The Handkerchief
Ilse tells about her courageous mother in a story that takes us all back into the hellhole called Camp Halmahera.
“End the Silence” Chapter 20 – The Handkerchief
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Order Your Copy of End the Silence Today!
End the Silence is now available! To purchase a copy , go to Createspace. (Also available at amazon.com and local book stores).
Dorothy Read, Ilse Smit & Edith Veere on Idaho Public TV
Joan Cartan-Hansen of MT/PT in Boise interviewed sisters Ilse Evelijn Veere Smit and Edith Evelijn Veere, who survived the two atrocities, as well as author Dorothy Read, who has helped Ilse tell her family's story in the new book End the Silence. The program aired Thursday, June 3, 2010 8:30/ 7:30 pm
Watch the program.
Thanks you, Ilsa for sharing your story, and thank you, Dorothy, for writing the memoir. I’m truly looking forward to reading this important book.
Your interest means a lot, Kelly. Keep in touch–we’ll keep you posted on the progress of END THE SILENCE.
Thank you both so much for all the labor and tears that I know went into the writing of this book. Hope to read it soon; get the publishers on the stick! This will be a very important book.
You are so right, Sherry. Hundreds of thousands of stories like Ilse’s came out of the Dutch East Indies. We must honor them–we are long overdue.
My grandfather is Rene EvelijnVeere, the younger brother of Ilse. Having this book published would mean a great deal to me and my family. I cant wait to buy my own copy so that i can share the details with my friends and family that don’t know about it.
You have hit the nail right on the head, Tiffany: most people DON’T KNOW ABOUT IT! So this the way to tell them–one story at a time, until the Dutch and Indo victims of WWII and the Bersiap Period that followed take their rightful place in history’s tragic events. Such brave people; they deserve recognition.
I am the Grandson of Rene EvelijnVeere. This book would be a great deal to me if this could be published. I had always known about my Opa(grandfather) being in the japanese camps but after hearing parts of the manuscripts i wanted to have my own copy to keep and read the whole thing.
The minute the story is published between two covers, you will have a signed copy, Brandon! Your Tante Ilse and I are working hard to make that happen.
I am Rene EvelijnVeere’s first born granddaughter. It would mean the world to me if this story could get out there. We truely need to “End the Silence” and this book could and should be a giant step towards that. I was always told that my Opa (grandfather) and his siblings had gone through horrible things in the prison camps but never had the chance to really learn about it. I can’t wait to have my own copy of this piece of my family’s history. Thank you for sharing this, Tante Ilse.
Keep your fingers crossed, Stefanie–important people in the publishing world are reading the manuscript. Your comments are very helpful–
My sister-in-law is the daughter of Rene the brother of Ilsa who is a part of this story. We are currently camping in Pismo and Rene gave Joan (my sister in law) the manuscript of this story. Every day Joan has been reading the story and at night when we are sitting around the campfire, she has been sharing what she read that day. Each night, I can see how difficult it is for Joan to retell the story of what her grandmother, father and aunts endured during this aweful time in history. She has shed many tears while reading the manuscript. This tells me a couple of things, one – the writing of this story is amazing, two – more people need to know about this event. No one in my family even knew that any of this ever took place and after knowing Rene for the past 23 years, it is hard to believe that he was a part of this incredible journey. I hope this book get published and I believe it would also make a great movie to get the word out to the world of this horrible event, so it never has to happen to anyone ever again! Thank you for sharing Ilsa and thank you dorothy for helping her write it!! Patti
Wow, Patti–this is a great commentary on the quality of this story. Thank You! Believe me, a lot of tears went into the writing of it, too. May we quote you?
Such a powerful and moving story. It is great to have such examples of how difficult life really was during this mysterious time in our history. There are many Dutch-Indo families like mine that never were able to learn of these events directly from our ancestors. Many who like myself were only able to learn limited information from second hand sources long after they had passed on. It is great that you are recording these first hand stories and I look forward to learning more about the experiences you are sharing.
Thanks, Daantje. It is great that Ilse is finally getting tell the stories. We appreciate your comments.
Hi, I am a daughter of parents who are Dutch-Indo who moved to the U.S.A. in the 60′s
and my parents spoke only a little about the war. My mom did mention being separated from her father and brothers who lived in separate camps. She remembers once hiding under the beds and seeing soldiers boots walk by. She also mentioned my opa was in the Dutch army. That is all.
