Heusden holds annual Veterans Day to honor local service members

The municipality of Heusden, in collaboration with the Veterans Working Group, held its annual Veterans Day on October 17 to honor the approximately 280 veterans living in the area who served in international missions on behalf of the Dutch government.

The event included a memorial ceremony in Drunen featuring speeches by Mayor Willemijn van Hees and humanist Sietse Sinnema, emphasizing the importance of remembering those who served. The theme for this year focused on the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Key presentations included a lecture by Brigadier General Bouwmeester from the Netherlands Defence Academy, who argued that the conflict in Ukraine necessitates preparation for potential future aggression from the East. Additionally, Nataliia Yarych shared a personal account of fleeing Ukraine with her two children following the Russian invasion.