Cayman to honour veterans on Remembrance Sunday
Governor Helen Kilpatrick lays wreath last year
(CNS Local Life): On Sunday, 13 November, the Cayman Islands will join nations around the world to pay tribute to those veterans who defended their countries during times of war. The annual Remembrance Sunday ceremony will not only honour those veterans who sacrificed their lives in service to their country, but all veterans. The ceremony on Grand Cayman will be held at the Cenotaph outside Elmslie Memorial Church in George Town, starting at 10:45am. Members of the public are asked to assemble no later than 10:30am.
Participants will include veterans with their families and friends, as well as people who will pay their respects by laying wreaths at the Cenotaph and the Seamen’s Memorial.
Among those attending will be Governor Helen Kilpatrick, Premier Alden McLaughlin, members of the Cayman Islands Veterans Association (CIVA) and the Cayman Seafarers Association, and assorted clergy from across the Cayman Islands.
The parade will kick off the event, led by the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) and band. Other organisations participating in the parade are the CIVA, Cayman Islands Fire Service, HM Cayman Islands Prison Service, Girls’ Brigade, Scout Association, Cadet Corps, the Lions Club of Grand Cayman, and the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens.
Included in the ceremony will be the Royal Salute and a two-minute silence followed by the sounding of the Last Post and the laying of the wreaths.
In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will take place inside Elmslie Memorial Church.
Cayman Brac’s Remembrance Sunday service will run simultaneously at the District Administration lawn in front of the War Memorial Cenotaph in Stake Bay at 10:45am.
Participants will include members of the Veterans and Seamen’s Society of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, the Speaker of the House Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, Deputy Premier Moses Kirkconnell, District Commissioner Ernie Scott, Deputy District Commissioner Mark Tibbetts Jr and representatives from the Cayman Islands Police Service and Fire Service of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.
In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will take place at Aston Rutty Civic Centre.
“Remembrance Sunday is a time to honour,” said CIVA president Captain Dale Banks. “It started honouring those who were killed in wars, but now it has expanded to include all of those who have served and current active duty.
“It’s a way of telling them thank you and telling the families who lost a loved one thank you for their sacrifices.”
Members of the public attending the Remembrance Sunday ceremonies are encouraged to wear poppies, available at various location or from local veterans, which symbolise those veterans who have given their lives in service to their country.
The Remembrance Sunday parade and ceremony commemorate those who have sacrificed their lives as seamen and in the great wars, as well as to recognise surviving veterans and seamen who have also made sacrifices and continue to contribute to the community and nation.
The Cayman Islands will observe Remembrance Sunday as a public holiday on Monday, 14 November.
For more information or to request to lay a wreath on Remembrance Sunday, contact Chief of Protocol Meloney Syms at 244-3612 or by email
Category: Events
