Anyone who thinks that De Veteraan is only a serious matter is wrong. “Of course there are also moments of relaxation,” DJ laughs. “They also drink a beer.”
The TT campsite has also recruited former army chefs, who cook a meal for the guests “for a reasonable price”. According to organizer DJ, the price for a beer is also lower than at other campsites.
“We mainly want to cover costs,” he explains. Something that is still quite a challenge. A night’s sleep at the campsite costs 25 euros, of which the campsite keeps 20 euros.
“For example, you already spend a few thousand euros on sanitary facilities. Then you have to sell a lot of overnight stays,” says DJ. The TT campsite therefore also relies on volunteers. “We would like to give them compensation, but afterwards we have to look at the catering revenues to see how big the thank you will be.”
According to DJ, the campsite could not have existed without a number of sponsors. For example, various companies have covered the costs for fencing and bar furnishings.
They do this because of the social importance of the veterans campsite, says DJ. “It’s very simple. We take our peace and security for granted in the Netherlands. We could appreciate our veterans a little more.”
With the TT campsite, DJ hopes that veterans will take time for each other later this week. “Veterans have reunions quite often, but they are often short. Two hours at most,” he says. “You greet everyone and then actually go home.”
He continues: “But there is never time for telling stories and sharing things with each other. There is that time at the campsite.”
DJ emphasizes that the campsite is not only for veterans, but especially for their families and friends. “The soldier who is deployed also has a home front. They have also experienced a deployment in that sense. If your husband, son, daughter or buddy is on deployment, you sympathize. The campsite is also for them.”
TT campsite De Veteraan opens on Thursday. About 70 of the 110 places have now been reserved. “We were secretly hoping for something more, but we are also in The Hague on Veterans Day.”
