Danish military veteran Martin Tamm Andersen nearly lost his life fighting alongside American troops in Afghanistan more than 15 years ago.
Andersen, a platoon commander, was leading his unit along with a group of U.S. Marines through the southern part of the country following an attack by the Taliban.
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary as Andersen’s vehicle maneuvered to the back of the column. Then, in a flash, all he could see was sand. Andersen’s body was thrust into the air. After he hit the ground, shaken, he felt for both his arms and legs to make certain they were still attached.
“I had no idea what was going on,” he told the Associated Press.
He looked around to see one of his troops bleeding profusely from the face. Another soldier had been blown off the vehicle, lying helplessly on the ground with a broken back. The bomb had ripped their vehicle into pieces.
Andersen radioed a unit of Marines that paused an operation against the Taliban to provide security, help the wounded Danish troops and prepare them for evacuation.
Danes Feel Betrayed
In the post-9/11 wars, U.S. and Danish soldiers worked side-by-side, shedding blood and risky lives together. That’s why Andersen is stunned to see the current relationship between U.S. and Danish allies amid President Donald Trump’s plan to occupy Greenland, a semiautonomous territory controlled by Denmark.
Trump believes the U.S. has to seize control of the strategically located island for security reasons and to take advantage of its minerals.
For Andersen, 46, the president’s postering and threats, feel like a slap in the face.
When America needed us after 9/11, we were there. As a veteran and as a Dane, you know, you feel sad and very surprised that the U.S. wants to take over part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It’s a betrayal of the loyalty of our nation to the U.S. and to our common alliance, NATO.
Andersen, who also served in Iraq, shared his story in Copenhagen at the Danish War Museum. The vehicle he was in that got hit by explosives in Afghanistan, an armored personnel carrier, is on display there.
He saw close buddies killed and maimed in both wars. The Danish veteran felt his commitment to help the U.S. was to preserve freedom and democracy.
With the U.S. continuing to push Denmark for control over Greenland, the initial shockwave spreading across Europe has turned into what Andersen calls “sadness, fear and betrayal,” and the feeling of uncertainty over what a move like this could signify for European security with Russia at war with Ukraine.
“It would mean the end of NATO,” said Danish Prime Minister Mette Fredericksen.
For Denmark, It’s Personal
Denmark has been a U.S. ally in NATO since 1949.
According to the AP, 44 Danish troops died in Afghanistan—the largest death rate, per capita, within coalition forces. Eight soldiers from Denmark were killed in Iraq.
It feels surreal. It feels like it’s a bad joke somehow. I mean, you can’t really fathom that this is actually something that is being said out loud. It just seems too crazy.
Søren Knudsen, also a former Danish soldier, survived two tours in Afghanistan.
Knudsen was watching Fox News last year when Vice President JD Vance claimed Denmark was “not being a good ally.” Bolstering Trump’s previous remarks, Vance said the U.S. must have more “territorial interest” in Greenland to safeguard national security. He said Denmark was “not doing its job.”
Knudsen’s jaw dropped.
Knudsen, 65, lives in Copenhagen. One of his most prized possessions is a photo of himself surrounded by Afghan children in Qalat. At the time, Knudsen’s mission was to protect the future of Afghanistan’s younger generation. When his second deployment was ending, U.S. troops gave him a gift – an American flag.
Knudsen was also given a U.S. Bronze Star, which he framed with the flag and proudly displayed in his home, along with additional service medals.
But Vance’s comments were the last straw. Frustrated, he took down both the medal and flag and stored them away, telling his wife he will display them once the U.S.-Danish alliance is whole again.
Along with Andersen, he’s not the only Danish veteran who feels this way. As deputy president of the Danish Veteran Association, Knudsen talks with dismayed veterans regularly, believing America has turned its back on Denmark.
“Many veterans who have wounds, whether on their souls or their body, certainly feel this as an offense straight to their heart,” he said.
Invasion Would Be ‘Sad’
Danish veterans, feeling that Denmark is not the United States' to take in the first place, also feel anger over Trump’s notion that the Scandinavian country—after teaming with American forces in battle—lacks the capability to provide security for the West.
While the veterans realize maintaining security in the Arctic region is vital, Andersen and Knudsen believe Denmark is ready to handle any threat to the NATO alliance.
Despite the current tensions between the two nations, both veterans maintain strong relationships with U.S. veterans they served with. Knudsen’s wife is from the U.S. and his brother-in-law serves in the Marines. They believe their one-time battle buddies don’t share the Trump administration’s beliefs about Denmark.
Danes argue that through a defense agreement signed in 1951, the U.S. has access to Greenland. Also, the Space Force already houses a miliary base in northwestern Greenland. In recent years, the U.S. has chosen to scale back its military operations on the island, but both Greenland and Denmark have stated they would be open to a “beefed up” military occupation.
Trump, however, said in a recent New York Times interview that “ownership gives you things and elements that you can’t get from just signing a document.”
Invading Greenland would “bring me to tears,” Knudsen said.
“I would be very sorry if it happened, because I would also see this as the final moments of the NATO alliance. And I would probably see it as the final moment of my admiration and love of what has been the American experiment for 250 years," he added.
