The Camino Frances 2023 by Ton van Zutphen

The CAMINO Frances, and to start with the Chemin de Piemont: from Lourdes to Santiago de Compostela, and ultreia to Fisterra and Muxia.

I finished after walking some 1000 kms in 35 days in front of the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. When I was handed over the official document/certificate by the Church authorities I did become emotional and realized that I had indeed walked a lot of miles in my shoes and had been well protected! The stamps from Lourdes added an extra cachet to this long walk: I was told I was a real pilgrim! 

Documented Proof! My finisher certificate
Lourdes - Santiago de Compostela

Obviously people ask all the time 'have you changed?', 'what do you feel after so many days of walking by yourself?', 'was it hard?, hot?, were you alone, or lonely?'. The usual known questions. In all honesty NO, I do not think I changed; I still feel the same 'Anton boy'. It was a little bit tough at times, hot and sweaty, pouring rains, but interest, commitment and pleasure were more prominent than hardship. 

Passing the Monte do Gozo 5kms from the finish
Rain and wind all over the place for Anton and Kesso Gabrielle.

And YES, many thoughts crossed my mind and I had time to wander through the stages of my life, my family, education,  friends and my relationship with God. 

A few points that I wish to make here: 

The Camino is, I strongly believe, a walk where anybody will find his or her own interests and where one only meets people who think positively, are joyful and wish you well: 'Buen Camino'. The atmosphere during the Camino is simply TOPS! 

Frequently my thoughts returned to how fortunate I have been and are now in my life. 'Did I deserve this. Did I treat people well?' I realize that although in my work and life I had my problematic encounters and some mishaps, grosso modo All turned out well. 

Now at 72 years and walking the Camino, I had every reason to be fortunate and 'feliz'. I often say to my wife Biya that I am not only a 'pensionado/jubilado', but also a 'fortunado'. And several times each day I thanked God for that. So often Biya and I, when we pray together, we start thanking Him for His blessings. In fact, and compared to many others, there is little we could ask for the two of us. During my Camino my prayers started with asking blessings and support for Biya's family, then my family, and finally for our friends. So far God keeps us healthy and active and we are surrounded by the 'good ones'. 

 And so often, I think more than 15 times, I felt that God and the angels ushered me along. I always found a bed when I needed it. While it rained at night, in the morning when I started, it stopped (except for the last week). When I was thirsty and needed a sip of water, just around the corner I found a fountain. When I needed to buy a new pair of boots, I passed through a town (Ponferrada) where there was 'Decathlon' and another sportshop. 

Never throw away old boots before you have new ones!

Many people will say 'Ah, that is all just coincidence'. Well, not me, also beacause I had told myself to look out for signs of His presence. 

And then my two daughters Valerie Clemence Christel and Kesso Gabrielle, each of them walked with me for two days. Again this was such a pleasure and gave comfort. We encouraged each other and talked and talked, and laughed. God has been a guide to instill in both of them values and norms that reflect my own. Valerie walked with me from Fromista to Sahagun (63 kms) and Kesso from Arzua to Santiago de Compostela (43 kms). What more could a father have asked for? 

Close to Calzadilla de la Cueza with Valerie Clemence

In Arzua after dinner with Kesso Gabrielle

As I walked into the building where one receives the offical certificate of a 'finisher', the computer recorded that on that day 28th October 2023, 12.45 am I was pilgrim # 339 that had arrived. Using a rough extrapolation and based on the estimate that 70% of all pilgrims walk the 'Camino Frances', one can safely say that around 300.000 pilgrims walk and finish the Camino each year. Well, perhaps only 1% really start from their homes as far away as Poland, Italy or the NL. I started from Lourdes, a holy place as well, and the first two days I only met one pilgrim (Luca from France), and the first week in France I did meet travelers/randonneurs but no one on their way to Santiago de Compostela. 

Then, coming out of the French Pyrenees Atlantiques and quite suddenly arriving at the bordertown of Saint Jean Pied de Port, hundreds of pilgrims were preparing their start of the Camino Frances the following day. This pretty town with over 50 accomodations came as a little shock to me: now I will have every day tens of pilgrims in view before me and behind me I thought. But I was mistaken as many pilgrims walk for a day or a weekend, or in stages every year, or only to Pamplona or Burgos, and so on. The road from France to Santiago is some 800  kms and it turned out that until the town of Sarria one can walk 'your own Camino'= you walk your own pace, you want to talk you can, you want to walk in silence, no probs. From Sarria, a bit over 100 kms from Santiago, the road gets quite busy, even end of October and why? Sarria is the closest town to Santiago that will get you your certificate on the condition that your pilgrim's passport / your 'credencial' / is stamped properly by the albergues/hotels where you spent the night. 

How did I proceed? Most of the times...and I walked every day...getting up between 6 and 7 am; shower, shave and use the restroom. Then if there was breakfast in the albergue or b&b, pension, hotel, I bought it with a cup of 'cafe con leche'. 

Morning cafe con leche in Pamplona

Some days I walked the first 10 kms on an empty tank as well. At times I started before daybreak but mostly when I could see the path with the indicators. Then walk at least 12 kms and stop for coffee and a tortilla (tortilla with chorizo I liked best!); continue walking another two or three hours whilst I determined the village where to stay....between 1 and 3 pm I then had found a place to stay. Checked in, quick shower and change and then hunt for a popular restaurant with a daily menu (most of these catered for pilgrims and were about 12 to 14 euros for a three course meal and a full bottle of wine). Then a good rest/siesta...a walk through the village, visit the church, perhaps buy a 'bocadillo' to eat and chat with other pilgrims. By 9pm I was in dreamland again. So I never booked any accomodation upfront. Never had great difficulty to find a place. Most were good and cheap. A few were dicy in terms of cleanliness. Now, after the Covid-era, practically all albergues provide a single-time use pillow-cover and a bedsheet. So a light sleeping bag is a must on your packing list! Dormitories housed a lot of snoarers. Grrrr! Dorms were about 12 euros a bed. A private room with bathroom as cheap as 25 euros in Pamplona and closer to Santiago a bit more expensive. I set myself a budget limit of 45 euros for a private room 'habitacion'. 

Along the 'Camino Frances', except for the 17 kms stretch between the villages of Carrion de los Condos and Cazadilla de la Cueza, West of Fromista, the distances between villages are not more than 6 kms...doable for anybody who is a pilgrim I would think! 

Sometimes I used the app 'mycaminobed' to explore where to sleep. A useful tool. 

Just a bit of history does help in the context of Santiago de Compostela. 

Saint James the Greater, de Heilige Jacobus, Saint Jacques le Majeur, San Thiago, was one of Jesus disciples and was beheaded by Herodus Agrippa in Jerusalem around the year 45 of the first century. He is credited to have been the first missionary in Spain as ordered by Saint Peter in Rome. Legends say that James had several apparitions of Maria a.o. in Tarragona and in Muxia when he felt he could not do his missionary work well enough. Most likely he spent perhaps as many as 5 to 10 years in 'the Espagnes' and finally returned to Jerusalem. How his remains were transported to Galicia in Spain remains some kind of a mystery but much scientific research on his body over the past centuries led to a confirmation by the Church that indeed the skeleton that was found by a hermit in the year 828 (again told to him in a dream!) is that of the apostle James the Greater. We shall never know the truth though.

Then a church was built in Santiago de Compostela where his remains were placed and already around the year 850 people undertook a pilgrimage to pray and ask for the forgiveness of their sins. Obviously in those days such a pilgrimage was a hazardous affair. Bandits around Cebreiro and wolves in the woods of Roncesvalles were lurking around; some pilgrims took years to arrive at their destination; many died. And then...those who made it had to return as well. 

The Camino has now developed into the most populated walking pilgrimage on the planet. Some 10 different routes exist from inside Spain, from Portugal and from France. The European Union declared it a cultural monument and supports it financially. Without such support, and the interest of Spain, many villages would be left barren and monuments like churches, chapels and way-side crosses simply left to rot. Basically, every village on the Camino Frances has stories to tell! 

