A-TEAM fever peaked in the land of windmills when Dirk, Dwight Schultz, Mr. T and producer Stephen Cannell visited Holland as guests of the Dutch government. The three day event took place during the Easter weekend and a memorable time was had by all!

It all began with their arrival at the Schiphol Airport on April 21st. Dirk and his co-stars were literally astounded by the reception they received ---- 25,000 fans had gathered to welcome them!! Safety became a factor, however, when THE TEAM emerged from the plane. Police were hard pressed to control the vast crowd and were eventually forced to escort the actors through an exclusive gateway to their limousines.

On route to their hotel lay another incredible sight ---- people had actually lined the highways in parked cars to see them pass by! It wasn't long before they had picked up quite a following and only by making a quick move at a cross-road were they able to give everyone the slip. And that was just the beginning....

Their heavy schedule included live appearances on two tv programs. The first of which was televised the night of their arrival. "The TV Show", hosted by Ivo Nieche, consisted of an interview and a mailbag session during which questions from viewers were answered. All went smoothly.

Easter Sunday began with a holiday feast at a quaint country farm followed by the televising of a very special Dutch telecast. The show centered around the stars and their young fans. Members of the audience, all winners of an A-TEAM contest sponsored by a Dutch magazine, were allowed to ask their favorite questions. One little ten year old girl became the envy of every female fan present when she asked and received a kiss from Dirk!

Other show highlights included a demonstration of the proper procedure to follow when eating Herring, a popular fish in Holland. Dirk & Dwight took part in the fun while T kept asking for milk and cookies--he wanted no part of the Herring!! The presenting of gifts to each of the stars came next: Dwight received an original Dutch doll in costume, T was given a new gold chain to add to his vast collection and Dirk took home a very large box of Dutch cigars!

At the closing of the program, a musical tribute was sung by a Dutch pop-group as Dwight, Dirk and T mingled and signed autographs. Little did they know their toughest day was yet to come ....

Monday's rigorous schedule proved to be both exciting and dangerous! The plan called for a helicopter tour of the surrounding country where thousands of people waited to catch a glimpse of their favorite actors. Unfortunately, many did not succeed because the A-TEAM landings caused chaos at almost every site.

The town of Hardewyk was where it all started---the helicopter had touched down; Dirk, Dwight and T left the copter and climbed into a jeep which was to take them through Hardewyk to where the mayor waited to welcome them. 'Without warning pandemonium set in --- the fans went wild! The police force lost control of the crowds and were unable to prevent them from climbing over fences and running towards the jeep. THE TEAM was forced to make a hasty retreat back to the safety of the helicopter. They waited inside hoping the fans would calm down giving them another chance to make an appearance, but it was not to be. The crowd's momentum continued forcing them to depart. And so it went in every town, Zandvoort, Sneek, etc. The only exception being Texel where they were finally able to stay and enjoy an entire festive program lasting almost an hour.

That evening, Dirk and his friends experienced one of the calmest moments of their visit. A reception at the palace, Het Loo, given by Princess Margriet and her royal family afforded them the much needed time to relax and unwind from the day's hysterical scenes.

It has been said that Holland had not experienced a fandom surge such as this since the day another famous group --- The Beatles --- hit their shores! And though THE A-TEAM departed the following day, the unforgetable effects, much as they did back in the 60's, linger on ....

And what of the three men encompassed by all the excitement? Well, all agree it was an incredibly wonderful experience that will keep the people from the land of windmills in their hearts for a long time to come!!

[by] Donna Jean