Partly because of his bravery and partly because of the quality of his troops, General Gavin and the people under his command made a lasting impression on commanders of other nations, as well as the people he liberated. From stories in various personal diaries, it becomes clear that most of the inhabitants of Groesbeek were impressed by their liberators and their actions during Operation Market Garden. One of the diary entries observes how the soldiers and their command are excellent in combat as well as diplomatic relations. The inhabitants of Groesbeek were not only impressed by these actions during the early days of the Operation in Groesbeek. After the operation had ended the soldiers and Gavin remained in the Groesbeek area to defend and shield it from the Germans, for which many inhabitants were thankful. During his time spent in the Groesbeek area, General Gavin and his troops laid the foundation for a long relationship with the leaders and inhabitants of Groesbeek. After the war, General Gavin and war veterans continued to visit Groesbeek as they looked after the connections they made there during the war. Throughout the years, the relationship between the veterans and the village of Groesbeek kept developing with the Americans not only influencing events and information in Groesbeek, but with the city of Groesbeek keeping the memory of the liberation alive as well.                                                                            

The first image shows when and how General Gavin attended the commemoration of Operation Market Garden in Groesbeek. During this visit in September of 1982, General Gavin not only kept the memory of the war alive in Groesbeek by attending and speaking at this commemoration, he also attended meetings concerning the establishment of the Museum of Liberty (Vrijheidsmuseum) in Groesbeek. During this meeting, the general was asked to advise on certain subjects regarding the museum. General Gavin’s relationship with the village and its commemoration determination was, therefore so well established that he was able to influence the commemoration of an event that took place almost forty years prior.