Father Armand in Arudy (France): 'Vous permettez que je vous lave vos pieds'? On day two of my pilgrimage I started to use the 100 euros coffee money that Biya generously had provided! I walked from the monastry in Betharram where I had spent the night to Arudy and was told by the priest in the morning at breakfast that his clerical colleague in Arudy always had a place for any pilgrim to stay and that he, Father Armand was special. After 26 kms I arrived in Arudy and found the door of his 'auberge donativo' open with the Father (baret basque on his head) and his helper Christian welcoming me. Father Armand led me into the kitchen and simply asked 'Antonius, do you mind if I wash your feet'? I said that I did not, and he meticulously washed and dried my tired feet. The Father acted like Jesus. His eyes sparkled and he prayed while he took care of my feet. He wanted to know the names of my wife and two children and then prayed for me, my wife, family and friends aloud. Really, my feet were not only clean but all tiredness was gone and the Father and me prayed together. He then gave me a medaillon to protect me during my long walk and went on to see sick people in his parish. What an event; I never even had expected something like it in my life. 

I was the only guest in the dormitory and slept very well, hearing the river gurgling outside the open window. Then at breakfast I met a young French couple from Lille that had stayed overnight in the only room he had; they were on their way back, walking of course, from the famous Catholic youth gathering featuring Pope Francis in Lisbon. Father Armand briefly peeked into the kitchen and blessed us all handing each of us three a note in our language (translated by google) in which he was thankful for our visit! What a person! Such a saint! 

FEAR....les 'Patous'; the dogs that protect the sheep at all costs.

During my six days walk through the French Pyrenees I saw every day a few shepherds, mostly in their sixties guiding large herds of sheep. All had two kinds of dogs: 

1. the Scottish 'Border collies' that keep the herd together, guide these upon the instructions of the shepherd and bring back sheep that wander away from the herd. A wonderful sight to see these intelligent and skilled 'collies'. 

2. the French 'Patous' that actually protect the herd against wolves and bears. These 'Patous' are huge white dogs at the shoulders measuring upto 75 cms. The shepherds assure that the puppies are born inside the herd (on the farm in the winter and outside in the pastures during spring and summer). Puppies grow up for two years with the sheep and basically are kept away from the shepherds and other humans. As a result these 'Patous' associate with the herd and are prepared to protect the sheep vigorously. They do listen to the shepherd and a few times I was able to come very close to them in my conversations with these mountain shepherds.

A Patou sheep dog on the alert

I was told that in general these dogs are not agressive but I was warned to keep my distance from the herds during my walk. Then on day three close to Devil's Bridge outside Oloron Sainte-Marie it happened: I merely followed a wide dirt road; one side the forest, the other side a pasture coralled by a hedge. I saw the sheep some 30 meters away and then suddenly two 'Patous' must have smelled me or heard me and crawled underneath the hedge and came growling after me. Aiaiai, two of these big dogs together.  I immediately put my one walking stick close to my body and started to walk very slow, avoiding eye contact with these two growling monsters. They were close...not more than a meter but I kept walking very slow; they kept following me for at least 40 meters growling and ready to attack, I guessed in case I made a sudden move. 'Mon Dieu' I prayed, 'please protect me and let them go back to their sheep'. Then, as the distance between the herd and me increased the dogs let off. Jeepers! Was I scared! I immediately changed my attitude when I saw or heard a flock of sheep: 'Anton stay away of them sheep and move into the forest away from the path'. I later heard from a shepherd that often the herds are left by themselvs with the 'Border collies' and the 'Patous' for hours on end.....no shepherd to be seen. 

Convent / Hospital San Anton, close to Castrojeriz: no facilities and therefore unique; 12 October, day 19. 

The now defunct Order of Saint Anthony was established by noblemen in the 11th century in France and at one stage the Order managed more than 370 hospitals. In the Middle Ages 'St. Anthony's Fire' was a serious illness caused by fungus-contaminated grain (rye) which in many regions throughout Europe was a staple food; including the NL. It starts off with sores all over the body with convulsions and a burning sensation felt in toes, fingers, hands, knees etc. It could lead to gangrene, hallucinations and eventually a horrible death.

St. Anthony's Fire; Painting by Dutch artist Hieronymus Bosch. Around 1500

The monks in San Anton had an excellent reputation to take care of and operate those who suffered from it (mostly amputations...) and they treated suffering pilgrims as well. Hospital and convent were separated by the road (still as it is now) and for those pilgrims that did not ask for a health check or treatment there was a special niche in the wall where bread and wine was available 'to take and go'. 

Wine and bread for pilgrims to take and go; 'para llevar'.

The Order was taken over by the Benedictines in the 13th century and by 1700 the illness had somehow disappeared. Nowadays only the ruins exist and it is an excellent place to rest and stay overnight. Which I did. And I was the only pilgrim since the Convent (donativo) is without electricity, no wifi, no hot water. Clearly the modern pilgrim cannot do without a smartphone! I was alone in the simple dormitory and had an excellent dinner outside under the stars with the volunteers Peter and Antonino who run the place. 

Ruins of Convent/Hospital San Anton
Now albergue donativo

Xacabeo and his legend in Muxia: la 'Costa da Morte'. In the Galician dialect and writing San Thiago is called Xacabeo. My last 10 days of the whole trip I walked through the rain across Galicia from the East to the coast; to the infamous 'Costa da Morte' that gets its name because of the many shipwrecks in the past 2000 years. And indeed, I encountered a few heavy storms with howling winds myself. Already the last 6 days before entering Santiago it was every day 'poncho day'. On and on it kept raining.

 I had a few days on my hand before taking the plane back to Charleroi in Belgium and therefore I took the bus to Fisterra ( finis terra = the end of the world as seen some 1000 years ago). I walked up to the famous lighthouse and decided to give it a try and walk the 55 kms from Cape Fisterra via the village of Lires to Muxia.

Cape Fisterra

Two days later I entered Muxia along its pretty beach and walked up to the port where there is a statue indicating that at that special place nearly 2000 years ago Saint James was present to work as a missionary. Legend has it that he felt disappointed for lack of success and that Maria appeared to him and his fellow missionaries in a boat approaching the beach and encouraging them not to give up! 

I was surprised in a positive way that so many pilgrims continued from Santiago to Fisterra and eventually Muxia.....The End of the Road and it was for Saint James himself kind of the end. I guess he must have seen that he had arrived at the very Western end of the Roman Empire. 

I believe I talked, mostly briefly, with at least 150 fellow pilgrims on the road. Then there is a bunch of pilgrims with whom the talk became longer and more detailed about all kinds of subjects; we exchanged names: The seven Brazilian ladies whom I met in France and who walked from Carcassonne to Saint Jean Pied de Port. One evening we all stayed in the same dormitory at Hospital St. Blaise.

The ladies from Belo Horizonte and me at dinner/ all of us >65 years

Luca (FR), Vittorio (IT), Szandor (HU), Joshua (FR), Sabine (DE), Irmgard (DE), Mischa (DE), So (JP), Nancy (CA), Matt (US), Eun Sang (KR), Christian (FR), Javier x 2 (SP), Robin (US), Celine (FR), Alessandra (IT), Serge (FR), Cecilia (SE), Carlos (BR), Stefan (CH), Peter (CZ), Antonino (IT) / those that I do recall. A couple of them I saw on the road again and again.

With Javier and Robin
early morning in El Espinosa de Camino
close to village of Ages, day 16

 A review of my daily schedule: 

