1: 00:02:57:00
00:03:00:18 03:18
travelling together
together for ever
2: 00:03:13:23
00:03:15:15 01:17
What is this?
3: 00:03:16:20
00:03:19:21 03:01
This is Erik's remembrance cabinet.
4: 00:03:19:24
00:03:26:12 06:13
Here are all the things
that were, or are, Erik's. And...
5: 00:03:27:13
00:03:31:10 03:22
There's Erik's birth announcement card.
He was our first.
6: 00:03:31:13
00:03:34:12 02:24
We were overjoyed, obviously.
7: 00:03:34:15
00:03:37:12 02:22
A beautiful birth announcement card.
8: 00:03:37:15
00:03:40:08 02:18
Also a little jar with milk teeth.
9: 00:03:40:11
00:03:43:21 03:10
Little wooden shoes
his grandpa gave him.
10: 00:03:43:24
00:03:48:09 04:10
Erik worked for the police.
He was training to be a policeman.
11: 00:03:48:12
00:03:52:12 04:00
So there's his hat, his nameplate
and his insignia.
12: 00:03:55:19
00:03:58:10 02:16
Well, in these drawers...
13: 00:04:00:00
00:04:02:08 02:08
...are all kinds of things...
14: 00:04:04:05
00:04:08:03 03:23
...that were found on the scene...
15: 00:04:08:06
00:04:10:06 02:00
...of the crash.
16: 00:04:10:09
00:04:12:24 02:15
So this is Erik's passport.
17: 00:04:14:01
00:04:16:02 02:01
They managed to find that.
18: 00:04:16:05
00:04:19:18 03:13
His wallet. Empty, unfortunately.
19: 00:04:19:21
00:04:22:16 02:20
Bank cards, his driver's license.
20: 00:04:22:19
00:04:27:07 04:13
All intact. That's really remarkable.
21: 00:04:27:10
00:04:31:09 03:24
However bizarre it may be,
it's a wonderful thing...
22: 00:04:31:12
00:04:34:23 03:11
...to have something of Erik's
back with us.
23: 00:04:40:01
00:04:42:13 02:12
Toos and Dammes van der Poel.
24: 00:04:42:16
00:04:47:03 04:12
They've been living in the Dutch village
of Oud Ade for years.
25: 00:04:47:06
00:04:52:00 04:19
Dammes since birth and
Toos since the day she married Dammes.
26: 00:04:52:23
00:04:58:00 05:02
How did you get on with your painting?
- There are some bad spots there.
27: 00:05:00:01
00:05:02:16 02:15
They have four children.
28: 00:05:03:19
00:05:09:08 05:14
Erik just moved to nearby Rijpwetering
with Truike Heemskerk, his true love.
29: 00:05:11:14
00:05:15:03 03:14
Erik was a lively little man.
30: 00:05:16:05
00:05:19:09 03:04
Plucky, even as a little boy.
31: 00:05:21:07
00:05:22:22 01:15
And that never changed.
32: 00:05:23:00
00:05:28:15 05:15
Erik was a beautiful human being.
33: 00:05:29:11
00:05:30:24 01:13
Positive.
34: 00:05:31:02
00:05:36:00 04:23
But when he wasn't really
interested in something...
35: 00:05:36:03
00:05:39:24 03:21
...he had a hard time applying himself.
36: 00:05:40:02
00:05:45:13 05:11
Fun came before obligations.
He was like that.
37: 00:05:45:16
00:05:48:01 02:10
So at some point he met Truike.
38: 00:05:48:04
00:05:54:14 06:10
We were very pleased with her. Truike
was a calm, sweet girl. But firm as well.
39: 00:05:54:17
00:05:57:01 02:09
A pretty girl.
40: 00:05:57:04
00:05:59:16 02:12
She enjoyed Erik's eccentricities.
41: 00:05:59:19
00:06:03:16 03:22
But I think she was able
to correct him as well.
42: 00:06:03:19
00:06:08:03 04:09
Which is what Erik needed.
She stood up to him.
43: 00:06:08:06
00:06:09:21 01:15
A lovely couple.
44: 00:06:09:24
00:06:14:22 04:23
Two very different personalities,
but crazy about each other.
45: 00:06:18:12
00:06:19:24 01:12
gloomsday
46: 00:06:21:02
00:06:23:06 02:04
it is summer
47: 00:06:23:09
00:06:27:00 03:16
the sun is beaming in a clear blue sky
48: 00:06:28:01
00:06:31:17 03:16
a leaf is floating in the pond
49: 00:06:31:20
00:06:34:05 02:10
children are cheering
vacation
50: 00:06:34:08
00:06:36:22 02:14
the school door closed for now
51: 00:06:37:00
00:06:38:20 01:20
laughing
exuberant
52: 00:06:39:22
00:06:42:03 02:06
cheerfulness everywhere
53: 00:06:43:12
00:06:48:08 04:21
I'd left work a little early.
Five o'clock maybe, quarter to five.
54: 00:06:48:11
00:06:51:16 03:05
Toos' birthday was coming up on the 18th.
55: 00:06:51:19
00:06:55:17 03:23
I'd told her I would pick up
a few cakes from the shop.
56: 00:06:55:20
00:06:59:19 03:24
For her birthday. And I was
on the A5, halfway home.
57: 00:07:00:19
00:07:04:00 03:06
I had the radio on, the Tour de France.
58: 00:07:04:03
00:07:09:16 05:13
The program was interrupted
by some breaking news.
59: 00:07:09:19
00:07:12:08 02:14
According to Russian
news agency Interfax...
60: 00:07:12:11
00:07:18:03 05:17
...an airliner has crashed
near the Russian-Ukrainian border.
