Prosper Ego facts for kids

Prosper Joannes Gerardus Antonius Ego (born July 17, 1927 – died January 23, 2015) was the person who started the Oud-Strijders Legioen (which means "Former Warriors Legion").

Prosper Ego in 1986

Who Was Prosper Ego?

Early Life and World War II

Prosper Ego was born in The Hague, a city in the Netherlands. He grew up in a Catholic family. When he was 17 years old, during Nazi Germany's control of the Netherlands, he was taken to Germany. He had to work there against his will.

After returning home, he worked for the Red Cross. This organization helps people in need around the world.

Serving in the Dutch East Indies

In 1947, Prosper Ego was sent to the Dutch East Indies. This area is now known as Indonesia. He was a soldier there, working as a hygienist. This means he helped keep things clean and healthy for the army. He was stationed in a place called Makassar.

Founding the Oud-Strijders Legioen

A New Group for Veterans

When Ego came back to the Netherlands in 1950, he worked for the Red Cross again for a while. Later, he became an insurance agent. He was also involved in politics. He helped start a group called the Veteranen Legioen Nederland.

In 1958, Prosper Ego started his own group called the Oud-Strijders Legioen (OSL). This group was for people who had served in the military, especially those from the Korean War. He became the leader of this new organization.

Views and Activities

The OSL later welcomed people who were not veterans too. Prosper Ego used the OSL's magazine, Sta Vast, to share his ideas. He often published articles that supported NATO and the United States.

The OSL also used airplanes to fly banners over peace demonstrations. These banners had strong messages. One said, "Rather a rocket in the garden than a Russian in the kitchen." Another said, "Stop the SS20 rocket."

Prosper Ego also supported a system called apartheid in South Africa. This system unfairly separated people based on their race. He helped create a group called the Stichting Nederlands Zuid-Afrikaanse Werkgemeenschap. This group aimed to build friendship between the Netherlands and South Africa. He was also involved with the Stichting Nederland-Verenigde Staten van Amerika. This group worked on friendship between the Netherlands and the USA.

Later Years and OSL Closure

In 1995, Prosper Ego faced consequences for articles published in Sta Vast in 1992. These articles were seen as unfair to certain groups of people. Even though he didn't write them, as the editor, he was held responsible.

In 2009, Prosper Ego announced he would step down as the leader of the OSL. He was 82 years old at the time. The number of people reading the Sta Vast magazine had also gone down a lot. It went from 14,000 readers in the 1980s to only 2,500.

The Oud-Strijders Legioen officially closed in 2010. Some members of the OSL board started a new website called OSL-Actueel. Prosper Ego continued to write for this website. He passed away in Breda in 2015.

Images for kids

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  Prosper Ego in 1986