23 September day 0  Arrival Lourdes from Bordeaux / FRANCE

24 September day 1   Lourdes to Betharram 18 kms / Chemin de Piemont in FRANCE
25 September day 2  Betharram to Arudy 26 kms
26 September day 3  Arudy to Oloron Sainte-Marie 29 kms
27 September day 4  Oloron Sainte-Marie to Hospital St. Blaise 24 kms
28 September day 5  Hospital St. Blaise to Mauleon 18 kms
29 September day 6  Mauleon to St. Juste Ibarre 29 kms
30 September day 7  St. Juste Ibarre to St. Jean Pied de Port 25 kms
1 October day 8        St. Jean Pied de Port to Roncesvalles 25 kms / entering SPAIN on Camino Frances
2 October day 9        Roncesvalles to Zabaldika 35 kms
3 October day 10      Zabaldika to Pamplona 12 kms
4 October day 11      Pamplona to Lorca 38 kms
5 October day 12      Lorca to Sansol 39 kms
6 October day 13      Sansol to Navarrete 33 kms
7 October day 14      Navarrete to Azofra 24 kms
8 October day 15      Azofra to Belorado 34 kms
9 October day 16      Belorado to Ages 28 kms
10 October day 17    Ages to Tardajos 30 kms
11 October day 18    Tardajos to Convent San Anton 28 kms
12 October day 19    Convent San Anton to Fromista 26 kms
13 October day 20    Fromista to Cazadilla de la Cueza 39 kms / with Valerie Clemence
14 October day 21    Cazadilla de la Cueza to Sahagun 25 kms / with Valerie Clemence
15 October day 22    Sahagun to Mansilla de las Mulas 37 kms
16 October day 23    Mansilla de las Mulas to La Virgin del Camino 26 kms
17 October day 24    La Virgin del Camino to Villares de Orbigo 27 kms
18 October day 25    Villares de Orbigo to Santa Catalina de Somoza 28 kms
19 October day 26    Santa Catalina de Somoza to El Acebo de San Miguel 26 kms
20 October day 27    El Acebo de San Miguel to Camponaraya 28 kms
21 October day 28    Camponaraya to Trabadelo 27 kms
22 October day 29    Trabadelo to Alto do Poio 31 kms
23 October day 30    Alto do Poio to Sarria 32 kms
24 October day 31    Sarria to Portomarin 23 kms
25 October day 32    Portomarin to Palas de Rei 25 kms
26 October day 33    Palas de Rei to Arzua 29 kms
27 October day 34    Arzua to Pedrouzo 21 kms / with Kesso Gabrielle
28 October day 35   Pedrouzo to Santiago de Compostela 22 kms / with Kesso Gabrielle / Arrival in Santiago de Compostela
29 October day   36   Bus Santiago de Compostela to Fisterra town
30 October day   37   Cape Fisterra to Lires 28 kms
31 October day   38   Lires to Muxia 25 kms
1 November day 39  Bus from Muxia to Santiago de Compostela
2 November day 40  Visit Santiago de Compostela
3 November day 41  Flight Santiago de Compostela to Charleroi, train to Hamont and car to Leende = home in the NL.

Now I have been to all major Roman Catholic Pilgrim sites: 

1. Bethlehem and Jerusalem; where Jesus was born and crucified 

2. Rome / the Vatican; seat of the first Pope Saint Peter and capital of the Holy See 

3. Lourdes; in 1858 Maria appeared to Bernadette Soubirous 

4. Fatima in Portugal; Maria appeared to three shepherd children in 1917 

5. Santiago de Compostela; burial place of the remains of Saint James the Greater = San Thiago 

6. Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City; Mary appeared to Juan Diego in 1531.

Overlooking the Pyrenees from France

The End of this Camino Frances; hopefully next year with Biya the Camino Primitivo from Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela...some 340 kms. 

 A detailed and excellent book, published in 2005 with illustrations is: 

 Les Chemins de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle (in French) ISBN 2-911515-21-8 

www.msm-editions.fr 

Arrival Cathedral Santiago de Compostela 

PS1      My backpack weighed 6.3 kgs without food/water. I traveled with only a bottle of half a liter of water. Food can be bought everywhere. So I rarely had more than 7kgs on my back!

Packing at home came to 6.3 kgs

PS2    How much did I spent?  Roughly for flights/train/bus ; lodging and food and small incidentals,

plus new boots over a period of  42 days. 

My estimation roughly calculated comes to 2400 euros. 

And I lived very well!!

If you feel like it you may leave a comment on my blog.

Otherwise comments can also be sent to my e-mail:   tonvanzutphen@gmail.com

The Korean War (1950-1953). A note on this Coldest and  Bloodiest War (in the 20th century)

by Ton van Zutphen (June 2023 Seoul / Leende)

CONTEXT 

I recall that the first Korean I ever talked with in detail in my life was Miss Biya Han who would later become my lawful wife in Seoul, 24th June 2021. We married by power of attorney in Korea, and our marriage was soon after registered in the village of Heeze-Leende, the Netherlands on 20th July 2021 (see at bottom of this blog for details on 'marriage with the glove').

We met in Herat, Afghanistan, 2nd week of February 2002. In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks on important public buildings in 2001 in the USA by islamic terrorists linked to Al Qaeda, the USA decided immediately to invade Afghanistan, root out the suspected Osama Bin Laden group and destroy the Taliban regime that earlier had offered shelter to this dangerous anti Western Bin Laden / Al Qaeda organisation.

Let us not forget that the attacks in the USA nearly killed 3,000 people, and caused President George W. Bush to run over Afghanistan (with British troops as well) and launch the 'War on Terror'. In my function as Regional Humanitarian Director I convinced World Vision to open an office in Herat (coming in from Mashad, Iran), expecting a large movement of internally displaced persons (IDP's) once the Taliban was chased. And indeed this happened already by the end of November. A first and succesful emergency food distribution by World Vision was set up in the local sports stadium (where previously the Taliban on Fridays publicly hanged offenders against Islamic values). 

Gradually this aid programme developed with health and protection related activities and more distributions in kind, like clothing and eduaction materials. In February 2002, nearly three months after the beginning of this emergency programme I decided to see its progress and challenges for myself, and that's when I met Biya who was working out of the basement of the office making reports on financial contributions and projects that were initiated and supported by World Vision Korea. It was her first assignment in the humanitarian business and I had no idea about her background at all. She proved an eager learner and hard worker and we became good colleagues for more than 10 years. Only in June 2014 after meeting in Chang Mai, Thailand, did our relation become amorous. By then I had left World Vision International nearly one year ago and was working in Gaziantep, Turkey, again assisting in part refugees that came out of Syria and had fled the 'Caliphate' of IS (then ISIS or ISIL / 'Daesh' =Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant). 

So the above easily explains why I take an interest in many things 'Korean', including the country's (recent) history, of which the Korean War is a key moment in time. Much of the info and data provided below comes from 2 'handbooks' on this war, which destroyed the country (North and South) practically entirely. The story goes that in Pyongyang (now the capital of North Korea) only one building remained standing upright. And in the South only the Busan-Daegu perimeter (region) was never occupied by the Chinese/Korean communists (but flooded with internally displaced persons).

NEVER TO FORGET

The following figures have never been accepted by many parties but civilian casualties were higher than in WWII. Civilian casualties in North Korea (1953) were an estimated one million killed ( a similar number wounded), and 796.000 fled to the South; or went missing. Estimated population in 1950 in North Korea around 10 million people. Civilian casualties in South Korea (1953) were also an estimated one million killed (a similar number wounded) with only small numbers of civilians fleeing North. Estimated population in 1950 in South Korea around 20 million people. More than 900.000 Chinese soldiers are estimated to have died over a period of close to four years!

BOOKS TO READ

The Coldest War, America and the Korean War;       Book by  David Halberstam (2007)  

The Bloodiest War, the forgotten Dutch batallion;    Book by Robert Stiphout (2009) only in Dutch language  

Then a most interesting/fascinating book about daily life in North Korea, and vividly written, is by USA journalist Barbara Demick: 'Nothing to Envy', ordinary lives in North Korea (2009); it takes the reader through detailed narratives by families and individuals that fled North Korea by the turn of the last century. In a gripping way it sketches the situation of many Koreans (including soldiers from the South) in the sixties and seventies in North Korea, and later through the famine in the nineties.  

And worth consulting is the website of the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan, Korea  www.unmck.or.kr. The burial grounds are impressive and give testimony to the 40,896 fallen UN forces.

 

IMAGES OF THE MAIN PLAYERS

President of the USA (1945-January 20, 1953)                       

Harry S.Truman (1884-1972)

President of the USA (January 20, 1953 - 1961) 

Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969)

General US Army / removed from Command in Japan/Korea 11 April 1951

 Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964)   

General US Army 11 April 1951 - Command until armistice   27 July 1953

 Matthew Ridgway (1895-1993)  

General Secretary USSR (1924-1953)

 Joseph Stalin (1878-1953)

Founder, Premier, President North Korea (1948-1994)

Kim Il Sung (1912-1994)

President South Korea (1948-1960)      

Syngman Rhee (1875-1965)

Founder People's Republic of China, Chairman Communist Party (1949-1976)

Mao Tse Tung (1893-1976)

Generalissimo-Leader Republic of China (1928-1949), President Taiwan (1950-1975)

Chiang Kai Shek (1887-1975)

Prime Minister of the Netherlands (1948-1958)

Willem Drees (1886-1988)

Lt.Colonel Dutch Batallion 'van Heutz troops'     

Marinus den Ouden (1909-1951 killed in action Hongchon) 

Lt.Colonels Dutch Batallion  'van Heutz troops' (3 until armistice of July 27, 1953)

W. Eekhout, G. Christian, C. Schilperoord

Harry Truman, a much respected leader (Democratic party) who is remembered outside the USA for making the decision to use the atomic bomb against Japan, greatly engaged in rebuilding post-war Europe, and worked feverishly to contain and fight communism. In his memoirs he wrote that while visiting Prime Minister Drees in his simple living quarters in the Beeklaan, the Hague, NL, apparently Drees' wife opened the door and ushered Truman in, taking his hat and coat while offering a cup of tea. Truman mentioned that at that very moment he knew that the 'Marshall Plan Dollars' would be well spent by the Netherlands authorities! He was a man that was able to make firm decisions. Visitors could not avoid seeing the motto displayed on the presidential desk 'The Buck Stops Here'. 

