buried in the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery.

Sonja Vos is representative of the thousands of Dutch children who have tended the graves of Canadian soldiers buried in the Canadian War Cemeteries in Holland. The story is well known in this country. Every Christmas Eve school children would also place lighted candles on the graves. In the earlier days they corresponded with the next-of-kin, but this has tapered off as the mothers and fathers and other family members have passed away.

Cliff Chadderton, Chairman of the National Council of Veteran Associations, who is visiting the Netherlands as part of a commemoration of the 55th anniversary of the liberation of Holland, attended an unofficial ceremony at which Sonja was presented to H.R.H. Princess Margriet. Her Royal Highness has had a long association with Canada. She was born in the Ottawa Civic Hospital, while her mother, H.R.H. Queen Juliana, took residence in Canada to escape the dangers of war, specifically, the German bombing of London where she was living with her husband, H.R.H. Prince Bernhard. Chadderton stated that he was proud to have the opportunity of having Sonja present when he told of the appreciation of thousands of Canadian families of the servicemen - mostly soldiers and airmen - whose last resting place is in the cemeteries in this grateful country.

Sonja, in explaining the dedication of the Dutch children, stated, "I am happy that a lot of people have started to take an interest in what happened here ... after telling some of the stories I heard and telling them about the people who were once just a name on a stone ..."

Sonja's story took a fortunate twist when she wrote a letter to a Toronto newspaper seeking information on the pre-war life of the young Mount Dennis soldier, Cecil Wharton. This Canadian guardsman was killed during the Second World War and lies in the grave which Sonja tends. As a result of this letter, last June, a reunion took place of the former Mount Dennis residents with over 1,800 people attending. Sonja was brought to Canada through the efforts of Norm Green, a Canadian veteran who served with the Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force, to attend the reunion. Mount Dennis was a community in the west end of Toronto.

Chadderton also extended an invitation to Sonja to attend the year 2000 Operation Legacy Seminar which will be held in Aylmer (Quebec), September 28 - October 1. The War Amps will raise the money to cover her expenses.

Chadderton, who is the senior veteran on the Veterans Affairs commemorative visit, described Sonja as a "wonderful person."[Newsroom"]*"Norm Green and his wife are Sonja's 'unofficially adopted' Canadian grandparents. Norm, and all the other Mount Dennis 'oldtimers' view her as their Dutch 'Princess'," he explained.

Chadderton went on to say, "Sonja has been accepted by the veterans on the 2000 pilgrimage, and her dedication to ensuring that the young people of Holland continue to care for the graves of Canadian soldiers has earned her the eternal gratitude of the Canadian servicemen and women who survived the war and return each year to pay respects to their comrades."