Ted Meines

Tette "Ted" Meines (25 September 1921 – 24 December 2016) was a lieutenant general in the Royal Netherlands Army and an activist for veterans' rights. During World War II, he was a member of the Dutch resistance and helped Jewish families, for which he was awarded the title Righteous Among the Nations by Israel. After the war had ended, Meines saw active service in the Politionele acties. During and after his military career, he became involved in veteran affairs and was instrumental in the setting up of several veterans organizations. He is considered the founder of the Dutch veteran affairs policy.

Early life and World War II Meines was born on 25 September 1921 in Huizum. He grew up in a Reformed Christian family in Friesland and had four sisters. His father worked for the railways and was a local and provincial politician for the Anti-Revolutionary Party. He wished that his son would obtain a political position and thus helped him get a job at the municipality.

During World War II, at age 22, Meines joined the Dutch resistance. He arranged for ration cards, sought safe hiding places for children and moved them there. Amongst other places he worked in Limburg and Twente. In 1942 Meines was arrested, but was rescued by resistance members before he could be deported to a concentration camp. Afterwards Meines had to take another alias, and took that of deceased minister Sjoeke Nutma. Due to Meines still being wanted he was forced to also act like a minister. In this role Meines delivered sermons to full congregations. Of his original group of twenty resistance members only four survived until the liberation of the Netherlands on 5 May 1945.

In 1948 Meines became a professional soldier. In April 1949 Meines was promoted to first lieutenant. With the Politionele acties happening in the Dutch East Indies Meines wished to serve there. However, his request was denied as he was deemed too valuable for the renewal of the Dutch armed forces. In September 1949 Meines saw his earlier request fulfilled and he was sent to the Western Java, Dutch East Indies. He returned to the Netherlands in October 1950.

After his military career ended Meines became director of the , where he worked until 1986. At the Hartstichting he restructured the organization and made a money collection plan. During this time he managed to persuade Defence Minister Relus ter Beek to form a more active veterans policy. Which culminated in an annual veterans day since 1995 and a Veterans law in 2012. The Veterans Platforms instituted a Ted Meines Prize when Meines left the organization.

In 2010 Meines was the parade commander at the yearly parade of veterans in Wageningen. In December 2013 a bust of him was revealed at a military base in Doorn. On his 93rd birthday, in 2014, he was effectively promoted to lieutenant-general. He was given the promotion for his services to the Armed forces of the Netherlands and especially his work for veterans.

On his death Defence Minister Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert called Meines "the founder of the current veterans policy".

Meines was a Knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion and an Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau with swords. `

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