Harry Truman

Dwight Eisenhower (Republican party) was a real warhorse and well known in Europe as the Surpreme Commander of the Allied Forces during WWII. He took over from Truman just before the armistice between North and South Korea. Nevertheless in Korea he fully supported Truman and his Commander General Ridgway. Eisenhower, alias 'Ike', set up the NASA and started the Inter State Highway system in the USA (which he copied in part from Hitler) and signed the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Equally important, he as an old soldier, kept the USA at peace and without external military enagements despite the serious threats by many independence movements/wars and communist challenges in many parts of the world.  Famous quote: 'A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both'.

Dwight Eisenhower

Douglas MacArthur, General, came from a well known and respected  American military family and made it all the way to the top, including as Surpreme Commander SouthWest Pacific Area (including Japan, China, Korea). Although immensely popular with the American people that gave him a hero status, MacArthur developed in the years running up to the Korean war an attitude that led him to think he was always right and of course his staff only remained when they proved full loyalty. This kind of arrogance and narcism led to a misinterpretation of military intelligence fom the battlefield in China and in Korea. He himself rarely traveled to Korea, preferring to remain in his HQ in Tokyo, Japan. It is fair to acknowledge that MacArthur did a sterling job to turn a feudal Japan into a country that started to accept democracy with the usual elments of parties/voting and representation. The emperor Hirohito was allowed to remain in a ceremonial function. But effectively MacArthur ruled! MacArthur was completely surprised when the Chinese massively and succesfully engaged in the war. Not believing signs from the field and trying to slowdown or even ignore decisions by the Truman government led to the removal of his command. The detailed analysis in Halberstam's book, staved with documents and portrayed through many personal interviews with his staff proved him to have made crucial mistakes that could have been avoided, had he used the information better that was offered to him. Clearly, because of this behaviour, and much of this by his own fault, the war in Korea exploded and became so bloody. An estimated 33.000 American soldiers died in it. Another 105.000 were wounded. Although MacArthur was able after the American landing and battles of Incheon/Seoul to turn the tide, it was too late: so many USA, South Korean and UN soldiers had died because his leadership in the Korean war was for a significant part guided on neglecting field related information and underestimating the strength and drive of the (Chinese) enemy. To no one's surprise he probably ended up a bitter man, feeling misunderstood, in particular by the politicians in Washington DC.   Famous quote: 'Old soldiers never die; they just fade away'. 

Douglas MacArthur

Matthew Ridgway, General, took over from MacArthur the surpreme command but had in fact already inside Korea halted the advance of the Chinese who had been close to taking Busan. The airpower of the US army and their new fresh recruits proved to be changemakers although many more soldiers died on the hills against the everready Chinese and North Koreans supplied in great numbers. Ridgway, alias 'Old Iron Tits' (he wore a pair of handgrenades over his battle dress) was a soldier's soldier, very close and supportive to his men. He had the full confidence of 'Washington'. As the war dragged on during 1952 and 1953 he was recalled and made Surpreme Allied Commander Europe for NATO in June 1953, just before the armistice. Famous quote: 'Your job as a soldier is to point that rifle into the other guy's face and shoot him dead'.  

 Matthew Ridgway

Joseph Stalin was born in what currently is the country of Georgia in the Caucasus. His leadership developed into an unprecedented ruthless dictatorship removing systematically all potential candidates that could become a threat to his position. He started the agricultural collectivization of the country (as a first step to an industrialization process), uprooting the farming system completely causing hunger, and death of an estimated 40 million farmers/families. He distrusted particularly ethnic minorities from the Caucasus and of people suspected to have been sympathizing with the Germans. He deported millions to Gulag camps and to the harsh Eastern regions of the USSR after WWII. All in all he can be held responsible for the death of more than 60 million citizens. He never trusted anyone, though agreed to a secret anti-agression pact with Germany's Hitler (to cut up Poland). Stalin did not believe in Mao's rural revolution (as a Marxist purist he only believed in the urban proletariat and its uprising). He looked down upon Mao and considered him an uneducated peasant. Initially he did not support Kim Il Sung's military ambitions. When he approved the attack on South Kores he refused to give Sung what he needed most: planes.  Famous quote: 'A single death is a tragedy. The death of millions is a statistic'.

Joseph Stalin

Kim Il Sung came to power after the end of the Japanese occupation in 1945 and swiftly organized the Worker's Party of (North) Korea, that was infused with communism. He was backed by Stalin and Mao and authorized the invasion of South Korea on June 25, 1950 convincing them he could take the complete Korean peninsula within a few weeks. Starting with 75,000 soldiers from North Korea, the Chinese then provided possibly all in all three million troops over a period of over three years, with mainly small weapons. The Russians provided tanks and only small weaponry. Had Kim Il Sung received what he wanted and needed most i.c. planes, the war could have indeed been over in a few weeks. Once the Americans reacted in full force and after an exorbitant high number of casualties on both sides for more than two years, the armistice between North and South was signed. As of 1953 Kim Il Sung governed for 45 years the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), in reality a ruthless one party-one person dictatorship of what became one of the most isolated, extravagant and poorest countries in the world, where the individual never had any voice. The country turned into a family dynasty powerbase ever since, until today. Kim Il Sung, Kim Jung Il and currently Kim Jong Un. Controversial motto of Kim Il Sung: 'The people are my God'.

Kim Il Sung

Syngman Rhee was born into a noble family and educated by Methodist missionaries during which period he converted to Christianism and became a fervent nationalist, particularly against Russian and Japanese imperialis objectives. He graduated from Harvard and achieved a Doctorate from Princeton; all exceptional during the early years of the past century. He made it his life goal to find all over the world support for the Korean case against the Japanese occupation of Korea (1910-1945). During the Korean war he was able to convince the Americans for ever more support but by the end of the war his pushing for a military solution and his trying to stall peace negotiations made him controversial. The South Koreans lost 415,000 soldiers killed and had 429.000 wounded.  Nevertheless he remained firmly backed by American supporters and became their 'man in Seoul' after WWII. Once President from 1948 onwards his stardom faded quickly as he ventilated constantly criticism toward various US governments but the USA had no alternative: Rhee was 'their son of a bitch' (originally a quote from President Franklin D. Roosevelt about Nicaraguan dictator Anastazio Somoza in 1939). During the last ten years of his Presidency he also became a dictator, and surrounded by sycophants purged the National Assembly members who opposed his rule. It all ended with his exile to Hawai in April 1960, where Rhee died in 1965.  Interesting quote: 'Communism is cholera and you cannot compromise with cholera'. 

Syngman Rhee

Mao Tse Tung was and remains a legend about whom only recently and sparsely important verifiable and objective details have been established and published. When I started at university in 1969, his heroism, strategic and tactical insights (illustrated through the Long March) against the feudal, corrupt and capitalist order which had exploited rural China for centuries, was unquestionable. So be it. Then when Mao took the reins in 1948 as Chairman Mao (until his death in 1976) he enforced a command economy with industrialization and building up military puissance, while supporting worldwide independence movements with weapons and advisors. One of his first targets was to turn Korea into a communist state (mirroring China with its Marxis-Leninist ideology); and he almost succeeded. Mao is estimated to have sent perhaps three million 'volunteers', mainly foot soldiers into battle. Americans estimate that some 1.5 million Chinese and North Koreans died. China had unlimited resources of soldiers/peasants who had no other choice than fight against 'American capitalist imperialism' in Korea.  And Mao appeared not to care for his (individual) people: 'The Great Leap Foreward' (1958-1963) that aimed to turn China 'overnight' from a rural into an industrial society caused the largest famine ever recorded on earth. Again, estimates of deaths vary between 15 and 50 million people. Offical records from China have never been shared / totally unknown as if none of it happened. One more serious criticism about Mao is mentioned by Halberstam: 'Mao lived like a sexual predator, relentlessly devouring peasant women, who were eager to serve their leader and thus their nation in whatever way he suggested'.  And this in the light of Mao's propaganda machine that ordered women to be equally treated and for which he was deeply admired and respected in the Western world, again by almost all students, socialists, and basically those considering themselves 'left' in the spectrum of international and national politics. Mao's myth has in fact now ended; except in China. Famous quote: 'Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun'.   

