President David Granger yesterday reaffirmed his support for the care of military veterans and their families and presented the Guyana Veterans Legion (GVL) with a cheque valued $1M, at the annual Remembrance Day Ceremony and Reception, hosted at the GVL’s headquarters, Coghlan House, Carifesta Avenue.
A release from the Ministry of the Presidency said that following the President’s donation, several other individuals and organizations made monetary pledges to the Legion.
Granger, who is performing the functions of a caretaker President pending General and Regional Elections said this year commemorates the 50th anniversary of two of the greatest threats to Guyana’s Independence – in the Rupununi and New River.
“We honour the soldiers who went forward fearlessly in the still unfinished task of defending our sovereignty and territorial integrity. Guyanese, though ever conscious of the past, must look to the future, especially during the coming Decade of Development,” he said.
President Granger, the release said, reminded all of the motion that was moved in the National Assembly on November 21, 2013, calling for the appointment of a National Veterans’ Commission to “… examine the conditions and circumstances facing veterans of the defence forces and disciplined services; to make recommendations to ensure their health and welfare and for the general administration of veterans affairs in Guyana.”
While the motion was passed, he said that the government-of-the-day did not implement it in the ensuring years. However, it has since been implemented under the this administration, and has resulted in an enhanced quality of life for veterans, he said. Granger said that the National Veterans Commission was convened in August 2016 and its recommendations are being implemented. The release said that a Veterans’ Act, to ensure that veterans’ benefits are secured by law, will be enacted and a Veterans Trust, to raise and maintain resources for the continuing education, training and re-settlement of veterans in society, will be set up. It is unclear why these objectives have not yet been achieved and they will presumably have to wait until after elections.
The release said that a Veterans Administrative Department has been created and is tasked with ensuring that veterans and their families receive their entitlements in a timely manner. The National Veterans’ Home is also receiving continuous assistance from the Guyana Defence Force through the payment of staff and other utilities and the Guyana Veterans Legion has started to receive an annual subvention from the Government.
Legion President, Lieutenant Colonel (ret’d) George Gomes underlined that fallen heroes must never be forgotten.
He said that three of the 14 surviving World War II veterans have died since the last Remembrance Day. Nine of the surviving veterans attended yesterday’s ceremony, the release said.
