Dutch It is a story too often overlooked but one that should continue to be told, Middletown Chapter Regent of the DAR Michele Donnelly told guests at the 6th annual Veterans Appreciation Luncheon recently. The DAR Chapter hosted the annual event honoring veterans of all wars and thanking them for their military service.
Donnelly pointed out that particularly in the year of the 250th celebration of the United States, it is important to recognize that the Dutch were the first to salute the American Flag on the Andrew Doria in 1776 when the American brigantine sailed into St. Eustatius harbor in the Dutch Republic flying the new American Grand Union flag.
Donnelly pointed out how the Dutch Republic of the time risked war with Great Britain, a small island facing the world’s greatest naval power, and financed the United States, a new fledgling nation, quietly helping win the battle for the United States during one of the war’s most critical moments.
Before an audience of more than 100 military, retired military and their families and friends, Donelly traced the involvement of the Dutch Republic with America’s foundation from the time of the colonies’ separation from England’s taxes, the resultant Boston Tea Pary, the Dutch East and West Indies companies and how they were involved, and St. Eustatius, the free-trade hub where colonial ships could buy and sell captured British cargo
Dutch support continued for the United States, she said, through the rest of the 18th century, including when the Bonhomme Richard was attacked under Captain John Paul Jones,replaced by the captured Serapis and sailed to Holland for repairs. She spoke of the British declaration of war on the Dutch republic in 1780, its demolition of the Dutch fleet and taking of Sint Eustatius, and engaging the Dutch fleet in a battle that allowed a French fleet to assist in the siege at Yorktown. She noted that the Netherlands became the first country after France, to formally recognize American’ independence and later loaned incredible sums of money to the new nation that helped keep America afloat.
The regent quoted John Adams comments in 1823, three years before he died, that “Netherlands … treaty with us was the event which ultimately turned the scale of the American Revolutionary War and produced the peace of 1783 … In some future time it may be thought of with more importance.”
“The future day is today,” Donnelly said, “The Dutch Republic risked war, financed a fledgling nation with no credit history and it is a debt of gratitude America still owes.”
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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before [a]Him in love, 5 by predestining us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He graciously bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In [b]Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our transgressions, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He caused to abound to us in all wisdom and insight, 9 making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Him 10 for an administration of the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things [c]in the heavens and things on the earth in Him. 11 In [d]Him, we also [e]have been made an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who first have hoped in [f]Christ would be to the praise of His glory. 13 In [g]Him, you also, after listening to the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also [h]believed, you were sealed in [i]Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is [j]given as a pledge of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. Veterans Veterans Veterans