Mao Tse Tung

Chiang Kai Shek was never directly involved with his troops during the Korean war although at several periods he had offered to do so. Once it became clear that Mao's China engaged fiercely and massively inside Korea, the attention nearly automatically focussed a bit on what the Taiwanese leader was considering doing. When the Korean war broke out in June 1950, the American government (with MacArthur) had not given up as yet to fight the regime established so recently by Mao. A strong political lobby in Washington existed; initial funds had been made available to the 'Chinese nationalists' of Chiang but nothing serious ever materialized. Chiang was 'old hat', caught in his own political and corrupt past. During the second half of the 1950ies Taiwan, with the support of the USA developed its own brand of 'nationalism' and the country became very succesful in terms of governance and prosperity. Controversial quote from Chiang Kai Shek:  'War is not only a matter of equipment, artillery, group troops or air force; it is largely a matter of spirit, or morale'.

Chiang Kai Shek

THE KOREAN WAR ITSELF  (1950-1953) / THE KEY EVENTS AND AFTERMATH

On August 14, 1945 Japanese emperor Hirohito announced Japan's surrender in Korea over the radio. In the Northern part of the country the Russians (sharing a 17 kms narrow border with Korea) had advanced with tanks and artillery against the Japanese a few weeks before they surrendered, whilst in the Southern part the Americans had liberated the country from the vicious Japanese occupation. Very soon the US government, not willing to face the Russian advance, proposed that the Russians administer the Northern half in what was supposed to be a temporary trusteeship. Therefore an agreement was signed on the map along the line of the 38th Parallel, cutting the country into two different sphere of influence: one suggesting a Russian style communism, the other following the US capitalist approach. Both Syngman Rhee and Kim Il Sung totally rejected this divide and stood up (not in arms) by mobilizing their supporters against it. To no avail: gradually the schism between the two ideological systems deepened and once Kim Il Sung received the formal approval (with tanks, artillery and munition) from Stalin to go the war, he attacked the South.  

1.  Military historians now agree that the USA made a capital strategic error in January 1950 by not including South Korea in America's Asian defense perimeter. As a result there were only US advisors and some platoons training the South Korean army in the country when the North Koreans attacked. This led Stalin to believe that the USA was not preparing to come to the rescue of such a small and rather insignificant country. The onus of the USA was on the new Republic of China, Taiwan, the rebuilding of Japan, and to a lesser extent on Indonesia. Kim Il Sung convinced Stalin in 1949 that he could take the whole of Korea with his communist troops (inlcuding ethnic Koreans from China who had fought with Mao and were battle hardened) in a week or two. He also rather naively expected the farmers in the South to massively joing the 'communist case'.

2. General MacArthur, away and residing in Japan, in another world, and at odds and disagreeing with the Washington based government, had his eye on advancing as far as the Yalu river, bordering China (Manchuria). Early in 1950 the South Koreans (ROK) forces were able to win large tracts of terrain until at Unsan some 40 kms South of the Chinese border they and their US advisors met with fierce resistance and had to withdraw South. MacArthur took intelligence reports of a North Korean military build-up reinforced with Chinese 'volunteers' not serious. When the North Koreans attacked on June 25, 1950 a devastating blow came and the ROK army and their small contingent of US military found itself up against a very motivated military force. The South Korean army was obviously ill prepared, with old weaponry and not capable to resist. Kim Il Sung took Central Korea in a few days only, and moved swiftly toward the bigger prize that was Busan, the main port of Korea. The famous Busan perimeter where ROK and hastily brought in American GI's with lots of hardware were concentrated, could just about be saved during August, and that along the Naktong river. Then the Americans went out to a full blown war, but initially were ill prepared. Kim Il Sung threw all his 13 divisions (some estimated 175.000 soldiers) into the final battle on August 31, but by then the Americans/ROK/UN troops were better informed and equipped, and could hold their stand.

3. The Incheon landing and turning of the tide as of 15th September 1950. This proved to be the breakthrough against the North Koreans and the last daring and succesful military feat of MacArthur. With hindsight it somehow/with luck turned out a straightforward logistical amphibious landing operation (the North Koreans and Russians did not believe the Americans would do it). The flats around Incheon provided the possibility of a speedy march to Seoul some 35 kms. East, and to cut and slice the North Korean armies in two halves, which gravely impacted their supply lines. The Americans this time were able to use their superior weapons in large quantities (with air support) and advanced as planned: in a few days they occupied Gimpo airport, and in just over two weeks they secured Seoul, the capital without much casualties. 

4. On to the 38th Parallel and beyond. Mac Arthur's orders were to proceed military beyond the agreed 38th Parallel but to avoid any confrontation with the Chinese and Russians because any such confrontation could lead for the Americans and the UN to be sucked into an even bigger war. Again it was at this time that Macarthur's initiatives upset the US administration and led to his downfall: he appeared to ignore the orders to avoid military contact close to the Chinese border / too close for comfort it indeed was in the eyes of Mao. And Mao threw in 12 divisions of soldiers (more than 150,000 soldiers) starting to cross the Yalu river South of the Chinese border on 19th October without making contact with the Americans; the North Koreans were not in command anymore, it was now a Chinese war by Mao and his succesful General Peng, against the Americans/UN forces. Since Mao did not mind loss of life for his soldiers he kept sending new divisions across the North as of 25th November as they moved South, against heavy losses by US firepower. Then Mao had the advantage of a huge surprise attack since the Americans still did not believe the Chinese would go to war. It was bitterly cold, the Americans were about to fight in hostile and dangerous hilly and rocky terrain. And it proved quickly that their tanks and large artillery were difficult to manoeuver against the hordes of Chinese soldiers who preferably fought during the night, and kept coming hill after hill that they took back.

5. The advance of the Chinese army went on and on and the Americans/UN troops had to retreat 160 kms in 10 days only! It was later called the 'Big Bugout' with huge losses on both sides fighting over hills, passes and rivers such as Chongchon River, South of Unsan again, Hagaru, Kunuri, the Funchilin Pass, the Chosin Reservoir, Pyongyang the North Korean capital, and Kanyon-dong to name a few locations. It remained bitterly cold with more than often temperatures dropping below 25 degrees Celsius at night. The bloody war, man against man using handgrenades and bajonets had become the norm. On 31st December 1950 the Chinese and North Korean armies had reached roughly the 38th Parallel and now it was them who did not want to stop in their drive Southwards. 

6. By early February 1951 the Americans and Chinese knew that who would won the 'Central Corridor' (a hilly/mountaineous area East of Seoul through Chipyongni, Wonju and Hongchon) would then be able to move Southwards direction Busan and take the port. Again with hindsight, the Americans had full air supremacy, their supply lines had improved enormously, their weaponry modernized and their command structure changed with a new field commander Matthew Ridgway inside Korea; in summary they had some clear advantages. Mao still believed that his numerous soldiers would make the difference and threw more and more divisions into the upcoming battles. Mao (against the arguments of his experienced General Peng) was convinced the war was nearly won and he ignored the issue of bad supply lines and inferior equipment. The Chinese army had no aircraft either! From the first week of February until the the end of the third week huge battles raged in now infamous locations like the Twin Tunnel Pass, Chipyongni, Hongchon, McGee Hill, and the outskirts of Wonju. Peng threw his best soldiers at a modern US/UN army. And was close to victory. Then the Americans had a stroke of luck at daylight as they were able to neutralize some 15,000 footsoldiers with equipment on the move to Wonju. Some analysts say this avoided the town of Wonju to be taken by the Chinese and meant that the Chinese had to regroup/withdraw whilst the UN forces were able to make their stand in the Chipyongni and Hongchon areas (see below the crucial support by the Dutch batallion). Interestingly, during these battles the Americans added a new weapon the Chinese came to fear: a jellied death that American planes spread from the air and which burned out entire units. It was called napalm.

