Originally organized by the Nationale Herdenking 15 Augustus 1945 Comité, this annual commemoration and ball honors the liberation of the Dutch East Indies in 1945. At the committee’s request, The Indo Project began hosting the event in 2023 and is honored to continue this tradition with our community. Read through our previous event highlights to…
The Indo Project was honored to host its third annual Commemoration and Liberation Ball on Saturday, August 9, 2025, in Buena Park, California. This special event serves as both a commemoration of the victims of World War II and a tribute to the generations that came before us, celebrating our shared heritage. The 2025 event…
Reported By Ingrid McCleary As the world marks the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII in the Pacific, Indos and others with ties to the Dutch East Indies gather to honor this solemn milestone. In Northern California, a small yet meaningful commemoration took place. Tucked in the lush backyard of Henny Neys’ home in…
On August 15, 2026, communities across the Netherlands gathered once again to mark the anniversary of Japan’s surrender and the end of the war in the Dutch East Indies. The Indo Project was honored to represent Indos around the world at ceremonies in Amsterdam and The Hague — including a private ceremony inside the Dutch…
On August 15, 2025, the world marked 80 years since Japan’s surrender in the Pacific, bringing an official end to World War II. Across the Netherlands, remembrance ceremonies were held to honor the victims of the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies. This year saw a record 65 Indië commemorations nationwide, thirteen more than…
The Indo Project invites you to our annual Commemoration and Liberation Ball on Saturday, August 9, 2025, from 2:00–6:00 PM at the Buena Park Elks Lodge in Buena Park, California. This meaningful event honors the resilience and legacy of the Indo community with an afternoon of remembrance and celebration, featuring live music, delicious food, and…
by Karel Wagemans – first published in Dutch on January 20, 2025 Introduction: Remembering the Origins of Herdenking As the Indo community and others with family history in the Dutch East Indies commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in the Pacific, it is worth remembering how the tradition of Herdenking—the…
“Who was in which lifeboat?” A mission by Peter Versteeg to find out which of the three remaining lifeboats his father traveled in — as one of 116 survivors of the sunken “Poelau Bras” — and who were in the other two lifeboats? www.poelau-bras.nl (To translate this website from Dutch to English: Go to Google…
August 15, 2021 was the 76th Anniversary of the end of the Japanese occupation in the Dutch East Indies. From California to the Netherlands, all of the victims from World War II were commemorated. 2021 Commemoration Day – In Remembrance, August 1945 In Los Angeles, Sandra van Lommel-Ly, on behalf of Comite 15 Augustus 1945,…
On August 15, 2023, the victims of the Second World War in the former Dutch East Indies were commemorated in over fifty places in the Netherlands. The war experiences and the large-scale displacement that followed are still affecting two million people in the Netherlands with an Indies family war story and in the Dutch society…