Nation honours 324 fallen servicemen and women

President Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu and Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka led the nation in paying tribute to 324 servicemen and women listed on the Roll of Honour at the National War Memorial in Veiuto, Suva, yesterday.

Cabinet ministers, Members of Parliament, senior military and police officers, members of the Diplomatic Corps and former Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) personnel also attended the Remembrance Day ceremony.

A similar ceremony was held at Sukanaivalu Army Barracks in Vaturekuka, Labasa.

Wreaths were laid by 34 representatives in order of precedence, beginning with the President and Prime Minister and concluding with the Returned Soldiers and Ex-Servicemen Association.

An RFMF chaplain led a service of remembrance, followed by the National Anthem and the President’s walk through the memorial complex.

The Roll of Honour lists 124 names from World War I and 50 from World War II. Another 18 servicemen served in Malaya between 1952 and 1956.

The remaining names include peacekeepers who served in Lebanon, Sinai, the Golan Heights, East Timor, Iraq and South Sudan, as well as Fijians who served in the British Army.

Mr Rabuka said: “Our thoughts are with the fallen and their relatives. They have built a reputation for our serving personnel, and we owe it to them to maintain their standards.”

Minister for Defence and Veterans Affairs Pio Tikoduadua said Remembrance Day marked the end of World War I but honoured more than soldiers.

“Today (yesterday) actually commemorates sacrifices people made, particularly men and women in uniform and civilians that participated in the war effort. We recognise them, and we thank them.”