Lawrence F. Shea

sebastiaan vonk

Hello everyone,

You can read the article here: http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/30/4/30_04dutchboy.html

But somebody have found Lawrence's family.
It is a son of one of Lawrence's brothers. I have now contact with him. He have told me some information about Lawrence.
Lawrence had not 3 sisters but 4. His fourth sister, Teresa, have only lived one day. Lawrence had an another brother too: Vincent. He lived 16 months.
They called Lawrence Larry. His middlename is probably Francis.

Later more!

Best Regards,

Sebastiaan

carnivore

That's great news!

Keep the updates coming.

sebastiaan vonk

I got some pictures. They are not very big so you can't see it good.


Lawrence only


Lawrence in a Baseball uniform. This picture is made in Brooklyn


Lawrence with is nephew Pat, son of Mary, and his sisterGenevieve.


Lawrence with, I think, Pat.


Lawrence with, I guess, Genevieve.


Lawrence with Ed Johnson, a son of a sisters of Lawrence's father.

Best Regards,

Sebastiaan

sebastiaan vonk

Hello everyone,

I have received bigger pictures :-)













Best Regards,

Sebastiaan

MOD

Bump, On Memorial Day.

underhill_mt

Excellent bump. I was wondering this morning if Sebastiaan had any updates for us.

sebastiaan vonk

Again sorry for my late reply. I haven't got much new information, but perhaps you are interested in some photos of his grave that I made during the Memorial Day Ceremony at the Margraten Cemetery on May 24. The ceremony was attended by thousands of people.

Here some new photos of his grave:








If you are interested in some photos of the Memorial Day Ceremony at the American War Cemetery Netherlands (Margraten), please take a look at my Flickr account. I have uploaded some photos of the Ceremony there. You can find these photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sebastiaancollectie/sets/72157618784465560/

Thanks again for interest!

Regards,

Sebastiaan

sebastiaan vonk

I thought that you might find this interesting. One of the many recent articles about me:

The Turret wrote: Dutch teen visits WW II graves, Fort Knox

Sebastiaan Vonk was not connected in any way to Pvt. Charles Brinkley, a World War II Soldier who fought with the 80th Infantry Division and was killed in 1945 during the liberation of Hosingen, Luxembourg.

By Master Sgt. Diane Mattingly
100th Division (OS)

Sebastiaan Vonk was not connected in any way to Pvt. Charles Brinkley, a World War II Soldier who fought with the 80th Infantry Division and was killed in 1945 during the liberation of Hosingen, Luxembourg.

Yet Vonk, of the Netherlands, adopted Brinkley’s grave at the Henri-Chapelle American cemetery in Belgium more than two years ago. He visits the grave site about five times a year, places flowers on it, and then takes photos and sends them to Brinkley’s two daughters and stepson.

Vonk was recognized for his efforts in a Fort Knox ceremony July 23. Representatives from the 80th Infantry Association, 80th Training Command, and Brinkley’s family members were on hand at the Patton Museum to extend their appreciation to him for his efforts and his dedication to American Soldiers.

Vonk became certified with the Adopt a Grave program when he was 13 years old and has adopted the graves of three American Soldiers — one in the Netherlands and two in Belgium at separate cemeteries.

Mike Conley, a spokesman for the American Battlefield Monument Commission in Arlington, Va., a federal agency that maintains American cemeteries in foreign countries, said the Adopt a Grave program is about showing respect.

“They treat that individual as a family member, periodically visit the grave, and bring flowers and place them at the gravesite,” he said. “They learn as much as they can about the individual.”

Vonk learned about the program while doing research on World War II.

“I’ve been interested in the Second World War for years, and I went online and read about the Adopt a Grave program,” Vonk said. “I thought it was a respectful way to thank the Soldiers for what they did. It’s maybe the only thing you can do for them.”

At 16, he doesn’t meet the Netherland’s minimum age requirement of 18 to obtain a driver’s license, so he must find other ways to make the three-hour drive to reach Brinkley’s grave and the other two graves he adopted. Either his father drives him or he takes a train, he said. He uses his own money to fund the trips and to buy flowers for the graves.

Faye McManus, who lives in South Carolina, is one of Brinkley’s daughters. She was 8 months old at the time of her father’s death. She said Vonk was an extraordinary person.

“He’s doing this for his own intrinsic reward,” she said. “We love him and we feel so fortunate he’s part of our family. We feel extremely fortunate that he adopted Daddy’s grave.”

Elizabeth Holland, McManus’ sister who lives in Maryland, was 4 years old when her father was killed. She believes her father was buried overseas to spare family members additional trauma.

