Honourable President of Parliament Drs. Gracita Arrindell was honoured to be part of the special memorial service and official wreath laying ceremony on Wednesday, May 4 at the war memorial near the Cyrus Wathey Square. Other ceremonies took place throughout the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The national commemoration of May 4 recognizes all civilians and military in the Kingdom of the Netherlands or anywhere in the world who have died or been killed since the outbreak of the Second World War, in war and in peace operations.
"This is the first war memorial ceremony that will be held as country Sint Maarten. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize all Sint Maarteners who have participated and fought in wars on behalf of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
"We must honour our war dead, as we always have and as we will do once again on May 4th. The men and women who fought in these wars were ordinary citizens who responded to the highest call of duty to serve their country. They represent courage, to be bold and resilient, to believe in our ability to succeed for the common cause.
"The unknown soldier honours the memory of all those men and women who laid down their lives for the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
"This memorial is a testament of the ultimate sacrifices made by past generations for our countries as much as it is a reminder of encouragement to the present generation of people of the sacrifices of war and the gains of peace and prosperity we should cherish," Hon. President of Parliament Gracita Arrindell stated on Tuesday.
