ARMY Chief-of-Staff Brigadier Mark Phillips yesterday presented cheques worth $1M to President of the Guyana Veterans League (GVL) retired Lieutenant-Colonel George Gomes.The handing over of the cheques was done after the official wreath-laying ceremony to observe Veterans Day at the Veterans’ Monument on the lawns of Base Camp Ayanganna.

It was done in the presence of His Excellency President David Granger and other senior past and present members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).

In remarks, Brigadier Phillips explained that lots of things have happened for veterans in a short space of time, and the wreath-laying ceremony for the men and women who had served in the army of British Guiana and in the GDF remains a very significant event.

He said the event is indeed an acknowledgement of the service given by the former members of the army, who provided service in defence of Guyana and in support of diplomacy to safeguard Guyana’s national interest.
The contributions of the former servicemen and women have advanced the development and protection of democracy in Guyana, he said, and the serving members of the GDF will forever be grateful in that regard.

He acknowledged the recent move by President David Granger, a retired head of the GDF, to establish a National Veterans Commission in keeping with resolution 60 passed by the National Assembly in November 2013. He reminded the gathering that the commission would investigate and accordingly recommend actions to be taken to improve the circumstances of military veterans.

“We in the Force, as we observe our anniversary, we all remain committed to the welfare and well-being of our military veterans, and we continue to support the operations of the National Veterans Home and the activities of the Guyana Veterans Legion,” Phillips noted, as he wished the veterans a happy Veterans’ Day.

The money provided to the veterans is in keeping with the GDF’s mandate to support veterans who had served the army of British Guiana and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), and to support the work and programmes of the Guyana Veterans’ Legion.

The Veterans Legion comprises servicemen and women who had served in World Wars I and II and ex-service men and women of the British Guiana Volunteer Force and the Guyana Defence Force. There also exist sister ex-GDF organisations in other parts of the world, including in North America. Some members of those organisations were present at yesterday’s wreath-laying ceremony.

Responding, President of the Guyana Veterans’ Legion, Lieutenant-Colonel (ret’d) George Gomes, said yesterday’s occasion makes the former servicemen and women feel as though they have returned home.

Gomes pointed out that young people enlisting in the Guyana Defence Force are actually giving the country of their birth the highest level of service that anyone can give, since they are prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice of laying down their lives for the country.

“It is for this reason that the government of the day has an obligation to ensure that (its) soldiers are properly looked after,” Gomes said.

He reminded the gathering that every single soldier will one day become a veteran, and he said some soldiers would soon join the Guyana Veterans’ Legion. He said the organisation is not an old people’s organisation, but is one that exists to ensure promotion and maintenance of harmony and camaraderie among veterans in Guyana’s past and present military organisations; to establish and maintain an effective network of communication, linking the veterans; to provide welfare support to veterans who become aged, disabled, and/or indigent; and to maintain a close relationship with the Guyana Defence Force.