Statia remembers World War II dead

Remembrance Day ceremony at Simon House.

Government Commissioner Marcolino “Mike” Franco leads police to Fort Oranje to lay a wreath at the war memorial of all fallen from the Six Dutch Antillean Islands.

 

ST. EUSTATIUS–St. Eustatius marked Dutch Kingdom Remembrance Day on Friday with two ceremonies – one in front of Simon Doncker House, which houses the island’s museum, and the other at Salem Cemetery. The day focuses on those military and civilians who fought and died for freedom in World War II.

At Simon House, Father De Jong of St. Eustatius Catholic Church said in his prayer: “This hour we are called to do what belongs to the core of our being and that is to commemorate. They who died belong to us and we belong to them.”

Millenia Bennett, mistress of ceremonies, read the names of men and women from the Netherlands Antilles who gave their lives in WWII. The Methodist choir sang, “Onward, Christian Soldiers”– a 19th century processional hymn that was a favourite of the late British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

A moment of silence was followed by a procession to Fort Oranje where a wreath was laid at the War Memorial. The ceremony is usually held at Fort Oranje but could not be this year due to erosion at the historical site.

“I was moved by the whole event,” said Wouter de Waal, a teacher at Golden Rock Roman Catholic School. “It was a short and powerful ceremony in which the victims were treated in a beautiful way, and we can be thankful that we were delivered into freedom after World War II.”

Island historian Walter Hellebrand said: “Sacrificing your life for freedom comes in many ways. It is becoming increasingly known how indispensable the oil from the refineries in Curaçao and Aruba was for the ultimate defeat of the Nazi’s during World War II.”

He added: “It was by securing that crucial lifeline of fuel for the Allied Forces that the three men from Statia lost their lives when the tankers on which they were working were torpedoed by enemy submarines.”

The Caribbean Think Book – a booklet to challenge children to learn about what freedom means and its preciousness – is being distributed to schools on St. Eustatius.

The second ceremony in Salem Cemetery was at a monument, inscribed with “Lest ye not be forgotten,” erected to honour the WWII fallen

Government Commissioner Marcolino “Mike” Franco paid tribute to fallen Statians whose names are on the memorial plaque: John O. Dembrooke, William O. Hooeker and James C. van Putten. They died whilst working at sea on tankers that were torpedoed.

Flags were flown at half-mast at government buildings and other locations to pay homage to the fallen.

Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/76359-statia-remembers-world-war-ii-dead

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