61: 00:07:25:08
00:07:28:06 02:23
That didn't trigger anything for me.
62: 00:07:28:09
00:07:34:06 05:22
It had left Schiphol around noon.
Suddenly I was like: It can't be.
63: 00:07:34:09
00:07:36:20 02:11
That thought came very quickly.
64: 00:07:36:23
00:07:39:24 03:01
It'd been en route to Kuala Lumpur.
65: 00:07:41:15
00:07:44:06 02:16
And then I knew. I just knew.
66: 00:07:44:09
00:07:48:04 03:20
As if someone dropped a stone
on my head, or even worse.
67: 00:07:48:07
00:07:52:13 04:06
My heartbeat shot up to well over 150.
68: 00:07:52:16
00:07:56:01 03:10
The adrenaline kicked in,
I stepped on the gas.
69: 00:07:56:04
00:07:57:21 01:17
I wanted to go home, to Toos.
70: 00:07:57:24
00:08:01:10 03:11
He didn't feel good about it.
71: 00:08:01:13
00:08:06:03 04:15
What time did they leave,
things like that.
72: 00:08:06:06
00:08:10:00 03:19
They didn't take off around that time,
did they?
73: 00:08:10:03
00:08:14:15 04:12
You try to tell yourself
it was a different time or whatever.
74: 00:08:15:18
00:08:20:16 04:23
Reportedly there were 280 passengers
and 15 crewmembers.
75: 00:08:20:19
00:08:23:10 02:16
So almost 300 people.
76: 00:08:23:13
00:08:27:02 03:14
More and more reports started to come in.
77: 00:08:27:05
00:08:30:12 03:07
We were calling and asking around...
78: 00:08:30:15
00:08:34:10 03:20
...whether it might actually
have been their plane.
79: 00:08:34:13
00:08:37:13 03:00
In the middle of the night
Thomas woke me up.
80: 00:08:37:16
00:08:41:11 03:20
My son.
81: 00:08:41:14
00:08:45:03 03:14
He told me a list had been released...
82: 00:08:45:06
00:08:47:11 02:05
...and they were on that list.
83: 00:08:48:21
00:08:50:21 02:00
Really weird.
84: 00:08:52:07
00:08:53:18 01:11
Yeah.
85: 00:09:10:21
00:09:13:04 02:08
It was surreal.
86: 00:09:13:07
00:09:17:11 04:04
Oud Ade is a small village.
Around 700 people live there.
87: 00:09:17:14
00:09:19:05 01:16
A tiny community.
88: 00:09:19:08
00:09:24:14 05:06
And Erik and Truike were
well-known figures in Oud Ade.
89: 00:09:25:07
00:09:29:03 03:21
The entire village was deeply saddened.
90: 00:09:30:00
00:09:33:10 03:10
We're gathered together in the name
of the Father, the Son...
91: 00:09:33:13
00:09:35:15 02:02
...and the Holy Ghost, amen.
92: 00:09:35:18
00:09:39:05 03:12
It's an overwhelming blow to the village...
93: 00:09:39:08
00:09:42:09 03:01
...realizes deacon André van Aarle.
94: 00:09:42:12 00:09:45:16 03:04
Right away he opens the church door.
95: 00:09:45:19
00:09:48:21 03:02
The church radiates something like:
96: 00:09:48:24
00:09:53:09 04:10
Put your life aside for a moment,
come on in with your tears.
97: 00:09:54:12
00:09:59:14 05:02
Through all kinds of channels
we got a beautiful, big photograph...
98: 00:09:59:17
00:10:01:11 01:19
...of Truike and Erik.
99: 00:10:01:14
00:10:06:23 05:09
We put it up in the church and then
everything just evolved from there.
100: 00:10:07:01
00:10:09:22 02:21
And you saw a village coming together.
101: 00:10:10:00
00:10:13:24 03:24
People walked into church
whenever they needed to.
102: 00:10:14:02
00:10:18:07 04:05
A place to cry, to just come
and sit in the pews.
103: 00:10:19:09
00:10:26:03 06:19
At that point it was the grieving,
beating heart of the village.
104: 00:10:26:06
00:10:30:14 04:08
Love is the foundation of our existence.
105: 00:10:30:17
00:10:34:24 04:07
We were shown this love...
106: 00:10:35:02
00:10:38:22 03:20
...five years ago, here in Oud Ade.
107: 00:10:39:00
00:10:43:00 04:00
When the MH17 crash had just happened.
108: 00:10:59:21
00:11:03:05 03:09
I think this team has been here
for over ten years now.
109: 00:11:03:08
00:11:07:06 03:23
It's fun. It's a very close-knit
group of friends.
110: 00:11:09:20
00:11:13:22 04:02
Our parents sat us next to each other
as babies, went to the same school.
111: 00:11:14:00
00:11:17:09 03:09
Grew apart a little in college
and in our jobs.
112: 00:11:17:12
00:11:19:20 02:08
But it's still the same group.
113: 00:11:19:23
00:11:24:03 04:05
In such a small community
you come to depend on each other.
114: 00:11:24:06
00:11:26:11 02:05
That's not always a bad thing.
115: 00:11:28:03
00:11:32:00 03:22
Erik's friends still team up
to play every weekend.
116: 00:11:32:03
00:11:34:13 02:10
The team calls itself The Heroes.
117: 00:11:34:16
00:11:38:03 03:12
Though as a player,
Erik was more of an antihero.
118: 00:11:39:03
00:11:41:21 02:18
He jokingly posed as a star.
119: 00:11:41:24
00:11:47:02 05:03
He wore the number 10 and the ugliest
coloured shoes, but he was bad at it.
120: 00:11:47:05
00:11:50:06 03:01
Missed opportunities, rubbish shots.