“I think when he was first killed they weren’t bringing them back rapidly, and after a certain period of time had passed, my mother and my dad’s parents decided to just leave it as was,” she said. “I think they thought it would be more traumatic at that point to go through it again. Some time had lapsed before they even knew of his death.”

During World War II, at the end of battles, service members were buried in thousands of temporary burial sites, Conley said.

“Families were given the option of having the remains removed from the temporary cemeteries and sent home or relocated to one of the permanent (overseas) sites,” he said. “Approximately 35 to 40 percent were interred overseas in World War II.”

Conley said there were many reasons why service members were buried overseas.

“In some cases, service members actually in letters said, ‘If I’m lost, I’d like to be buried with my comrades,’” he said. “Some families thought it would be good to have them buried in the land they helped liberate.

“It has been U.S. policy to bring war dead home beginning with Korea,” Conley said.

Russell Sick, who also fought with the 80th Infantry Division in World War II, said he is pleased someone is taking care of the graves.

“It’s commendable when another generation comes along and appreciates our sacrifice,” he said.

Elmer Dorsten, also an 80th Infantry Division World War II veteran, agreed Vonk was doing a wonderful thing.

“I would like to see more young people taking care of the graves,” he said.

Vonk doesn’t plan to end visitation to his adopted grave sites any time soon.

“Some people have adopted graves after (the) war, but they are getting older and they pass it on to their families or turn it back over to the organization,” he said. “I’ll go as long as I’m able to.”

There are almost 125,000 World War I and World War II U.S. service members buried overseas in 24 cemeteries maintained by the ABMC, Conley said. The interments of remains at the cemeteries are permanent.

The ABMC also maintains a cemetery in Mexico City, where service members are interred from the Mexican-American War, and a cemetery in Panama that includes 6,000 service members and civilians, many of whom died of yellow fever while building the Panama Canal.

In addition to the cemeteries, the ABMC maintains 25 monuments and memorials in 15 countries.

Conley said the American overseas cemeteries are renowned for their beauty and the high standards for which they are meticulously maintained.

“One of the reasons our facilities look the way they do is the dedication of our foreign national workers,” he said. “The citizens of those countries have not forgotten what America did for their freedom in two world wars. You see that same respect reflected in those employees who take care of the cemeteries.”

When Holland first visited her father’s grave, she said she didn’t think she would become so overwhelmed.

“It (wasn’t) just my dad whom I (was) crying for and so emotional for,” she said, “but also for hundreds and hundreds of 18 and 19 year olds. They were children. (There were) hundreds and hundreds of crosses. At the time I had a teenage son. It was mindboggling.”

Dr. Jerry Leonard, who was born after Charles Brinkley’s widow married his father, said Vonk is the Web master for a Web site created on behalf of a European association that now adopts the graves of American heroes. Vonk designed the site himself, Leonard said.

“His tireless work on behalf of our honored dead is an inspiration to not only the youth of his native Netherlands, but also to the youth of the United States and other countries as well,” Leonard said. “He asks nothing for himself, but seeks only to honor our brave Soldiers who gave their lives in liberating both the Netherlands and Europe from the horrors of the Nazi regime.”

Leonard said Vonk was a shining example of why American Soldiers fought and died in World War II and why they continue to fight in foreign lands.

“I know that both my father and stepfather, both of whom fought during World War II in Europe, would, if they were still among the living, greatly appreciate the actions of this young Dutch lad who cares so deeply about our fallen Soldiers,” Leonard said.

Vonk will return to the Netherlands with many memories of Kentucky. The Leonard family, who lives in Guston, Ky., hosted Vonk during his two-week stay and treated him to visits of Mammoth Cave, the state capitol, Daniel Boone’s gravesite, the Frazier Museum, and Churchill Downs, among other places.

According to Leonard, Vonk is only the second person under the age of 18 to be commissioned a Kentucky Colonel by the governor.

“He also got to go to the VA hospital in Louisville to see some of the effects of the war,” Leonard said. “He got to see first-hand the effects of all the wars; World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and both Gulf wars. It was enlightening to him.”

The Netherlands doesn’t have VA hospitals, Leonard added.

Vonk will return home and work three weeks for his father, who is responsible for directing the management of dikes and ensuring the water supply stays clean. He will then take a week of holiday prior to returning to school, he said.

The Brinkley and Leonard families said they hope Vonk can return soon for another visit.

“Truly, God has blessed the United States of America with such a wonderful young friend,” Leonard said.

MOD

Oh Sebastiaan, that got me all teary eyed.

You are such a great person! Thank you for finding us and sharing your journey and devotion to these veterans. Bless you

sebastiaan vonk

[quote=Mamacita]Oh Sebastiaan, that got me all teary eyed.

You are such a great person! Thank you for finding us and sharing your journey and devotion to these veterans. Bless you

Thank you so much for your reply. It is much appreciated!

Here is a video about me with subtitles:

caseopele

Sebastiaan, you really are a wonderful person. I wish I could find the words to describe how amazing I think you are for doing what you're doing.

My grandfather almost died in WWII, and spent months in a body cast in a hospital in your country. His unit found an abandoned house to spend a couple nights in, it was bombed and a wall fell on him. He'd been sent to deliver a message but turned back when he heard, he received a purple heart for trying to rescue his fellow soldiers.

Now, my mother's fighting the VA to get money for him since his ran out. It's always made me sad that so many people forget about these men and their sacrifices. To know that someone like you is out there makes me so happy, the world needs more Sebastiaan Vonks. Thank you.

sebastiaan vonk

Thank you so much caseople. That's very kind of you.

sebastiaan vonk

Hello all,

Got a small update for you regarding the subject in a post above this one. Except for articles in newspapers they have also done some stories on me on the American and Dutch television. For the families I have added subtitles to these vids. I thought you might be interested in watching these vids too. The second one is an interview on the American War Cemetery the Netherlands where Lawrence F. Shea has been buried. I am actually sitting next to his grave during the interview.

First video:


Second video:


Some people seem to have problems getting the subtitles working. Take a look at the picture below to see which option you should have selected to get the subtitles working.



I hope that you will find these videos interesting!

Regards,

Sebastiaan

felbrigge psalter

Very moving. Thank you for sharing.

sebastiaan vonk

For those who are interested: I've set up an English version of my website yesterday. On the website can be found things like a few photos that I've made of my WWII collection, information about the soldiers whose graves I've adopted (including Lawrence Shea's) and a few newspaper articles.

Website can be found here:
http://www.sebastiaancollectie.nl/english/

Best Regards,

Sebastiaan

eggcream

Sebastiaan Vonk wrote: For those who are interested: I've set up an English version of my website yesterday. On the website can be found things like a few photos that I've made of my WWII collection, information about the soldiers whose graves I've adopted (including Lawrence Shea's) and a few newspaper articles.

Website can be found here:
http://www.sebastiaancollectie.nl/english/

Best Regards,

Sebastiaan

Wonderful job Sebastiaan. You have a great collection. Thanks for sharing your site with us.

pencap75

Sebastion, I want to commend you for your outstanding work to our fallen soldiers.

Our current American self-absorbed younger generation has no appreciation for the past, and I am glad you recognize the sacrifices the older generations had made so that we can live in our current freedom.

sebastiaan vonk

Thank you for your replies guys. Taking care for their graves is just a small thing to do back for these men, compared to what they have done for our freedom!

brooklynisbetter

I just read through this trail and - wow - I am touched. Sebastiaan, what you do might seem small to you, but it truly says something very special about your character. I wish you all the best in life. And, thank you for sharing all this with us!

MOD

Happy Memorial Day Sebastiaan, thanks for all the great work you do!

booklaw

Everyone, there is a great documentary film on PBS tonight, at 9 PM, entitled "Hallowed Grounds". It is about the 23 US military cemeteries (for WWI and WWII casualties) throughout Europe, Tunisia and the Philippines.

sebastiaan vonk

Thank you Mamacita! Happy Memorial Day to everyone.

In the weekend prior to Memorial Day in the United States, Memorial Day Ceremonies are being held on the overseas American War Cemeteries, including on the American War Cemetery Margraten. Like every year I attend today the Ceremony, which was also attended by our Queen. Bit of a shame of the bad weather.

The ceremony included the national anthems of the USA and the Netherlands, prayers, singing, a wreath laying with wreaths from the USA, NL, the UK, France, Germany, Poland, Veterans Associations, Foundations and more... Due to the bad weather the Fly-Over by American and Dutch fighters had been cancelled.

The USA was represented by a few people including the Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki and the American ambassador in the Netherlands.

Photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sebastiaancollectie/sets/72157624168128084/




















FYI: Our Queen

pmonk

Awesome!

sebastiaan vonk

I thought to share this photo taken at his grave on Memorial Day:

MOD

You are so inspirational and awesome. really, you should go into politics, we need more people like you :flower:

sebastiaan vonk

Haha, thank you! Not sure if politics really interest me that much though