August 15th is the annual commemoration of the end of WWII in the Pacific. The Indo community remembers all those who fell and suffered during the Japanese invasion and occupation of the former Dutch East Indies.
2020 was to be the year the Indo community could celebrate the 75th anniversary of Commemoration Day. However, last year the commemorations in Southern California and Northern California were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the Netherlands, the commemoration was smaller with only invited guests.
Everyone had hoped that this 2021 year, everything would return back to normal. But sadly, the pandemic impact is still the same. The public commemorations in both Southern and Northern California have been cancelled again. At the commemoration in Los Angeles, Sandra Ly, President of the “Comittee 15 Augustus 1945 Los Angeles” and Herdenking Committee will be privately laying a wreath on the Indo monument at Los Angeles cemetery. Again, in the Netherlands, the commemoration is only for invited guests.
2019 was the last time the commemorations of the end of WWII in the Pacific occurred. Let’s hope the 2022 commemorations are as crowded as they were in 2019!
Because it is our duty as the Indo community to honor the past and to remember those who fought and suffered for us.
Read more about Commemoration Day and Herdenking:
The Meaning of the Annual “Herdenkingsdag“ Commemoration on August 15
2019 Annual “Herdenkingsdag” Commemoration – Los Angeles
2019 Annual “Herdenkingsdag” Commemoration – Northern California
The Indo Project wants to know how will you be honoring Commemoration Day this year? Leave a comment below.