121: 00:11:51:22
00:11:58:12 06:15
It was like in the famous peanut butter ad:
Getting better, let's switch now, Pietertje.
122: 00:11:58:15
00:12:01:16 03:01
That's what we called him:
Erik Pietertje van der Poel.
123: 00:12:01:19
00:12:05:04 03:10
As a testament to his soccer skills.
124: 00:12:10:14
00:12:15:03 04:14
Locker room antics, different story.
He was the go-to guy for that.
125: 00:12:15:06
00:12:18:08 03:02
That's still the thing we miss most.
126: 00:12:18:11
00:12:21:20 03:09
The guy who used to stir things up
is gone.
127: 00:12:33:09
00:12:38:05 04:21
As the first team's attendant
Truike was involved in club life too.
128: 00:12:38:08
00:12:42:17 04:09
After the crash their friends
kept in touch on the group chat.
129: 00:12:42:20
00:12:46:15 03:20
Breaking news on the radio:
Plane crash, Dutch passengers.
130: 00:12:46:18
00:12:51:13 04:20
The group chat exploded: Wasn't that
the one Erik and Truike were on?
131: 00:12:52:21
00:12:54:13 01:17
Just a moment.
132: 00:12:56:06
00:13:00:22 04:16
Even talking about it now is hard,
no matter how long ago it is.
133: 00:13:02:04
00:13:05:17 03:13
The group text exploded.
We got together that night...
134: 00:13:05:20
00:13:09:09 03:14
...to support each other and by and by...
135: 00:13:09:12
00:13:12:12 03:00
...you see your worst nightmare
come true.
136: 00:13:13:18
00:13:20:03 06:10
To me it was unreal. Really tragic.
137: 00:13:27:02
00:13:32:07 05:05
People want to give it some meaning.
How could this have happened?
138: 00:13:32:10
00:13:36:13 04:03
Where can I find an answer
to that question?
139: 00:13:38:11
00:13:42:11 04:00
So ROAC decided to open up
the club house.
140: 00:13:42:14
00:13:49:09 06:20
To give members, especially those
directly involved, the teams involved...
141: 00:13:49:12
00:13:52:05 02:18
...the opportunity to get together.
142: 00:13:56:14
00:14:00:11 03:22
People call ROAC the village square
of Oud Ade and Rijpwetering.
143: 00:14:00:14
00:14:04:23 04:09
Makes sense.
The club house attracts people.
144: 00:14:05:01
00:14:10:03 05:02
Playing sports here, they find
each other and talk about things.
145: 00:14:10:18
00:14:16:00 05:07
It helps people get to grips
with something like this.
146: 00:14:16:03
00:14:19:09 03:06
can I come to you?
147: 00:14:19:12
00:14:23:22 04:10
can I come and find shelter with you
148: 00:14:24:00
00:14:28:18 04:18
when I can't find it anywhere else
149: 00:14:28:21
00:14:32:12 03:16
and when I need to cry
150: 00:14:32:15
00:14:35:23 03:08
will you dry my tears?
151: 00:14:36:01
00:14:38:14 02:13
What makes a small village great...
152: 00:14:38:17
00:14:44:23 06:06
...is that it seems like two giant arms
embrace it, so to speak.
153: 00:14:45:01
00:14:49:06 04:05
Those arms keep the people together...
154: 00:14:49:09
00:14:54:00 04:16
...but you see them really
being there for each other as well.
155: 00:15:04:12
00:15:09:06 04:19
I'm a little nervous.
I'm curious to see it all again.
156: 00:15:13:17
00:15:18:23 05:06
After a brief ceremony the planes took off
from the Ukranian town of Garkov.
157: 00:15:19:01
00:15:25:10 06:09
On board are the first 40
of the 298 coffins.
158: 00:15:30:12
00:15:33:17 03:05
A brief ceremony has been prepared.
159: 00:15:33:20
00:15:36:02 02:07
There will be no speeches.
160: 00:15:42:19
00:15:47:09 04:15
It feels very different.
- But it does look familiar.
161: 00:15:50:22
00:15:53:01 02:04
That loud noise again.
162: 00:15:59:15
00:16:01:05 01:15
Very unusual.
163: 00:16:01:08
00:16:06:05 04:22
Remember we were given those earplugs
in that hangar over there.
164: 00:16:06:08
00:16:08:05 01:22
For the noise.
- The noise, yes.
165: 00:16:08:08
00:16:12:10 04:02
And we were like: No, we want to...
- We want to feel it.
166: 00:16:12:13
00:16:16:16 04:03
Yes. We want to hear it coming.
167: 00:16:16:19
00:16:20:08 03:14
This noise, but up close.
- Right.
168: 00:16:33:02
00:16:38:12 05:10
Everything was deathly quiet.
Just the rattling of the flagpoles.
169: 00:16:39:09
00:16:42:14 03:05
Hardly a word was spoken.
Little was said.
170: 00:16:43:19
00:16:46:15 02:21
It was all very impressive.
171: 00:16:52:10
00:16:57:02 04:17
Yes, it was very impressive.
It was all so dignified.
172: 00:17:00:05
00:17:02:09 02:04
We'll never forget that.
173: 00:17:22:24
00:17:26:05 03:06
Everyone wanted to come forward,
remember?
174: 00:17:26:08
00:17:30:10 04:02
At first most people were seated.
There were chairs.
175: 00:17:30:13
00:17:34:17 04:04
And when the coffins came out,
people wanted to approach.
176: 00:17:37:08
00:17:41:09 04:01
Almost to touch them.
Which we couldn't do, of course.
177: 00:17:41:12
00:17:44:20 03:08
There they were, finally.
- There they were.
178: 00:17:47:14
00:17:52:17 05:03
You feel such a desire... How can I put it?