7. The Dutch batallion and its fighting is described with excellent and relevant detail in the book by historian Robert Stiphout 'The Bloodiest War', the Forgotten Batallion of Dutch soldiers in Korea'. Sadly the adjective 'forgotten' can relate to the Dutch politicians (the agreed budget to support the mission was never fully spent....those stingy Dutch!), to the Dutch historians, to the lack of education about it in our schools (I can hardly remember it being mentioned in my history classes), to the decision makers to support the Batallion financially in the Netherlands (and later the soldiers and their families upon their return!), to the Dutch press and journalists at the time, to the general public, but most prominently to the soldiers themselves who (had volunteered) and had fought so bloody hard in lands they would never had imagined so different from anywhere they had been before.

Prime Minister Netherlands: Willem Drees

 The first full batallion of about 700 soldiers consisted of experienced men, most of whom had fought in WWII and in the Dutch East Indies. They were tough and fearless. Nevertheless they had never fought in such a severe cold and up against Chinese who kept coming and coming during the nigthly attacks.  I assume that also other UN troops like the Belgians, Turks, Thai, French and others may have felt similar like the Dutch that at times they were sent to do some very specific 'sheer impossible' and dangerous attacks for the commanding US army. 

Commander Marinus den Ouden, Lt.Col./ killed in action at Hongchon

The 'Dutchies' fought with distinction at the following crucial battles: 'the hell of Hongchon'; Hill number 325 Northwest of Wonju; the Chosin Reservoir line defense; and they secured the advance in the area around Inje and Taeusun Mountain (to put pressure on the peace negotiation table in the near future!).  Nevertheless the Dutch batallion was constantly understaffed, lacking munition at times and often without air-support. The individual stories in the book relay a horrendous experience for all of them, including those who were not supposed to fight (like cooks, medical staff, drivers, mechanics ...more than once they had to as well!). The hardships as described about long nightly marches, lack of food and rest, constant pressure from commanders, and a around the clock danger to keep their lives from the Chinese soldiers, snipers and the firing of mortars. All in all, over a period of over three years 4748 Dutch military participated in the war. Far more importantly though, from November 1950 to August 1951, and during the height of the war the 700 soldiers batallion lost half of its men! 63 Soldiers were killed in action, three missing in action, one taken prisoner by the North Koreans, 135 wounded and unable to continue fighting, with another 153 too sick to continue fighting.  All in all the dead, wounded, missing in action, and the sick, counted for half the batallion of 700 pacs. Soldiers felt about Korea: too many mountains and hills, too cold, too many marches, too few rest periods, too many Chinese, and too few Dutch soldiers.

Names of Dutch soldiers buried at UN forces cemetery in Busan
background Bona Han and Anton van Zutphen

The books by Halberstam and Stiphout give testimony of heroism by individual soldiers fighting for a cause very far away from their own fatherland. Impressive and never to forget!

 8. By the end of February 1951 the Americans were certain they could contain the Chinese armies and the Truman administration sent a secret cable to MacArthur (still in Japan as surpreme commander) on March 20 that it felt the time was now right for a major peace initiative. MacArthur's response in a letter made public was a full disagreement and he argued that China without a manufacturing base for modern weapons was not able to resist the US army. Truman called it 'rank insubordination' and it torpedod the General's military position and future. On April 11 he was removed from power and called back to the States. 

9. The battle of Chipyongni end of February 1951 signalled the beginning of a new stage: each side had neutralized the other and certainly the Americans were unwilling to risk many more lives. The Chinese dared a major attack in May with some 300.000 soldiers which the Americans were able to stop. Chinese losses were horrific according to the US military. There continued small battles here and there but the war had grinded to a standstill. By then the US had not formally recognised the Republic of China (Taiwan was the 'official China') and although initial armistice talks started mid July in Kaesong, just South of the 38th Parallel, distrust was great and talks were soon moved to Panmunjom in the no-man's land of the 38th Parallel. The repatriation of POW's was problematic from the onset and was never really implemented. In fact tens of thousands of South Korean soldiers ended up in North Korea for the rest of their lives to become and remain with their families for ever third rate citizens there. Most were relocated to the rural areas far away from Pyongyang and to the North where the winters are long and severe and where many were assigned to work in the mines. Then in 1953 Stalin suddenly died and the pressure to continue fighting became less. Some heavy battles like the one during which the Chinese tried to take Pork Chop Hill in April, and again early July 1953 still raged. The Americans and Britisch finally left the hill a few days before the truce was signed on July 27, 1953. 

A cruel war had ended with a truce no one (in particular Kim Il Sung and Syngman Rhee) was happy with.

10. The war benefitted China greatly and although an estimated one million Chinese soldiers died and a similar number wounded, its outcome was that the Chinese were able to hold their stand against the US/UN troops. Mao felt this as a success and he established himself as the one great leader. The Russians had lost their influence since they had not supported China with air power nor with boots on the ground. The North Koreans were at the end of the war completely at the mercy of the Chinese. The US had never before in history lost so many troops over such a short period and had greatly underestimated the Chinese and North Korean forces. Kim Il Sung was able to establish his dynasty ruthlessly and developed his own model of totalitarianism. Syngman Rhee had to depend on the US initiatives to rebuild the country. North and South Korea effectively became two very different countries as basically most, if not all communication between the two came to a standstill.

11. My wife's family (father's side) hails from the inland region of Hamhung (a coastal city in North Korea). For multiple generations they owned land and as such were immediately suspect when Kim Il Sung started to introduce communism in 1945. Definitely their lands must have been confiscated. Biya's grandfather and wife had two sons and one young daughter. The middle son was Biya's father. Grandfather, a scholar and wise man, decided to send his middle son to university in Busan (South Korea), probably around 1948 (family coping mechanism). He was a serious student, married his university sweetheart and became a well known and respected journalist in Seoul. Even before the war started in 1950, communication had become difficult with the family in North Korea. Biya, nor anybody else in her family ever found out what happened to the family in North Korea. There has never been contact, and although Biya has been to North Korea twice on governmen related missions it proved impossible to find out anything about grandfater's family. Such is the sad reality for millions of Koreans from both North and South.

Without going into details from 1953 to 2023, and over a period of 70 years the following stands out: 

South Korea shed various (military) dictatorships but by the end of the eighties had transferred into a democratic society. I do remember clearly that when I was a student at university (1969-1975) we witnessed on tv the ferocious student uprisings against the dicatator Park Chung Hee (President from 1962-1979 until his assasination). Violent streetfighting seemed the norm during these protests and were very different from most of  the peace/compromise infused protests of the students in the NL. Many of my wife's close friends/students were rounded up by the military in that period, were tortured and spent time in jail. We should not forget that also in Europe we had after WWII our share of dictators who ruled harshly against their opponnents and critizers: what about Franco in Spain, Salazar in Portugal, Ceaucescu in Rumania, and Jaruzelski in Poland? Nowadays, South Korea is the bright star of all Eastern Asia countries: it is now a valuable member of the UN and of the G20, a leading country in Asia, producing a huge variety of crucial products like automobiles, home appliances, chips, smart phones, and even the money spinning K-pop music culture (like 'BTS' and 'Black Pink'). Its population is highly educated and well off. Population stands at 52 million in 2023 / men and women live very long....well into their eighties. One cannot deny the following fact: those (small) countries supported strongly by the USA/Western world have done remarkably well in Eastern Asia such as Taiwan, Singapore, HongKong (former crown colony of the UK), though others less so like the Philippines and Malaysia. 

North Korea continues to struggle against deep entrenched poverty and the country went through a number of famines, although immediately after the Korean war Kim Il Sung made fast and good progress providing basic education and health services for all. Then, the break-up of the USSR in 1991 impacted heavily on the North Korean economy: no more loans and no oil, medecines, raw materials without cash payments. The country then lost its momentum and remained unable to recover. The Kim family rules as never before with its nationalist, quasi independent Korean styled ideology of home grown communism / called 'juche' ideology. It tries to keep its population isolated. Additionally it shoots off all kinds of technically advanced rockets direction Japan these days. Population stands at 26 million in 2023 and average life expectancy is about 70. 

