[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 123 (Friday, August 1, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1303-E1304]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              TONY GELDENS

                                  _____
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 31, 2014

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Tony Geldens is known locally in 
Kingwood, Texas for being a community and political activist and strong 
patriot. There is much more of a heroic story to tell.
  It gives me great honor to tell you about Tony Geldens' courageous 
account of resistance under Nazi Germany's control of the Netherlands. 
Throughout World War Two, Tony courageously fought Hitler's Nazis as a 
member of the Dutch Underground. He helped to feed, hide, and protect 
Dutch Jews.
  Born in the 1920s, Tony grew up in Hertogenbosch, Netherlands where 
his dad owned a brick factory. Like most of the world in the 1930s, the 
Netherlands, suffered from a Depression.
  Tony grew up belonging to the Boy Scouts, like most Dutch teenagers, 
camping with fellow Scouts, riding bicycles along canals and by old 
brick buildings. Tony remembers a close circle of friends consisting of 
both Christians and Jews. After school, like most young boys, they all 
enjoyed hanging out together.
  However, on May 10, 1940, most of Tony's world suddenly changed. 
Sixteen year old Tony was camping in the woods, close to his dad's 
factory, when without warning the German Army invaded the Netherlands. 
His dad came and retrieved Tony from his camping site, and the family 
quickly evacuated to their home ahead of the invading forces. The Dutch 
resistance held out for three days before surrendering; marking the 
beginning of the Nazi Germany's occupation of the Netherlands.
  The Nazi occupiers soon imposed anti-Jewish measures on all Dutch 
Jews. As was throughout Nazi Germany, Dutch Jews were required to wear 
a yellow Star of David at all times. Strict curfews were enforced, Jews 
could not own businesses, and students were forced to transfer to 
segregated Jewish schools.
  In January 1941, Hitler required all Jews to register themselves as 
Jews. A total of nearly 160,000 Jews in the Netherlands registered. 
They were issued ID cards stamped with the letter ``J'' for Jew.
  Unlike many, Tony remained in the Netherlands during World War Two, 
even after having the opportunity to leave. Remaining because he felt 
compelled to stay and fight against the injustices occurring in his 
country. After Germany invaded, he withdrew from high school due to the 
war, and then much later attended Architecture school in Tilburg, 
Netherlands. It was there he met his wife, Anna.
  As time went on, the harshness of the Nazi occupation grew. Notice 
was sent to all Dutch Jews that they would have shipped to work in 
Germany--forced labor.
  Tony was outraged towards the Nazi's treatment of Jews, he and fellow 
Scouts decided to join the Dutch Resistance effort. Although, the Nazis 
had immediately disbanded the Boy Scouts, Tony and his friends would 
always remember the Scout promise, to do their best to do their duty to 
God and Country; and to other people.
  Under Nazi control, resistance was forbidden and often quite 
dangerous. All resistance happened illegally and occupiers were 
ruthless.
  Captured members of The Dutch Underground were usually shot, 
imprisoned, or sent to concentration camps.
  Nonetheless, Tony and his loyal band of Scouts were not deterred from 
joining the resistance movement.
  Without an organized leader, Tony began a covert four year fight 
against the Nazis, saving Jews from starvation, torture, imprisonment, 
and death.
  Like a war time Robin Hood, Tony fed hundreds of Jews by holding up 
German food stamp offices to obtaining food ration books. Drawing from 
his hobby building radios, he also operated a radio transmitter which 
transmitted to England information about downed British pilots and Nazi 
movements.
  He would also help downed allied pilots by hiding them among 
different homes of Dutch citizens until they were able to reach safety 
in France.
  As a result of his actions, he was arrested and imprisoned numerous 
times. When imprisoned, the Nazis beat and tortured him for information 
concerning the Dutch resistance cells, or Dutch Jews.
  Several times they administered ``truth serum''--it never worked! 
Sometimes they let him go and sometimes he escaped--just to be 
rearrested again. The last few days before the war ended were the 
hardest for Tony. One day, Tony came home and discovered an empty 
house. He ran next door to his priest to find answers. After 
investigating, the priest informed Tony that the Nazis were holding his 
family and they would give him three days to turn himself in.
  After the third day, Nazis shot his mother first, then his sisters 
and then his father.
  Wanted posters with Tony's picture began to be circulated on trees 
around Hertogenbosch. In order to save his family, Tony resolved to 
turn himself in to the authorities. He said his goodbyes to his priest, 
friends and family. He hid at a bombed out rail road station; sleeping 
between the railroad ties. On his way to turn himself in, he saw the 
Canadian Red Cross working the area.
  According to Tony the hardest moment throughout everything, was to 
see liberators but knew he had to turn himself into the Nazis.
  Halfway during his trial, shooting broke out between the Canadian 
soldiers and the Nazi police.
  Once again, Tony was able to escape. However, while Tony was at his 
trial, German Nazis had evacuated his family along with

[[Page E1304]]

hundreds of Dutch Resistance citizens thirty miles away.
  With the intentions of murdering the resistance fighters, the Nazis 
put them in five different buildings and subsequently blew up the 
buildings, including city hall. Miraculously, his family was at the end 
of the line going into the building and unbeknownst to the Nazi's they 
hadn't entered before it was demolished. Unlike so many others, they 
survived.
  Soon after, the Netherlands was liberated. At this point however, 
they thought Tony was dead. Imagine the Geldens reunion when they 
learned they all had survived.
  During World War II, the Nazis deported 107,000 Dutch Jews to 
concentration camps. Only 5,200 survived. The Dutch Underground helped 
hide 25,000 to 30,000 Jews. Two-thirds of Dutch Jews in hiding survived 
the war. Less than 25 percent of Dutch Jews survived the Holocaust.
  Tony and thousands like him put his life on the line for freedom. He 
saw the concentration camps and the victims of the Nazis. He saw 
friends murdered.
  He saw incredible numbers of new graves throughout Holland. But like 
so many of his generation, he never discusses the details. He does not 
see himself as a hero; oftentimes the greatest acts of heroism and 
courage are the ones that go most unnoticed.
  After the liberation of the Netherlands, Tony became a successful 
architect. He stayed and helped rebuild his hometown and his country. 
Eventually, in 1967 he found his way to Texas, and became a United 
States citizen in 2000. He and his wife, Anna, raised five children in 
their home in Kingwood. He now loves this adopted country; and he loves 
Texas. Tony is a true patriot. He fought the good fight up until his 
death, July 29th, 2014. He was 90 years old.
  It is with great pleasure that I recognize and honor my friend, Tony 
Geldens, for his part in saving Dutch Jews in World War Two. He was a 
person of great courage, dignity and compassion and his actions were 
truly heroic.
  The city of Kingwood lost a tremendous man. Tony's selfless service 
truly made the world a better place. He leaves behind an amazing story, 
wonderful legacy and a grateful local and national community. I am 
proud to say I knew Mr. Gelden. He was one of Texas's best.
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________