You're so anxious for that moment.
179: 00:17:52:20
00:17:56:07 03:12
You just want to hear, see and feel
everything.
180: 00:17:56:10
00:18:01:09 04:24
And you couldn't even be sure
they were among those first few.
181: 00:18:03:04
00:18:05:03 01:24
You want to get them home.
182: 00:18:05:06
00:18:08:12 03:06
So when that plane touches down...
183: 00:18:08:15
00:18:11:16 03:01
...they are back home.
184: 00:18:13:14
00:18:18:02 04:13
And you want to be there for it.
- Right, that's it.
185: 00:18:18:05
00:18:21:04 02:24
I wouldn't have missed it for the world.
186: 00:18:29:20
00:18:32:07 02:12
Want to walk on?
- Yes.
187: 00:18:45:05
00:18:48:17 03:12
Look, there's that Hercules.
That's the plane.
188: 00:18:50:02
00:18:53:00 02:23
It is. One of the two.
- Really?
189: 00:18:53:03
00:18:56:11 03:08
How can you tell?
- I just know those planes.
190: 00:19:09:08
00:19:12:02 02:19
So many coffins came out.
191: 00:19:13:10
00:19:17:01 03:16
You can't even imagine.
- No, you can't.
192: 00:19:17:04
00:19:22:03 04:24
You went inside the plane,
didn't you? Why?
193: 00:19:22:06
00:19:27:22 05:16
The most important thing for us was,
we wanted to thank the crew.
194: 00:19:28:00
00:19:32:06 04:06
For the work they did
under difficult circumstances.
195: 00:19:32:09
00:19:34:23 02:14
And not without danger either.
196: 00:19:36:00
00:19:38:14 02:14
Nice that we get to see this again.
197: 00:19:39:15
00:19:43:15 04:00
Just to say thanks
for bringing our children home.
198: 00:19:43:18
00:19:48:00 04:07
And all they could say was:
You're welcome.
199: 00:19:48:03
00:19:55:01 06:23
And Lidy, Truike's mother,
told one of the crew members:
200: 00:19:55:04
00:19:58:24 03:20
I am so glad
you brought our children home.
201: 00:19:59:02
00:20:01:06 02:04
I could just kiss you.
202: 00:20:01:09
00:20:05:08 03:24
And that serviceman stood there
and just went...
203: 00:20:06:21
00:20:08:16 01:20
You know?
204: 00:20:45:20
00:20:50:02 04:07
It's still an open wound,
everything that happened.
205: 00:20:50:05
00:20:52:03 01:23
I'm off.
- Fine.
206: 00:20:53:01
00:20:57:12 04:11
Councilman Floris Schoonderwoerd
has lived in Oud Ade since childhood.
207: 00:20:57:15
00:21:00:22 03:07
A stone's throw from Toos and Dammes.
208: 00:21:01:00
00:21:03:22 02:22
Floris is a friend of Erik and Truike.
209: 00:21:05:05
00:21:10:11 05:06
The MH17 crash
and the loss of Erik and Truike...
210: 00:21:10:14
00:21:13:08 02:19
...is in everybody's lives
as much as 5 years ago.
211: 00:21:13:11
00:21:16:16 03:05
It's still hard to take.
212: 00:21:16:19
00:21:20:02 03:08
Welcome in Café Het Lage Land.
213: 00:21:20:05
00:21:26:06 06:01
We bought it a few years ago
and came up with a plan for it.
214: 00:21:26:09
00:21:28:12 02:03
This gives you a better idea.
215: 00:21:28:15
00:21:31:09 02:19
How many flats will there be?
- Ten.
216: 00:21:31:12
00:21:35:00 03:13
Floris attends a meeting
about a new development.
217: 00:21:35:03
00:21:39:24 04:21
For life goes on. It has to.
No matter how inconceivable it may be.
218: 00:21:40:02
00:21:42:20 02:18
It's a catastrophe on a global scale.
219: 00:21:42:23
00:21:46:16 03:18
And even today
we still don't have many answers.
220: 00:21:46:19
00:21:50:06 03:12
If people get in an accident or fall ill,
there's a narrative.
221: 00:21:50:09
00:21:53:19 03:10
You understand where they went
or what happened.
222: 00:21:53:22
00:21:59:12 05:15
I think that's why nobody
has any closure in this case.
223: 00:21:59:15
00:22:02:05 02:15
That's very hard.
224: 00:22:02:08
00:22:06:06 03:23
People in Oud Ade felt powerless
from day one.
225: 00:22:07:06
00:22:11:14 04:08
Flags at half-mast all around,
and they stayed there for weeks.
226: 00:22:11:17
00:22:16:21 05:04
So when you came into the village,
it just exuded grief.
227: 00:22:20:13
00:22:23:19 03:06
Yes, the entire village was in mourning.
228: 00:22:25:20
00:22:30:19 04:24
There was this vacuum,
a kind of icy silence...
229: 00:22:30:22
00:22:33:05 02:08
...in which the pain was tangible.
230: 00:22:36:18
00:22:40:10 03:17
The world has come to a halt.
231: 00:22:41:10
00:22:46:01 04:16
War has come into Oud Ade.
232: 00:22:47:05
00:22:53:02 05:22
It had to do with a war,
a conflict elsewhere in Europe.
233: 00:22:53:05
00:22:57:18 04:13
But I remember,
and I repeated that line twice...
234: 00:22:57:21
00:23:00:16 02:20
...in the various services
I had to conduct...
235: 00:23:00:19
00:23:05:03 04:09
...what Dammes van der Poel,
Erik's father, said:
236: 00:23:05:06
00:23:08:08 03:02
War has come into Oud Ade now.
237: 00:23:09:08
00:23:11:15 02:07
And that's how it felt.
