Veterans Day 2025

Dear veterans, dear all,

It is a very great honor to welcome you today, here at the Droogdok Jan Blanken, in the fortress of Hellevoetsluis, to the Veterans Day 2025 of Voorne aan Zee. And how wonderful it is to see such a large group of veterans, from Voorne aan Zee, and even from Nissewaard and Rotterdam here together!

Now we cherish our veterans anyway in Voorne aan Zee, but today we celebrate an extra special edition of Veterans Day. This year it has been exactly 80 years since the Netherlands was liberated from German occupation. 80 years of freedom. Something to celebrate extensively, but also to remember. We already did that extensively last month and today we do it again. But in a special context. The context of the people who have always stood ready. Ready to watch over and fight for our freedom and the freedom of others. I am talking about you. Our veterans.

First a word about that freedom itself. You see, as a municipality of Voorne aan Zee , we have a very special relationship with freedom. The freedom of the Netherlands as we still know it today took shape on April 1, 1572, when the Sea Beggars captured the fortress of Den Briel. Initially underestimated by the Duke of Alpha, this capture proved to be the booster of and inspiration for other cities in of the revolt against the Spanish ruler. We were the firstfruits of freedom, and that is still in our municipal coat of arms. But even then, this freedom was not self-evident. After all, the war with Spain lasted until 1648. And during that time Hellevoetsluis flourished as the naval port of the young republic. Tromp and de Ruyter were well acquainted here; the legendary Voyage to Chatham, where the British fleet was inflicted heavy losses in June 1667, departed from Hellevoet's fortress here. A lamp of the British flagship The Royal Charles even hangs in the hall of the Prinsehuis. I proudly show it to every visitor. In other words, when it comes to fighting for our freedom and defending our country, we do have a track record in Voorne aan Zee .

I was just talking about the pride I feel in the lamp of the Royal Charles. But where does that pride come from? Well, the pride I feel in that lamp does not only have to do with that lamp. It has to do with a special piece of our national history. A period in which the Netherlands was created and in which our freedom was fought for. And yes, I feel an enormous pride for all those men and women who fought that battle for us. Then and now. Because, and I mentioned this many times last year, our freedom is still vulnerable 450 years later. Also in the Netherlands. But at least in the Netherlands we still have freedom. In large parts of Ukraine, in Myanmar, in South Sudan, in Mali, in Venezuela and in the Middle East, freedom is hard to find. And all those wars, all those conflicts are getting closer. Even if we in the Netherlands do not yet see the consequences directly, we all feel that we live in an increasingly unpredictable and threatening world. And that does something to our peace of mind. Our sense of security.

And yet, despite all these terrible conflicts, there has also been one positive side effect recently. The threat from outside is slowly causing a reappraisal of our own freedom. That here in the Netherlands we can love who we want, can read and write what we want, can believe what we want, can speak freely and can demonstrate without risking your life, seems so ordinary to us, but unfortunately it is not. And that realization is slowly dawning on us.

And with that realization comes the understanding that our freedom must be guarded. And that it does not come for free. Finally, and, sad but true, it took some pressure from the other side of the ocean for that to happen, we are going to invest again in defending our freedom. And that's where I get to the heart of the matter. Because more money to defense sounds wonderful. And of course it is. But at the same time, it is a somewhat detached statement. Because defending our freedom is not carried out by money. Our freedom is defended by our armed forces. By people. And it is so important to dwell on that. The fact that we can very relaxedly drink a beer on the terrace in the sun here is also because ten thousand kilometers away a marine is carrying out a mission under that same sun. At the risk of his own life.

And so as far as I'm concerned, in addition to the revaluation of our freedom and more money for defense, perhaps something else is most needed right now: appreciation for our light brigade, our officers, our Marines, our airmen, our engineers and our commandos. Our military today. And all those men and women who have served our country so faithfully and courageously in all those roles in the past. You. Our veterans. And that appreciation goes beyond nice words. Real support for our people in defense also means respect and support for the enormously difficult decisions that have to be made in the field. In society and in politics. Because it is very easy to pass judgment on a decision made when the Taliban is attacking you from three sides at once. Or when you have to defend an untenable position without air support. After all, we are not talking about an office job where the most intense thing that can happen to you is making a mistake in an Excel file (something that can also be quite painful, by the way, but that is another story). Sometimes it is a matter of life and death. As a society and as politicians we must always radiate to our people in the field and our veterans: We got your back!

So, on this bright June 21st, the longest day (and I would almost say that can't be a coincidence), I want to thank you immensely on behalf of the City Council but especially on behalf of all our residents. Thank you for your courage and determination in the most difficult moments. Thank you for the grief you had to bear after the loss of your comrades. Thank you for your commitment to Holland, far from Holland and far from your loved ones. But above all, thank you for our freedom. How reassuring it is that our freedom is guarded by brave, beautiful people like you!

I said it at the beginning, it is a special edition of Veterans Day because we are celebrating 80 years of freedom this year, and so we would like to reinforce our gratitude. With something special. We have commissioned a special commemorative coin to thank you for your courage and your contribution to our freedom. It is my great honor to present this coin to the four oldest veterans in our company. Afterwards, this coin will be available to all of you. As a thank you. Or as they so beautifully and fittingly say in the United States, Thank you for your service!

Thank you.