From where I sit in Seoul and in the Netherlands, a reunification is not about to happen: the Korean war is now long time past / some 70 years. Most North Koreans would not know how to adjust to the fast and professional South Korean working approach. Young people in Seoul hardly ever mention North Korea to me.  Life has moved on. For most people around the world it is now a forgotten war.

Blog written in Seoul and Leende, the Netherlands.

Finished 24th June 2023 just before 25th June (annual Memorial Day in South Korea to remember the war and its dead, wounded and missing), and just before my wife Biya Han celebrates her 65th anniversary on 26th June. 

Comments and suggestions to correct where I made errors will be appreciated. Or write to tonvanzutphen@gmail.com

 

Marriage by Proxy / Glove / Handschoen.      In Dutch language 'trouwen met de handschoen' literally means 'marrying with the glove', and means a proxy marriage. People marry 'with the glove' if they cannot be in the same location during the marriage ceremony. The bride or groom is represented by someone with a power of attorney. Originally, a glove was displayed to signify the absent party, hence the informal name of this ceremony.  'Trouwen bij volmacht', 'with the glove' was quite usual in the Netherlands from 1890-1940 when (mostly) young males left for the Dutch East Indies as civil servants or soldiers leaving their fiancees behind...whose families were often eager to have their girls married 'with the glove', so they could more easily join their new husbands later.    

 A note on the music of Bob Dylan and his excellent, inspiring book 'The Philosophy of Modern Song'.

by Ton van Zutphen, April 2023

Dylan early years when he was 20 years young?

No way I will try to add another 'personal analysis' amongst the hundreds that already exist about the man Bob Dylan and his music...and his impact on Western music at large. 

To be frank, much of the text in his songs I never understood, and still do not, although my English is reasonably ok. 

Therefore I was astonished to read that Dylan in 2016 was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature. Amongst the hullaballoo that followed his recognition, Dylan himself remained silent and only about a year later he travelled to Stockhom to receive the award in person. By then the media interest had died down. And yes I was also surprised...did he deserve, as the Nobel committee mentioned that he, Bob Dylan 'had created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition'?  

This Jewish boy from Duluth 'the Iron Range' in the State of Minnesota, USA,  name of Robert Allen Zimmerman, made it to the top and is without doubt one of the most well known, successfull, and extra ordinary singer-songwriters of the past and current century.  

I never read the books Dylan wrote, I never read a biography about him either but I did buy and read his latest book 'The Philosophy of Modern Song', a 'tour de force' affirming that Mr. Dylan does know intimately about (all kinds of) music and does know how to write about it. It took him 10 years to write it and definitely the way in which this book is carefully written, crafted and presented, gives me the certainty that this book will once again contribute to his name and fame. At present Dylan's oeuvre amounts to over 600 songs he wrote and sang himself; and this over a period of well over 60 years. 

It renders hommage to the American traditional and modern music with only a few songs from Europe. Dylan has done his homework and includes a detailed historical perspective with many references on every one of the 66 songs he chose.

And then the book includes relevant and historical illustrations, mostly photographs and posters, supporting the texts. Impressive also!   Great examples include:

- Poster of Jesse and Frank James, Dead or Alive 5.000 $ for either one of them brothers, referring to the song 'Jesse James' by Harry McClintock (1928)  

- Photograph of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, referring to the song 'Cheaper to keep Her' by Johnnie Taylor (1973)

- Photograph of Fidel Castro, referring to the song 'CIA Man' by the Fugs (1967)

- Picture of a US Silver Dollar (In God We Trust), referring to the song 'Midnight Rider' by the Allman Brothers (1970).

Different styles and songs on anti-establishment, folk, blues, ballroom music by crooners, country and bluegrass, slow love songs, rockabilly, rock, rock and roll, country rock, 'Motown sound', protest songs, gospel, ballads, cowboy songs, anti-war songs ....what else or what more?

From Dylan's choice of 66 songs only  18 feature in my personal Top 2000, and 29 of the songs Dylan describes and analyses were totally unknown to me.

On a score of 0 to 10 I ranked all the songs separately and came to 425 points out of a max. of 660 points. This is an average of 6,44 points out of the maximum score of 10. Following songs are close to my heart and most of these feature in my personal Top 2000

The Temptations with 'Ball of Confusion' (1970)           scoring 9 points

Jimmy Reed  with 'Big Boss Man' (1960)                       scoring 9 points

Bobby Bare with 'Detroit City'(1963)                             scoring 8 points

Little Richard with 'Tutti Frutti'(1955)                            scoring 8 points

Elvis Presley with 'Money Honey'(1956)                       scoring 8 points

The Grateful Dead with 'Truckin' (1970)                        scoring 8 points

Domenico Mudogno with 'Volare' (1958)                      scoring 8 points

Roy Orbison with 'Blue Bayou' (1963)                          scoring 8 points

The Allman Brothers with 'Midnight Rider'(1970)         scoring 8 points

Carl Perkins with 'Blue Suede Shoes (1956)                  scoring 8 points

Warren Zevon with 'Dirty Life and Times' (2003)           scoring 8 points

John Trudell with 'Doesn't Hurt Anymore' (2001)           scoring 8 points

Little Walter with 'Key to the Highway'(1958)               scoring 8 points

Ernie K-Doe with 'A Certain Girl' (1961)                       scoring 8 points

Santana with 'Black Magic Woman' (1970)                    scoring 8 points

Frank Sinatra with 'Strangers in the Night'(1966)          scoring 8 points

Elvis Presley with 'Viva Las Vegas'( 1964)                    scoring 8 points

The Drifters with 'Saturday Night at the Movies' (1964)   scoring 8 points

Then there are a few songs ranked very low by me because I could not fathom really what Bob meant when he selected these...at least not using my criteria that include melody, originality, authenticity, rhythm, style, text, presentation, recording quality:

Billy Joe Shaver with 'Willy the Wandering Gypsy and Me (1973)  scoring 4 points

Bing Crosby with 'Whiffenpoof Song'(1947)                                     scoring 3 points only

Johnnie Ray with 'The Little White Cloud that Cried'(1951)            scoring 4 points

The bulk of the scores are 7 and 6 with a few songs scoring 5 points.

Now, after reading and digesting his book I believe Dylan wanted to create with his extensive historical and anecdotal knowledge an overview of relevant songs, relevant to the society during a special period. Each song seems to develop a theme and is analysed against the period during which it was popular or important like, again only a few examples:

- War, and what is it good for?, referring to the song 'War' by Edwin Starr (1970) with Vietnam in the background

- Life of artists on the road, referring to the song 'Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves by CHER (1971)

- Impossible love, referring to the song 'El Paso' by Marty Robbins (1959)

Texts pertaining to the songs in the book are more than often difficult to understand if one is oblivious of USA history. Then the vocabulary used is full to the brim with American slang and sayings. I love it! Here are some examples of it:

- A world of small-time petty criminals, sneak thieves, gangster pimps, pickpockets, cigar-puffing killers; the subculture that Hitlerism put and end to. This refers to the song 'Mack the Knife' by Bobby Darin (1959)

- It's rolling like a ball and you're packed inside of it. You're walking unsteady, get going they say, and you're marching along, confiding in the great Googa Mooga, your personal deity. This refers to the song 'Ball of Confusion' by The Temptations (1970). 

- One of the reasons people turn away from God is because religion is no longer in the fabric of their lives. It is presented as a thing: it is Sunday we have to go to church. Or, it is used as a weapon of threat by political nutjobs on either side of every argument. But religion used to be the water we drank, the air we breathed. This refers to the song 'If you don't know me by now' by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes (1972).

Dylan can write!