238: 00:23:11:18
00:23:17:22 06:04
Suddenly that village falls victim
to acts of war too.
239: 00:23:18:00
00:23:21:02 03:02
A war we, as a country,
were not involved in.
240: 00:23:22:13
00:23:28:11 05:23
Six weeks after the crash a memorial
service is held for Erik and Truike.
241: 00:23:28:14
00:23:33:01 04:12
But the church is far too small,
so the sports centre is set up too.
242: 00:23:33:04
00:23:35:24 02:20
People wanted to contribute.
243: 00:23:36:02
00:23:41:14 05:12
Everyone was involved with what had
happened and the missing pieces.
244: 00:23:41:17
00:23:45:21 04:04
So they all helped putting up the chairs...
245: 00:23:45:24
00:23:49:05 03:06
...or putting up torches along the street.
246: 00:23:49:08
00:23:53:21 04:13
Everyone contributes. So the council,
me with my councilman's hat on...
247: 00:23:53:24
00:23:59:19 05:20
...we have to keep our distance.
It's the community expressing its grief...
248: 00:23:59:22
00:24:01:14 01:17
...and sympathy.
249: 00:24:07:06
00:24:10:11 03:05
Oud Ade consists of a number of families.
250: 00:24:10:14
00:24:15:02 04:13
The Heemskerks and the Van der Poels
are large families.
251: 00:24:15:05
00:24:18:19 03:14
So there are a lot of family connections.
252: 00:24:18:22
00:24:22:23 04:01
No one has to feel alone in the village.
253: 00:24:23:01
00:24:28:23 05:22
They were living their best lives.
Erik, beautiful man. Truike, beautiful girl.
254: 00:24:31:05
00:24:35:06 04:01
Such a great turnout says it all.
255: 00:24:35:09
00:24:39:05 03:21
It was such a major incident.
256: 00:24:39:08
00:24:45:08 06:00
It made people show their concern
and feel involved.
257: 00:24:45:11
00:24:47:24 02:13
And even during the memorial...
258: 00:24:48:22
00:24:50:23 02:01
...it felt like a warm embrace.
259: 00:24:53:14
00:24:56:15 03:01
ripped from the summer
260: 00:24:56:18
00:24:58:20 02:02
falling from the sky above
261: 00:24:59:19
00:25:01:14 01:20
a gust of wind?
262: 00:25:02:05
00:25:04:06 02:01
birds playing around?
263: 00:25:05:19
00:25:07:24 02:05
human vandalism
264: 00:25:24:05
00:25:28:02 03:22
You could say Piet Pouw
is Oud Ade's conscience.
265: 00:25:28:05
00:25:31:02 02:22
He's been with
drama society VIOS for 50 years.
266: 00:25:31:05
00:25:33:15 02:10
You'll be a very healthy nun.
267: 00:25:33:18
00:25:38:08 04:15
Like the soccer team,
the drama society is key in the village.
268: 00:25:38:11
00:25:42:15 04:04
Wait, I have a fun idea.
- So do I. Keep your mouth shut for now.
269: 00:25:42:18
00:25:46:05 03:12
Otherwise you'll have
a very uneven moustache.
270: 00:25:47:03
00:25:50:16 03:13
Piet writes, directs and does make up.
271: 00:25:50:19
00:25:53:19 03:00
This is the final performance of the year.
272: 00:25:54:19
00:25:58:05 03:11
Truike often performed in Piet's shows.
273: 00:25:59:10
00:26:02:20 03:10
What was Truike like?
- A spirited girl.
274: 00:26:02:23
00:26:09:11 06:13
A stage animal like you see
in any drama society.
275: 00:26:09:14
00:26:12:01 02:12
They have to carry the load...
276: 00:26:12:04
00:26:17:22 05:18
...and they go the extra mile
to make the society run smoothly.
277: 00:26:19:05
00:26:24:07 05:02
Truike's passing
cuts the drama society to the core.
278: 00:26:29:13
00:26:34:13 05:00
Well, we were just floored. Shattered.
279: 00:26:36:07
00:26:43:04 06:22
And you discuss
how to move on from this.
280: 00:26:45:04
00:26:50:00 04:21
Right after the crash all Piet can do
is sit at his computer.
281: 00:26:50:03
00:26:54:18 04:15
He writes the play <Engelientje>,
to console his village.
282: 00:26:54:21
00:26:59:16 04:20
A story about an angel who takes
her love from earth into heaven.
283: 00:27:00:17
00:27:07:21 07:04
It gave us energy.
And also the hope that with this...
284: 00:27:09:13
00:27:15:01 05:13
...we could do something for the people
who were hit hardest by this.
285: 00:27:16:03
00:27:21:09 05:06
And that it might help...
286: 00:27:21:12
00:27:25:24 04:12
...draw a very thin line
underneath what had happened.
287: 00:27:26:02
00:27:28:04 02:02
So people could move on.
288: 00:27:29:01
00:27:33:20 04:19
So the play was performed.
How did people react?
289: 00:27:35:00
00:27:39:04 04:04
With a lot of gratitude.
290: 00:27:39:07
00:27:44:12 05:05
Normally you get things like:
Good show, well played, very funny.
291: 00:27:44:15
00:27:50:13 05:23
And this time it was all very subdued.
292: 00:27:50:16
00:27:53:08 02:17
A pat on the back and off they went.
293: 00:27:56:14
00:28:01:12 04:23
It still moves you.
- Yes, it does.
294: 00:28:03:10
00:28:08:05 04:20
at the height of her beauty
in the prime of her life
295: 00:28:09:04
00:28:10:20 01:16
not done
296: 00:28:11:15
00:28:13:04 01:14
far from it
297: 00:28:14:02
00:28:16:18 02:16
random
arbitrary
298: 00:28:17:14
00:28:21:02 03:13
Death makes his choice
with his eyes covered
299: 00:28:25:03
00:28:27:12 02:09
You just wait...
