PRESS RELEASE

A WORD OF APPRECIATION

By means of this letter, the SS Oranjestad Committee hereby wishes to thank all those who attended the lifting of the anchor at Varadero Marina last Sunday.  We are happy that a large crowd showed up to share with this historic moment.  As previously mentioned in the media, under the initiative of Percy Sweetnam and Dick de Bruin, an anchor was discovered and lifted with the intention to install it as monument at the Savaneta Camp to honor the four Marines who lost their lives while disarming a torpedo in the vicinity where the anchor was discovered.  Also, to give honor to the two Arubans who suffered severe hearing problem as a result of the explosion.

We would like to thank members of parliament, Messrs. Chris Dammers and Booshi Wever, and Lieutenant Colonel Edwin Hofma of the Savaneta Camp.  A special thanks to some family members from Bonaire who accepted our invitation to attend and paid a tribute to their loved ones who died on the SS Oranjestad on February 16, 1942.  Present were:  80-year old Calixto de Palm who lost his brother, Luis Emerenciana, whose wedding was planned nine days after, as previously explained when the propeller was lifted.  Calixto came with a family member.  Juan de Palm, nephew of Jose Andres de Palm who also died on the SS Oranjestad.  Juan was accompanied by his wife Luisa Elvira de Palm-Sharpe; Ferdinand de Palm and his sister Aishel Trinidad-de Palm, grand-son and grand-daughter of Jose Andres de Palm.  Ferdinand came from Bonaire for this occasion.

A word of thanks to all those, who in one way or the other, rendered their services during the project:  Varadero Marina Bar/Restaurant; ANNOR N. V.; Mr. Plons Richardson with is yacht the Moonray; Kooltemp; Aruba Scuba Center, Johnson Enterprise, and the Coast Guard.

The committee’s sole goal from the beginning is to install a monument of the propeller as soon as possible.  The same goal applies for the anchor.  All the hard and dangerous work that the diving team is doing is to recognize and enrich our history and hopefully this will be appreciated by one and all.  The other goal is for us to transmit this to our school children and the future generation.

We understand that the government is very busy at this moment, but we have faith that sooner or later the installation of the monument will be realized.  It is for this reason that the committee is working very hard with fundraising to help cover the expenses for this monument in honor of the 47 sailors who lost their lives on February 16, 1942. 

On the photo:  Dick de Bruin; Calixto de Palm; LuisA Elvira de Palm-Sharpe; Juan de Palm; a friend of Ferdinand; Dufi Kock; Ferdinand de Palm; Aishel Trinidad-de Palm; Andre Loonstra; Toine v/d Klooster, and Edwin Hofma, the Savaneta Camp Commander.

On behafe of the committee,

Dufi Kock, President