Doing the right thing comes at a cost Harper tells WW2 vets at VE Day service

HOLTEN, Netherlands – Prime Minister Stephen Harper paid tribute to Canada’s war dead at a service in the Netherlands this morning.

He was joined by a few dozen surviving veterans of the battles to liberate northwest Europe, which culminated with the surrender of Nazi German forces 70 years ago.

Harper spoke of the sacrifices of the now-dwindling war-time generation, saying they understood that some things were worth fighting and dying for — a sentiment that remains today.

The speech took place at the Holten Canadian War Cemetery, near Arnhem, which contains the graves of 1,350 Canadian soldiers, many of whom were killed in the late stages of the war as the allies cleared the Netherlands and pushed into Germany.

Harper said each headstone is a stark reminder that doing the right thing comes at a great cost.

The nearby village of Holten was liberated by Canadians on April 8, 1945 after fierce house to house fighting.

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