300: 00:28:27:15
00:28:32:16 05:01
...until you're finally told
that Erik has been identified.
301: 00:28:32:19
00:28:36:15 03:21
You want those kids back. That's really...
302: 00:28:37:24
00:28:42:22 04:23
...all you want. But at the same time
you know it will be very difficult.
303: 00:28:43:00
00:28:48:00 05:00
These were people who fell
from a height of 10 kilometers...
304: 00:28:48:03
00:28:50:24 02:21
...and were inside a burning wreck.
305: 00:28:51:02
00:28:54:11 03:09
We knew where they'd sat on the plane.
306: 00:28:54:14
00:29:00:21 06:07
In the strongest part, really.
Near the wing, in the middle.
307: 00:29:01:15
00:29:07:17 06:02
That's where most of the fire was. So we
figured it could take a very long time.
308: 00:29:07:20
00:29:11:22 04:02
But still... Anything.
309: 00:29:12:00
00:29:16:03 04:03
It may sound strange,
but you want something tangible.
310: 00:29:16:06
00:29:18:10 02:04
Why?
- Well...
311: 00:29:20:03
00:29:23:24 03:21
To have him home.
You'd have him back here.
312: 00:29:27:08
00:29:31:06 03:23
Four months after the crash
Toos and Dammes are told...
313: 00:29:31:09
00:29:33:12 02:03
...Erik has been found.
314: 00:29:33:15
00:29:39:16 06:01
You feel very glad. But you have mixed
feelings, you also feel very sad.
315: 00:29:39:19
00:29:44:01 04:07
They'd found bone fragments.
316: 00:29:44:04
00:29:49:04 05:00
And every time they'd identified
something, we'd get a message.
317: 00:29:49:07
00:29:52:16 03:09
And we'd be happy
something more had been found.
318: 00:29:52:19
00:29:56:18 03:24
But on the other hand we'd feel gutted...
319: 00:29:56:21
00:30:01:24 05:03
...to get our child back
in so many small pieces.
320: 00:30:03:11
00:30:07:02 03:16
After more of Erik's remains
are identified...
321: 00:30:07:05
00:30:11:14 04:09
...his body is released.
And something else has been found.
322: 00:30:11:17
00:30:17:07 05:15
They told us a piece of his T-shirt,
or his sports shirt, was found.
323: 00:30:17:10
00:30:23:14 06:04
With the brand logo here, on the chest.
324: 00:30:23:17
00:30:27:06 03:14
Around it the fabric was frayed
and a little singed.
325: 00:30:27:09
00:30:31:00 03:16
So that was extraordinary.
326: 00:30:31:21
00:30:36:08 04:12
We chose to have it buried with him,
but in retrospect...
327: 00:30:36:11
00:30:41:11 05:00
...it would have been nice if we'd kept it
to put in the cabinet upstairs.
328: 00:30:41:14
00:30:43:15 02:01
Because?
- Well...
329: 00:30:45:02
00:30:51:00 05:23
It's something he wore on his body.
So it was very close to him.
330: 00:30:54:05
00:30:58:04 03:24
It's like I...
331: 00:30:59:03
00:31:04:01 04:23
At some point we cleared out
the house they lived in.
332: 00:31:04:04
00:31:06:12 02:08
After renovating it the year before.
333: 00:31:06:15
00:31:11:02 04:12
When I got to his bed
I briefly sniffed at his pillow.
334: 00:31:11:05
00:31:13:02 01:22
Not a good idea.
335: 00:31:13:24
00:31:18:18 04:19
It stirs up so much. You smell him and...
336: 00:31:19:23
00:31:23:02 03:04
You know? That kind of closeness.
337: 00:31:27:17
00:31:34:01 06:09
In Erik's case we had several messages
saying something had been found.
338: 00:31:34:04
00:31:38:11 04:07
But Truike... We heard nothing.
339: 00:31:38:14
00:31:45:12 06:23
That was so hard. So very hard.
We really felt for Truike's family.
340: 00:31:45:15
00:31:48:20 03:05
So hard that we kept getting
those messages.
341: 00:31:48:23
00:31:56:03 07:05
We waited a while
so we might bury them together.
342: 00:31:56:06
00:32:00:23 04:17
That's what you wanted?
- Yes, that was the perfect picture.
343: 00:32:02:12 00:32:05:10
02:23
But then he was found.
344: 00:32:05:13
00:32:08:24 03:11
And we were like,
we don't want to wait anymore.
345: 00:32:09:02
00:32:12:03 03:01
We want to bury Erik.
346: 00:32:13:04
00:32:15:13 02:09
That was fine, so we did.
347: 00:32:15:16
00:32:21:00 05:09
But once Erik was here in the mortuary,
next to the church...
348: 00:32:21:03
00:32:25:00 03:22
...they came to tell us
Truike had been found as well.
349: 00:32:26:15
00:32:29:20 03:05
We were so happy for Truike's family.
350: 00:32:29:23
00:32:35:18 05:20
But for us too.
We feel they're together after all.
351: 00:32:36:24
00:32:41:15 04:16
Erik and Truike have been reunited.
But that's not the end of it.
352: 00:32:41:18
00:32:47:07 05:14
18 months after the crash
more of Erik's remains are identified.
353: 00:32:47:10
00:32:50:13 03:03
This time, Toos and Dammes
bring them home themselves.
354: 00:32:51:07
00:32:57:11 06:04
It feels strange to be in the car with
a little casket holding a few pieces of Erik.
