Klaas Jol

Klaas Jol (born May 29, 1942 in The Hague , Netherlands) is a former naval officer . He was impaled through a ski pole by one of his soldiers during a training session in Norway in 1978 . This accident made Jol world famous.

youth

Klaas Jol is the second of 6 children of the fisherman Maarten Cornelis Jol and his wife Jannetje Mazereeuw from Urk . He is the older brother of the two soccer coaches Cornelis and Martin Jol . The family is strictly Protestant , with going to church and school on Sundays .

Career

Klaas Jol in a decorated uniform jacket

Jol grew up in Scheveningen and attended the Zandvliet Higher Civic School in The Hague from the age of 12 to 18 . On September 6, 1960, he went to the military to do his military service. He chose military academic training. He wanted to join the Dutch elite force in order to be trained as an officer . He attended the Royal Institute for Navy in Den Helder . The training lasted three years.

During his time in this institute he developed into one of the best all-round athletes and one of the most versatile officers in all areas. In 1962 he was voted the best midshipman of the year.

Up until the accident, his career was brilliant. In 1965 he became first lieutenant , in 1968 captain , in 1975 major and in 1982 lieutenant colonel .

He also completed many special training courses, such as Sports Instructor , Command ( green beret ), Frogman , Navy Seal UDT - Instructor in the United States, Para-Command , Mountain Leader and MAW Coach for the UK / NL Landing Force in Norway. He became the Netherlands heavyweight boxing champion in 1966 .

In 1975 his wife died at the age of 30 and he was left with his three year old son. A few months later he was sent to the war zone in Israel and southern Lebanon by the Ministry of Defense . After 612 days he came back to his homeland.

Accident and legal aftermath

On December 14, 1978 Jol was in the Norwegian high mountains for ski training (cold weather training). Jol was seriously injured by a ski pole in the thick fog. In thick fog and heavy snowfall , he was impaled on a steep slope by one of his fallen soldiers. A ski pole from one of his men entered the anus at high speed and exited in his left lung . Jol was operated on for hours by a team of surgeons in Norway ( Bergen ). The stick was removed from the body in 18 parts. At the end of December 1978 Jol returned home to the Netherlands. On January 14, 1979 he came home in Scheveningen with a double ostomy.

The seriously injured naval officer was still alive and was transported to hospital by helicopter after many hours in the snow . There a team of surgeons fought for their lives for hours. He survived the accident, although the prostate , intestines , liver , heart and left lung were badly damaged. He was given an ostomy , and on December 29, 1978, Jol returned to his homeland. He was taken to the military hospital in Overveen . On January 14, 1979, he came home with a double ostomy and was reunited with his family in Scheveningen .

At the end of February 1979 he went back to the Overveen hospital. There the two stomata had to be put back into the body. Serious mistakes were made in this simple operation. A surgeon forgot to take proper precautions while under the influence of alcohol. Jol got a space stomach and got back into a life-threatening condition. He was immediately admitted to the University Hospital in Leiden . Here a professor saved his life. The professor recommended that the officer stop working. However, Jol let himself be persuaded to start work part time again.

Since then, Klaas Jol has had this nickname as Colonel " Sateh " (an Asian meat dish on a skewer) . Between 1979 and 1985 Jol held various positions as a staff officer in The Hague. In the meantime he had also started writing books. After 25 years, the naval officer is still fighting for part of the injury compensation from the Department of Defense. In 1985 he was declared unfit for service for 50% instead of 100%. This decision had far-reaching consequences for him for the next 30 years. In 1989 a follow-up took place.

Klaas Jol had never received any damages from the Defense Ministry. Until now (October 2015), after many court sessions, he still has no success. Even today he is still fighting for satisfaction.

writer

After his career in the Navy, Klaas Jol switched to writing books. He has written five books since the 1990s. The latest book from his hand will be published in summer 2016.

Awards

1961 TMPT Sports
1963 KLO Sports
1975 MNSF 1975.
1976–1977 Medal United Nations Disarmament of Forces

Golan

1976–1978 Medal United Nations Expeditionary Forces

Middle East

1978 Medal United Nations Israeli Lebanese Mixed Armistice Committee South Lebanon
1985 Medal of 25 Years Officer of the Dutch Marines
1985 Medal of Honor

Works

Works by Maarten Corneliszoon. The Hague 1985, ISBN 85-8001-881-1 .
Dromen gleden voorbij. The Hague 1989, ISBN 85-8001-881-1 .
Suriname in de branding. The Hague 1990, ISBN 90-800188-1-3 .

personal data
SURNAME	Jol, Klaas
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Dutch naval officer
DATE OF BIRTH	May 29, 1942
PLACE OF BIRTH	The hague