Freddie Oversteegen
September 18, 2018 8:34 AM   Subscribe

 
Found via @LeoJCarey on Twitter.
posted by saladin at 8:35 AM on September 18, 2018


She was a very fine child soldier, but there ought not be child soldiers.
posted by ckridge at 8:49 AM on September 18, 2018 [2 favorites]


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there ought not be child soldiers

Agreed. But there are times when even that is a privilege.
posted by klanawa at 9:03 AM on September 18, 2018 [1 favorite]


Vice did an interview with her a couple years ago. Worth reading.
posted by vacapinta at 9:16 AM on September 18, 2018 [1 favorite]


What and amazing life.
posted by rtha at 9:16 AM on September 18, 2018


As regular readers may recall, technically speaking, I was a child soldier, as I signed my contract when I was 17 years old (and, of course, had a parent co-sign).

Freddie Oversteegen was not a child soldier. She wasn't a soldier at all. She was something far -- I don't want to say better in the context of someone who killed other people, even for the greater good, but I can't think of a better word. So I'll say that she was something far better than a soldier, better than someone trained and indoctrinated in the science and art of killing other people for the greater good. She was a resister, someone whose home was invaded and who reacted by saying What can I do to counter this invasion? In her case, it was killing people, and other acts of sabotage and espionage. And then, when the invasion was over, she just... stopped. She put down her gun and got to the business of cleaning up and living a life, after she had helped millions of others whom she would never meet live theirs.

There ought not be child soldiers, nor 14-year-old girls who have to make the choice to resist when adults wage war. But sometimes there are, and Freddie Oversteegen was braver and greater and better than I and anyone else I've ever served with.

Rest in power, ma'am.
posted by Etrigan at 9:16 AM on September 18, 2018 [47 favorites]


Her and her sister Truus were there along with Hannie Schaft. If you don't know who Hannie is, I recommend you do.
posted by vacapinta at 9:23 AM on September 18, 2018 [5 favorites]


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Hero. She did things I would hope to find to courage to do, and never lost her humanity.

My mother was born & grew up in occupied Holland. Those were years my grandparents never talked about much; I know they kept a radio they listened to, in secret, but not much else. Some of my mother's first memories are of her town being liberated by the Canadians, and the fact that they had enough food to being throwing it off their vehicles as they passed by the crowds. Obviously the Hongerwinter left an impact on her, though I think they were lucky in terms of their ability to access food for themselves because my grandfather was a butcher.
posted by nubs at 10:34 AM on September 18, 2018 [1 favorite]


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posted by joedan at 12:48 PM on September 18, 2018


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posted by bryon at 12:55 PM on September 18, 2018


May her memory always be a blessing.
posted by Sophie1 at 1:05 PM on September 18, 2018 [3 favorites]


Is it dusty in here?


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posted by evilDoug at 4:32 PM on September 18, 2018


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posted by gusandrews at 8:09 PM on September 18, 2018


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posted by hap_hazard at 9:14 PM on September 19, 2018


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