355: 00:32:57:14
00:33:04:06 06:17
It felt very good, but bittersweet.
at the same time. So sad.
356: 00:33:04:09
00:33:06:11 02:02
But beautiful too.
357: 00:33:06:14
00:33:09:12 02:23
Back home we put the casket
on the table...
358: 00:33:09:15
00:33:12:10 02:20
...with Erik's picture and a candle.
359: 00:33:13:18
00:33:18:04 04:11
Which was also very nice,
to have him home for one more day.
360: 00:33:19:17
00:33:24:02 04:10
So that's where it was, that day.
361: 00:33:25:01
00:33:32:08 07:07
And the next day our family
went to put it in their grave.
362: 00:33:44:24
00:33:48:22 03:23
Nice game, I think.
- It was.
363: 00:33:49:00
00:33:50:15 01:15
And three points.
364: 00:33:50:18
00:33:55:00 04:07
Our team will never be whole again,
but it's gained strength.
365: 00:33:55:03
00:33:59:06 04:03
Now you tell a friend you love him.
Which was 'not done' before.
366: 00:33:59:09
00:34:05:07 05:23
But now we've lived through something
so intense, we are much closer.
367: 00:34:12:24
00:34:17:14 04:15
A guy from our team, Jelle,
Truike's cousin...
368: 00:34:17:17
00:34:25:04 07:12
...took the initiative to frame
Truike's shirt and Erik's shirt.
369: 00:34:29:01
00:34:31:22 02:21
The number 10 will be Erik's forever.
370: 00:34:34:08
00:34:37:14 03:06
So no one else
will ever wear that number.
371: 00:35:07:17
00:35:09:24 02:07
Hi, Rick.
- I'm here with the bag.
372: 00:35:10:02
00:35:12:21 02:19
Great. How did it go?
- We won 5-2.
373: 00:35:12:24 00:35:15:15
02:16
Well now, that's nice.
- All good.
374: 00:35:15:18
00:35:17:20 02:02
And lovely weather.
- All good.
375: 00:35:17:23
00:35:21:13 03:15
I'll see this gets washed. See you.
- Thanks. Bye.
376: 00:35:26:21
00:35:30:12 03:16
I used to do this when Erik was alive.
377: 00:35:30:15
00:35:34:14 03:24
And even though
Erik isn't playing anymore...
378: 00:35:34:17
00:35:38:01 03:09
...I still like to do this for them.
379: 00:35:39:20
00:35:43:05 03:10
It feels good
when they return the bag to me...
380: 00:35:43:08
00:35:47:24 04:16
...and have a chat. Just for a moment,
but you keep in touch.
381: 00:35:48:02
00:35:51:23 03:21
It feels good to stay connected
to those guys.
382: 00:35:54:03
00:35:57:02 02:24
I think it's part of the village culture.
383: 00:35:57:05
00:36:01:14 04:09
And with her own character.
Toos is a lovely woman...
384: 00:36:01:17
00:36:03:23 02:06
...who likes to help others.
385: 00:36:04:01
00:36:09:08 05:07
She stays connected to Erik's team
and we really value that.
386: 00:36:10:22
00:36:16:09 05:12
I found distraction to be a vital necessity.
You really need it.
387: 00:36:16:12
00:36:20:18 04:06
And in some way
it brings me closer to Erik.
388: 00:36:20:21
00:36:22:21 02:00
And that feels good.
389: 00:36:34:06
00:36:40:06 06:00
As for Erik, he often comes up on
the racing bike. All the time, really.
390: 00:36:41:07
00:36:46:04 04:22
You find yourself thinking
about certain events.
391: 00:36:50:17
00:36:53:21 03:04
It's one of the little things...
392: 00:36:53:24
00:36:56:22 02:23
...that help you process it all.
393: 00:36:57:00
00:36:59:16 02:16
And it helps me to be stronger.
394: 00:37:01:23
00:37:05:00 03:02
I didn't know people process things
so differently.
395: 00:37:05:03
00:37:09:24 04:21
With Toos it's very close to the surface.
With me it's further down.
396: 00:37:10:02
00:37:13:16 03:14
And Toos can suddenly bring it up again.
397: 00:37:13:19
00:37:16:10 02:16
'Bring it up again,' is what I said.
398: 00:37:16:13 00:37:21:07 04:19
Sometimes I'm like:
Not now. I just don't feel like it now.
399: 00:37:23:09
00:37:25:16 02:07
And she'll see that.
400: 00:37:25:19
00:37:30:10 04:16
And then she'll be like...
We'll just clash.
401: 00:37:30:13
00:37:32:20 02:07
And how do you fix it?
- Patience.
402: 00:37:32:23
00:37:36:21 03:23
Although we're not always patient,
the two of us.
403: 00:37:36:24
00:37:40:00 03:01
But patience. And underneath it all...
404: 00:37:40:03
00:37:46:12 06:09
...we just love each other. So that
always smoothes things out again.
405: 00:37:48:12
00:37:52:11 03:24
Based on the work
of the Joint Investigation Team...
406: 00:37:52:14
00:37:56:10 03:21
...we have decided to bring action
against four suspects...
407: 00:37:56:13
00:38:00:20 04:07
...for shooting down flight MH17.
408: 00:38:00:23
00:38:05:01 04:03
Are you looking to blame someone?
- I am. Not day in, day out.
409: 00:38:05:23
00:38:11:13 05:15
But it's simple: I want them to stand trial.
410: 00:38:11:16
00:38:13:11 01:20
Igor Girkin.
411: 00:38:13:14
00:38:16:03 02:14
The trial will start in March.
412: 00:38:16:06
00:38:19:07 03:01
The defendants probably
won't be present.
413: 00:38:19:10
00:38:22:15 03:05
But Dammes really needs answers.
