The Netherlands are only playing a symbolic role in Operation Iraqi Freedom, as I understand it, because public opinion is not all that supportive of the war. But this reader is happy with what he has seen.

About a half hour ago a bunch of my co workers clustered at the window.
We’re on the river in Jersey City. Moving south was a big ol’ Navy
frigate. I took a look at the stern and saw a flag, not ours…It was
tri color, but hard to make out the colors from a distance.
Went back to my cube and Google’d her hull number (f828). Turns out
she’s the HMLNS Van Speijk, a Karel Doorman Class Frigate of the Dutch
Navy!!! She’s armed to the teeth, 8 Harpoon antiship missiles, 16 Sea
Sparrow Surface to Air missiles, a 76mm gun, a 30mm anti-missile gun, 2
20 mm guns, and 4 12.75 inc torpedo tubes. You can read about her
here.
So there is our coalition of the willing!! It may just be a port call,
but I find it hard to believe that she’s not aware of the current
situation and standing ready to help us out should anything happen over
Manhattan. I haven’t seen ANY publicity about this. I wish that I had.
The American people should know that our friends are here, watching
over us at home while our people are out watching over the rest of the
world.
Really neat!! Thank you, Netherlands!
(One website said she’s the Willem van der Zaan, but most of them say
she’s the Van Speijk.)