My name is Sigmund Van Raan. I was born in The Hague in September of 1945.
My parents, Gerard and Gertjie brought us (my sister and I) to America in March of 1951.
As a child, growing up in America, I was aware of the War and its impact on my parents from the stories they told. My parents as active participants in the Resistance movement rescued and sheltered two young Jewish boys.
One of the boys, now an 85 year old man, remained a close family friend to my parents and now to my wife and I.
He is a retired business man who lives in Amsterdam.
The story about my name is that I was named after Sigmund Boekdrucker, a Jewish friend of my parents and also a participant in resistance activities.
The story as I recall, is that my father gave him his identity card (my father received a new one claiming he lost it).
But when Boekdrucker was apprehended, he discarded the identity card knowing it would implicate my father. He knew full well that further investigation would reveal the identity card to be not him.
In effect, by getting rid of the card, he saved my father from being implicated.
I carry the name with great pride and I am very pleased to share this story as part of the commemoration of this lovely human being - whom my parents spoke of with great sadness and great fondness.