JFC Brunssum Commemorates War Victims, Celebrates Freedom

BRUNSSUM, The Netherlands – Senior leader representatives from Joint Force Command Brunssum (JFCBS) attended commemoration ceremonies in the local area on 4^th and 5^th May, 2025.

This ceremony marks a moment when we reflect on the fact that freedom is not self-evident, and sometimes comes at a high price

General Guglielmo Luigi Miglietta, JFCBS Commander, laid a wreath during Remembrance Day on Sunday, 4^th May, at the Commonwealth War Cemetery in Brunssum. May 4^th is the National Day of Remembrance in the Netherlands, during which two minutes of silence are observed at 8pm for all Dutch victims of war.

“This ceremony marks a moment when we reflect on the fact that freedom is not self-evident, and sometimes comes at a high price,” said General Miglietta. “It’s our obligation to continue the peace these brave men and women fought for.”

On Monday, 5^th May, Major General Stefan FIX, JFCBS Deputy Chief of Staff, and Chief Warrant Officer Christian Thomassin, Command Senior Enlisted Leader, led a contingent of 12 JFCBS representatives who participated in the Freedom Parade in Wageningen.

The Wageningen Freedom Parade is an event that honours WWII veterans, and celebrates the military community that has developed between Europe and its Allies over the decades since 1945. The event has a long-standing tradition of being the starting point of all Liberation Day festivities in the Netherlands.

This year marks the 80^th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands, just days before “Victory Day in Europe” at the end of the Second World War, 8^th May, 1945.

Story by JFC Brunssum Public Affairs Office