Brunssum, The Netherlands – A ceremony to unveil a Memorial to the Fallen took place on Camp Hendrik, the site of Headquarters Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum (JFCBS), on 20th June, 2023.
On Camp Hendrik grounds, there are already some sites that commemorate individual soldiers died while stationed at Brunssum, but until today no memorial existed that was dedicated to all of those civilian and military who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving NATO.
General Guglielmo Luigi Miglietta, Commander JFCBS, took the initiative to create such a memorial in light of the upcoming celebrations for the 70th Anniversary of JFCBS. General Miglietta wanted to emphasise that those who gave their lives in the line of duty will not be forgotten.
During the ceremony, both General Miglietta and the Commander of the Joint Logistic Support Group Brunssum, Brigadier General David Schnábel of the Czech Army, laid wreaths. The Dutch Military Ordinary, Monsignore Woolderink, representing all faiths and denominations, then blessed the new memorial.
The inscription on the memorial reads: “For our Civilian and Military NATO Colleagues Who Lost Their Lives While Serving in the Name of Peace & Security. Always in our Thoughts, Forever In Our Hearts.” The memorial is situated right next to the Akerstraat Gate, the historical main entrance to the compound.
The ceremony was closed with the NATO hymn.