                                                           Dylan in his late twenties

In my personal Top 2000 listing I have included the following songs composed and sung by Bob Dylan; 26 in total

Ranking    0008   Desolation Row (1965)

                  0055   Like a Rolling Stone (1965)

                  0166   Maggie's Farm (1965)

                  0280   She belongs to Me (1965)

                  0429   Blowin' in the Wind (1963)

                  0627   I'll be your Baby Tonight (1967)

                  0718   Lay Lady lay (1969)

                  0781   Visions of Johanna (1966)

                  0787   Just like a Woman (1966) 

                  0797   I am a lonesome Hobo (1967)

                  0821   I want You (1966)

                  0852   Everybody must get stoned (1966)

                  0899   I threw it all away (1969)

                  0920   Tangled up in blue (1974)

                  0973   Dear Landlord (1967)

                  0977   Subterranean Homesick Blues (1965)

                  1018   John Wesley Harding (1967) 

                  1089   It ain't me Babe (1964) 

                  1109   Highway 61 revisited (1965)

                  1160   Drifter's Escape (1968)

                  1307   If not for You (1970)

                  1370   Boots of Spanish Leather (1964)

                   1425   Romance in Durango (1976)

                   1737   Girl from the North Country (1964)

                   1801   Mozambique (1976) 

                    1944   Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest (1967)

Once again, let me give you just 3 examples out of thousands that illustrate the mystifying poetic texts that sprouted out of Dylan's brain...all of these texts are unique, of celestial beauty, and some carry one-liners never to forget.

- From the song 'Maggie's Farm' (1965):

I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more, No, I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother no more,

Well, he hands you a nickel, He hands you a dime,

He asks you with a grin, If you're having a good time,

Then he fines you every time you slam the door, I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother no more

- From the song 'She belongs to Me' (1965):

She's got everything she needs, she's an artist, she don't look back

She can take the dark out of the nighttime, and paint the daytime black

She never stumbles, she's got no place to fall

She's nobody's child, the law can't touch her at all

She wears an Egyptian ring, it sparkles before she speaks

She's a hypnotist collector, you are a walking antique

- From the song 'If not for you' (1970): 

If not for you, Babe, I couldn't even find the door

I couldn't even see the floor, I'd be sad and blue, if not for you

If not for you, the winter would hold no spring

Couldn't hear a robin sing, I just wouldn't have a clue, if not for you

Absolutely creative and innovative language, often a 'Wordspiel', and at times incomprehensible but inviting you to think about the possible meaning. 

To be able to contextualize Dylan's early music (his folk and protest songs) one has to listen to Woody Guthrie, a US folksinger. In Europe we would call Guthrie a musician with a rather socialist approach in his songs = standing up for the voiceless and disadvantaged (the poor folks) and singing about the profound reasons why especially rural folks are poor and remain so. And he clearly expressed his opinion in his famous and popular song 'This land is your land' that everybody should have equal rights 'from the Californias to the New York island; from the redwood forests to the gulfstream waters, this land was made for you and me'. He wrote this song in 1940, just like many of his other prominent songs during the second World War. 

This most famous song (beautifully covered also by Trini Lopez in 1960), and others such as 'Hard ain't it hard?', 'I ain't got no home', 'Jesus Christ', and 'Do Re Mi' (about the infamous drought in the US MidWest during the 1930ies and the run toward California), are all songs that made it into my Top 2000. In the USA after the war, Woody Guthrie was shunned as a communist, unfortunately and incorrectly so. In 1962 Dylan wrote 'Song to Woody' to honour Woody Guthrie as a fellow singer songwriter, performer of protest songs and activist. 

Clearly my selection does not cover the 60 plus years that Dylan has been 'operational and on stage': meaning writing, performing and arranging new songs. Only during my studies at Nijmegen University, NL and one, perhaps two years earlier at college (period 1967-1975) did I listen frequently to his songs. Readers may note that one of Dylan's most articulate and famous songs 'The Times they are A-changin' (1964) is missing. In this song his voice is very raw, unpolished...and I never was able to appreciate the music of this song. I guess it was all about the text and in 1964 I was still a junior at college, an adolescent listening to Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly, more rock and roll. 

When I was 15 years young (1966), little did I know about civil rights and anti-war movements, or 'counterculture'. All I knew was what I picked up at college during formal lessons about the history of the USA. And these lessons focussed on how great America was because of its economic and military puissance, and that they liberated Europe twice from the Germans (in 1918 and in 1945), and how badly they treated the Indians, how they fought amongst themselves during the Civil War for 4 years (1861-1865), how they had kept black people in slavery and now legally accepted equality of the races, and how they were fighting 'the commies' = communism, mainly from the Soviet Union/USSR. And,that we as Dutch were good friends and supporters of the American system and its population. The US President, John F. Kennedy (JFK) was extremely popular in the NL (increasingly so after his speech in West Berlin, Germany in 1963, during which he spoke these famous words in German 'Ich bin ein Berliner'. His popularity later rose to mythical proportions after he was assassinated in Dallas that same year 1963 on November 22. I still remember the special anouncement while at school when it was made public. Literally everybody was shocked and for weeks it remained the topic of the day at school and at home! It was never found out who killed JFK.

Dylan played with several legendary musicians like the Canadian group 'The BAND', Johnny Cash and Mark Knopfler, lead guitarist of 'Dire Straits', to name a few.

So my Top 2000 also features quite a few songs that Dylan wrote but were performed by other musicians. I decided to include these songs from other artists; some examples are:

Ranking 0007 played by The BAND:  'When I paint my Masterpiece'(1971)

Ranking 0066 played by THEM: 'It's all over now Baby Blue' (1965)

Ranking 1363 in a version by Brian Ferry:  A hard Rain's gonna fall (1973) 

Ranking 1508 played by Mark Knopfler and Bob Dylan: 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door'(1996)

Then the USA West Coast Band 'The BYRDS' covered quite a lot of songs written by Dylan. The following are included in my Top 2000:

- You ain't going nowhere (Dylan 1967)

- Nothing was delivered (Dylan 1967)

- My Back Pages (Dylan 1964)

- All I really want to do ( Dylan 1964) = one of my all time favourites!

- Mr. Tambourine Man  (Dylan 1965)

Dylan's composition 'Quinn the Eskimo (the Mighty Queen), a beautiful rag rhythm song from his album  'The Basement Tapes' in 1967, was succesfully covered by Manfred Mann a year later who made a big charts hit out of it. 

In 1968 the famous 'Jimi Hendrix Experience' band covered the Dylan song 'All along the Watchtower' : indeed some say the most electrifying cover that exists! A remarkable version also because 'The Experience' consisted of only three bandmembers. 

And in 1969 the English band 'Fairport Convention' covered the song 'Million Dollar Bash' in a jolly playful  folk-rock style.

Other rare and stunningly beautiful covers are:

Nico,  with 'I'll keep it with mine' (1967) / sounds very much like Nico/Velvet Underground

Elvis Presley,  with 'Tomorrow is a long Time' (1966) / possibly Dylan's favorite cover version

Nina Simone,  with 'Just like Tom Thumb's Blues' (1969) / Nina at her best!

Jim James & CALEXICO,  with 'Goin' to Acapulco' (2007) /  superb singing and orchestration.

The following song is mentioned twice in this blog: 'Desolation Row'. Dylan's original ranks #0008 in my Top 2000; then recently I discovered the unusual and magnificent version by singer Bobby Woods (covered in 2018). What a voice too!  

Ranking  #1215 performed by Joan Baez: 'Sad eyed Lady of the Lowlands'(1968) Then the 'exotic looking lady with the angelic voice' Joan Baez with whom Bob Dylan had an intimate but streneous relationship also wrote a beautiful and sad song about him: ranking # 0213: 'Diamonds and Rust' (1975). 

Quite a few musical experts strongly suggest that the song 'Visions of Johanna' by Dylan then refers to Joan Baez.

All in all, in this blog I mentioned  45 songs that Dylan wrote; possibly a nice selection for a unique CD or to be put on a usb-stick?  Songs mentioned by me cover less than 8% of Dylan's complete oeuvre.

And I am quite certain that at any of his thousands of concerts and gigs Dylan  must have covered songs written by Woody Guthrie.

Dylan and Baez, around 1965

Dylan continues touring the world and he will play at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland this year 2023 during early summer. Although my daughter Kesso Gabrielle lives in this pittoresque town on the Geneva Lake and only half a mile from the theater where he is scheduled to perform....will I go and see him?  Will I be able to go and even get a ticket? Who will play this year...Bob Dylan (his tour is called 'Rough and Rowdy Ways'), also Iggy Popp, Norah Jones, Simply Red, Lionel Richie, Chris Isaak, Buddy Guy, Gilberto Gil and many other celebrities. 

Dylan in his mid seventies

Dylan will be 83 years when he performs in Montreux; not a small feat! 

My personal Top 2000 can also be viewed at my blog  www.nedineurope.blogspot.com.  Published in 2022.

Ton van Zutphen, Leende, NL on 15th April 2023