The annual memorial was held in Los Angeles on August 9, 2014.
On this day we remembered and honored the fallen of the Dutch East Indies forces and civilians (men, women and children) during the Japanese occupation during WWII in South East Asia and during the bersiap period.
Welcoming word was given by Mr. Auke Mensink, President of “Committee August 15, 1945”. Speakers: Mr. Ernest S. Cowell, President Los Angeles Cemetery Support Foundation, Mr. Johannes van Tilburg, Honorary Consul of the Netherlands. Also present the Deputy Consul of the Netherlandsl Mr. Ard van der Vorst. Word of Remembrance and special song: Mr. John von Bargen. The Lord’s Prayer, sung by Mrs. Ans Schoew. Master of ceremony: Mrs. Debbie Bishop. Invocation: Father John Neiman.
After the speeches, songs by the choir, marching of the Honour Guard, moment of silence and prayers the program continued to placing of the wreaths by the flagpole and flower tribute by the remembrance plaque.
I live in Australia and my parents and brothers and sisters all went through the concentration camps in Java during the Japanese occupation. I am currently writing up their memories of that period.
1 Does anyone know whether I could have these memoirs published (in English), anywhere?
2 Next year, May 2015, I will be in the Netherlands. Does anyone know if there will be any special war commemorations in Holland, with the emphasis on the war in the Indies?
Keep up the good work
Wim Versteegh
Sorry, Wim Versteegh, for not having responded before this. In regard to your memoirs, it would depend on how voluminous they are. If you mean as articles, we would be happy to consider placing them on our website as a series of articles. If you are thinking of presenting them as a book, there are a number of people we can give you as contacts who have done it before and might be able to give you their resources.
About the commemorations in Holland, we do not know of any with the special emphasis on the war in the Indies in May aside from the very large commemoration in The Hague annually held in The Hague. You may want to visit or contact the Bronbeek Museum about their events .The museum has wonderful exhibits on the history of the “Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger” (KNIL) and life in the Dutch East Indies in general..
Museum Bronbeek
Address: Velperweg 147, Arnhem (See map)
Telephone: +31 (0)26 3763555
Website: http://www.dico.nl/ktomm/index.html
Wim, the link I mentioned in my last comment might not be working, try http://en.tracesofwar.com/article/57026/Bronbeek-Museum.htm