On May 4, 1945, Canadian artillery captain David Francis found himself near the village of Otterloo, Holland. Shell fire on both sides had diminished noticeably. Both sides tried to avoid last minute casualties. That night, the eve of Dutch liberation, the quartermaster arranged a party for the troops. The local citizenry were also invited, Francis recalled. At the height of the party news came over the radio of the surrender of the German forces in Holland ... The loud resulting cheers were suddenly hushed as all the Dutch people present stood and, with tears streaming down their cheeks, sang their national anthem, and sang it again, and yet again as these normally undemonstrative Dutch people gave vent to their pent-up emotions and the realization sank in that they were free at last of the Nazi yoke.