My mom carries a lot of fear, that I think was perhaps influenced by her experiences in the camps.
I would like to know more about what happened and I hope this book gets published.
I was moved by her story. This book could be very healing for others who had similar experiences in the camps.
Thank you for sharing your story Ilse and Dorthy for writing it.
All the best to you all,
Miranda
Yes, I know what you mean about the fear, Miranda. Ilse is one of the kindest, warmest, most loving women I’ve ever known, but she, too, carries a wariness that I’m sure was instilled in Camp Halmaheira and the horrors that came after.
Thank you for helping my aunt to tell the story. The story is also the one of my mother Marijke, a 4 year younger sister of Ilse. My mother told us (my 3 brothers and 1 sister) a part of the story of her youth when we were in our teens.
For two years I had a short written version The Handkerchief, that my aunt sent to me, documentated at the NIOD (National Institute of War Documentation) to at least preserve the story for future generations.
I’am glad that soon there will be an opportunity for many, to read the whole story. Including myself, as my mother claims to have a black hole in her memory (a few years) from the moment her mother died till the time she arrived in Holland.
Even a visit last year to the recently discovered grave of Oma Mies and a stroll in the suburb Halmaheira, the site of the former Jap camp in Semarang, didn’t (fortunatly for her?) bring back memories.
It is strange to notice that in Holland, even in 2010, the majority of the population has no idea that so many had suffered in the Asian part of WWII.
In the post-war period, when lots of indo’s came to Holland, nobody wants to hear stories about people who suffered more than the Dutch did under German occupation.
In an attempt to assimilate in Dutch society smoothly there was, and still is, a great silence about this subject.
The survivors (or whats left of them) of the Jap camps and pow camps like Birma are still waiting for a recognizion as a victim and (financial) support like the victims of the war related to Germany.
I hope the publisher consider to release a Dutch translated issue of the book so that it will be possible to be read by many people in Holland. As it is also a part the Dutch history, it will make people understand there is a hidden pain inside the Dutch-Indo community.
Hope you succeed in convincing the publisher to print and release the book.
Your aunt is an amazing woman, Jim, and so is your mother. I’m just knocked out that so much of the population in Holland is just as ignorant of the Dutch-Indo experience as we are , here in America. End the Silence definitely needs to be offered in both languages!
Incredible story. My mother in law was born on Java and because of the war fled to the Netherlands.
After hearing your story, Ilse, I know understand more about why SHE was always keeping so many things in her past to herself. Just wish she would have shared her stories before she died five years ago. Thank you Ilse
Through stories like Ilse’s, we understand more about those who never were able to tell their own stories.
Hello, I just wanted to say that Ilse’s story does need to be heard, It is a small but important part of history that has been held in the darkness for far too long. My own dad was held as a young boy, and even to this day has a hard time talking about his own experiences. I think many things he has learned to forget because of the pain. If more stories like Ilse’s become available then maybe people like my dad could begin to feel safe and start to open up about his life.
Oh, yes, that’s what so much of this is about–helping people to shed that burden of silence.
I am the daughter of Rene’ EvelijnVeere. Tante Ilse is my aunt. I have had the previlege of reading the manuscript. And this story rocked me to my core. I always knew that my dad and his mother and sisters were in a prison camp and I had heard about the handkerchief as well. I truely believe that if it wasn’t for the courage of my Tante Ilse, my dad and his sisters would not have survived that prison camp. I had only known Tante Ilse as an adult, but while reading the pages of the manuscript. I wanted to reach inside the book and love, hug and protect that poor little girl. And what an amazing girl she was. I am proud of my Tante Ilse for sharing her story so that many others can hear the history of those camps. This story is very personal to me, but I also believe that it would be important to many others. It is time to “End the Silence”. Thanks for writing this book. I am working hard to get the word out to all my friends, so they can pass it on. We will get this book published!
What a heartfelt review, Joan. Thanks for the encouragement.
God Bless you Eise. THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR STORY WITH US AT CHRIST THE KING.
THAT PART O YOUR LIFE NEEDS TO BE TOLD SO THAT OTHERS WILL NOT FORGET!