What will it take for our government to celebrate our heroes?

Sep 13, 2023 Letters

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Dear Editor,

Recently I was with my family holidaying in Spanish City (located in Orlando, Florida), as we drove around, we came to a street that had photographs of different soldiers on each of the lamp post that lined it. On close examination I noticed that the portraits were those of young persons who fought in Afghanistan or Iraq.  Each portrait was accompanied by a short write up on the soldier it represented indicating where he/she lived, school attended and the specific war he/she fought and arm of the military in which he/she served.

This was Spanish City way of paying tribute and celebrating the sacrifice that some of its citizens made in the interest of the nation. I thought this was an inexpensive and wonderful gesture and wondered why Guyana does not do something similar.

I recall reading of the passing of Lt. Colonel Hartley Liverpool on the 24^th August 2022. Hartley Liverpool was someone I loved and for whom I had the greatest respect.  On his death in the USA, the Guyana Defense Force issued a statement and offered its condolence to his family. In its statement the GDF reminded of his heroics at New River. The GDF said “On the early morning of Tuesday, August 19, 1969, in the New River Triangle during “Operation Climax” launched by the GDF to regain territory. During the operation, it was Colonel Liverpool’s feat of firing a machine gun while seated in the nose of a flying aircraft that was credited for the mission’s success.” The statement also noted that Colonel Liverpool was awarded the Cacique Crown of Valor.

I don’t know whether the government of Guyana also issued a statement and I do not know of any effort on the part of this government to say thanks to Colonel Liverpool’s family for his service and heroic act. I also do not know of any effort to ensure that our nation, our young people and perhaps more particularly our young soldiers, are constantly reminded of this unmatched act of bravery. The likes of which have not been experienced by our armed force in its history to date. I am therefore forced to remind us all of the importance/the significance of Liverpool’s heroics.

First what it means to our nation: The map of Guyana would have had to be redone to indicate our lost of territory, if Suriname was successful in taking and occupying New River. International events have shown us how difficult it is for nations to regain territory occupied by another nation. There was the case of Israel seizing the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967. To this day Israel still occupies the Golan Heights and continues to encourage its people to settle there ignoring world wide protest and  a United Nations Security Council’s resolution which declared the occupation “null and void and without international legal effect.”

Here in Guyana the Venezuelans seized a part of Ankoko in October 1966 and to date, even with denunciation from the United Nations, the Venezuelans are still there and have extended and fortifying their hold on our land. The lesson is clear – successful occupation does give right to land.

At this point, it is useful for me to share an experience I had. Years ago, I was representing the US Guyana Peace Corps at a conference in some part of the world (can’t remember where). On the opening day of the conference, as I entered the conference hall, I noticed there was a copy of the map of each country invited to attend, hanging on the wall behind the head table. When the chairperson got up to welcome attendees, he/she was interrupted by the representative from Suriname. This representative demanded that the maps of Suriname and Guyana be removed and replaced by ones reflecting the New River triangle area as part of Suriname and not Guyana. I objected and the maps remained as they were with the New River area solidly reflected as part of Guyana.

Second, it is importance for us to take action to ensure our young people remembers Lt. Colonel Liverpool.  Young people need heroes. Heroes suggest to the young what behavior, what attributes are valued in a society. Heroes offer them persons to emulate in order to give their parents a sense of pride and win the nation’s thanks and gratitude. Emulating heroes give the young a sense of direction, a sense of purpose.

Finally, without keeping the memory of LT. Colonel Liverpool alive what would encourage our young soldiers, ill-equipped, under paid and untested to feel they could be equal to the task of standing up to a regional military giant like Venezuela? A defense force, whose members in the main, knows no act of unbelievable bravery on the part of one of its own in its past?

As I remember, Spanish Town’s tribute to its young soldiers who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq, I do not recall in the write up on any soldier, which indicated an act under fire that equates to that act of Colonel Liverpool at New River on that glorious day in our country’s military history.  Yet, Spanish Town understands the importance of celebrating their young men and women willingness to serve their country and the importance of holding them up as examples to their fellow young people.

In light of all the above, it amazes me that the government does not see the absolute need for Colonel Liverpool to be memorialized. No statue, no street named after him, no day set aside for celebrating his bravery. We do not encourage our writers to create books about that outstanding event ensuring that our children are constantly reminded and draw courage, knowing that we too are capable of standing up against a seemingly superior or entrenched force.

For whatever reasons, our Government, does not give the impression that it sees any value in ensuring that the heroics of Lt. Colonel Hartley Liverpool are remembered. In this first year of Lt. Colonel Liverpool’s death anniversary, I assure his family that, even though they must contend with a seemingly ungrateful country, those of us who served under his leadership in the Guyana National Service will always remember him with gratitude and pride.

Yours truly,

Claudius Prince

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• citizens, Claudius Prince, Examination, Spanish City, Young

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