The reform-minded Dutch government canceled all military parades planned for the Queen Juliana’s 25-year reign celebrations. It would “not fit the mentality” of the Dutch.

Much as the Dutch like the clatter of wooden shoes on cobblestone streets, they have always detested the clicking of military heels. It reminds them of the years of Wehrmacht occupation. They would prefer the army to walk softly, the way resistance fighters did during World War II.

Thus the…