Meritorious Service Medal
Awarded on: 2004-04-26
Invested on: 2004-11-26
Jan H. A. Koorenhof, M.S.M., Apeldoorn, The Netherlands
Meritorious Service Medal (civil division)
Jan Koorenhof, a Dutch citizen, has been a key organizer of many special events for Canadian veterans in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands. In 1996, he was appointed president of the National Canadian Liberation Monument Committee and became the driving force behind the creation of “The Man with Two Hats” statue, the national monument to the Canadian liberators. As a symbol of the historic bonds of friendship between Canada and the Netherlands, the statue was unveiled in Apeldoorn in May 2000 before thousands of Canadian veterans, marking the 55th anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands.