Ollongren attends commemoration for fallen WWII soldiers in former Dutch East Indies
Outgoing Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren (D66) will not attend the annual commemoration ceremony for the Indies in Roermond on Saturday, where she was scheduled to give a speech. A Defense Ministry spokesman said she could not come due to personal circumstances. Defense Ministry State Secretary Christophe van der Maat will give a speech in her place.
Outgoing Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren (D66) will attend and speak at the annual commemoration ceremony in Roermond on Saturday. In Roermond, the fallen soldiers in the former Dutch East Indies and Dutch New Guinea will be commemorated, as well as the fallen soldiers who served in all other international missions after World War II.
The event in the memorial park at Hattem Castle on the Maastrichterweg begins at 2 p.m. and lasts until 3:30 p.m. Every year in early September, the more than 6,200 Dutch soldiers who died in the former Dutch East Indies and New Guinea between 1945 and 1962 are commemorated there. F-16s of the Royal Air Force will fly a formation over the memorial around 2:45 p.m.
The Royal Air Force Orchestra and the mixed choir Corde et Animo from Maria Hoop will provide the musical accompaniment. The commemoration will end around 3:30 p.m., according to the municipality.
Traditionally, many thousands of veterans and their family members attend the event. However, the number of visitors who witnessed the battle in the former Dutch East Indies is decreasing every year due to the advanced age of these veterans.
Reporting by ANP and NL Times