414: 00:38:22:18
00:38:24:19 02:01
And Leonid Ghartsjenko.
415: 00:38:24:22
00:38:29:13 04:16
How can someone decide to attack
a plane flying at 10 kilometers?
416: 00:38:29:16
00:38:32:03 02:12
Even without a radar they'd know this.
417: 00:38:32:06
00:38:36:00 03:19
And still they pushed that button.
418: 00:38:36:03
00:38:39:23 03:20
I'd like to know what they were thinking.
419: 00:38:41:17
00:38:47:15 05:23
I won't have closure until the culprits have
been tried or made to answer for it.
420: 00:39:04:02
00:39:10:01 05:24
Are we going to sing for granny?
'Happy birthday to you...'
421: 00:39:12:06
00:39:14:23 02:17
You can go in.
- Go on in.
422: 00:39:15:22
00:39:19:02 03:05
Want to come with me?
423: 00:39:23:02
00:39:26:20 03:18
Why have we all come here?
424: 00:39:26:23
00:39:29:21 02:23
You are being decorated today.
425: 00:39:29:24
00:39:32:14 02:15
Even more valuable is your dedication.
426: 00:39:32:17
00:39:38:06 05:14
Your contribution to society
and the way you're there for others.
427: 00:39:39:06
00:39:41:09 02:03
Toos van der Poel.
428: 00:39:47:10
00:39:51:24 04:14
You look fabulous.
So let's start with you.
429: 00:39:52:02
00:39:55:16 03:14
I greatly admire you
for having found the strength...
430: 00:39:55:19
00:39:59:00 03:06
...to continue your volunteer work...
431: 00:39:59:03
00:40:04:03 05:00
...after the terrible loss your family faced
due to the MH17 crash.
432: 00:40:07:19
00:40:12:17 04:23
People appreciate what you do, judging
from the heartwarming responses...
433: 00:40:12:20
00:40:18:09 05:14
...we received in support of the petition
to have you decorated.
434: 00:40:18:12
00:40:23:22 05:10
At sporting club ROAC you're responsible
for RAOC 5 Seniors.
435: 00:40:24:00
00:40:28:17 04:17
You keep them looking clean.
I gather you do the washing?
436: 00:40:28:20
00:40:32:04 03:09
Of their outfits.
- Not the guys.
437: 00:40:35:04
00:40:40:16 05:12
The theme of the story is
that you're always there for others.
438: 00:40:40:19
00:40:45:22 05:03
This is why our King decided
to elevate you...
439: 00:40:46:00
00:40:50:15 04:15
...to member of the Order of
Orange-Nassau. Applause, please.
440: 00:41:02:21
00:41:07:00 04:04
Let us continue with
Mr Joop Gies Broesterhuizen.
441: 00:41:20:07
00:41:24:04 03:22
In the mayor's speech
MH17 was mentioned.
442: 00:41:25:08
00:41:31:05 05:22
That makes me feel emotional. This is
something that makes all your emotions...
443: 00:41:32:13
00:41:36:03 03:15
How can I put it?
They all come up.
444: 00:41:39:16
00:41:43:09 03:18
We're incomplete, is how it feels.
And on a day like today...
445: 00:41:43:12
00:41:47:04 03:17
...it would have been nice
to have them here too.
446: 00:41:47:07
00:41:50:20 03:13
Which makes me miss them even more.
447: 00:42:02:16
00:42:05:10 02:19
It's five years later in Oud Ade.
448: 00:42:05:13
00:42:10:05 04:17
There's is room to party and laugh.
And people do.
449: 00:42:10:08
00:42:15:18 05:10
Together the villagers worked
through the crash, lifting each other up.
450: 00:42:15:21
00:42:18:24 03:03
In a small village
you get this fellowship...
451: 00:42:19:02 00:42:24:20 05:18
...because of people like Erik and Truike,
involved with people around them.
452: 00:42:24:23
00:42:30:11 05:13
People who do their best to unite people
from different backgrounds.
453: 00:42:30:14
00:42:34:15 04:01
Making connections is in their DNA.
454: 00:42:35:18
00:42:39:12 03:19
We pay lots of attention
to respecting others.
455: 00:42:39:15
00:42:44:14 04:24
That should make sure
we get a new generation of adults...
456: 00:42:44:17
00:42:48:07 03:15
...who still interact with people
the same way...
457: 00:42:48:10
00:42:52:00 03:15
...making sure
that kind of DNA is preserved.
458: 00:42:53:03
00:42:56:11 03:08
You have to devote yourself
to the soccer club...
459: 00:42:56:14
00:42:59:11 02:22
...and the drama society and the church.
460: 00:42:59:14
00:43:03:17 04:03
Those things bring people together
and they need that.
461: 00:43:03:20
00:43:07:23 04:03
Especially in times of grief
and major tragedies.
462: 00:43:08:01
00:43:13:19 05:18
Then you see things surface you invested
in unwittingly all of those years.
463: 00:43:15:00
00:43:19:11 04:11
Oud Ade is very important.
I'd never want to leave here.
464: 00:43:19:14
00:43:24:03 04:14
People are so concerned
and sympathetic. That feels so good.
465: 00:43:24:06
00:43:29:21 05:15
It didn't come as a surprise. I know
the village. It's a safe environment.
466: 00:43:29:24
00:43:33:07 03:08
Even if it's not said in so many words,
you just know.
467: 00:43:33:10
00:43:35:16 02:06
And that feels good.
468: 00:43:36:18
00:43:41:17 04:24
If only Erik knew how many people
have been supporting us...
469: 00:43:41:20 00:43:43:23 02:03
...and lifting us up.
470: 00:43:44:01
00:43:48:19 04:18
I think he would have loved it.