It's a couple days late for Veterans' Day, also known as Remembrance Day in many parts of the world.  But a friend let me know of this incredible performance by a 13 year old Dutch girl named Melissa Venema.

I hold the people of the Netherlands dear, as I lived there for two years.  Mr. Merx was my neighbor and a young boy during the war.  He told stories of how the Germans were driven back, inch by inch, by the Allies. He told how an American company came up the road past our house, and how ten went out but only eight came back.  This first hand account gave life to this part of history.

Not far from where we lived, over 8,000 American dead are interred in the cemetery at Margraten.  Each September, the Dutch hold a memorial service to honor the men who died to liberate their country.  The following is a link to Melissa's rendition of Taps.  There is a poignant history behind the music that I may relate another time.  Meanwhile, follow this link to listen to this incredibly emotional performance, played in the old Roman plaza in Maastricht.

http://www.flixxy.com/trumpet-solo-melissa-venema.htm