Jamaica Remembers War Veterans

The atmosphere at National Heroes Park on November 11, was one of deep reflection, pride, and solemn gratitude, as former members of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) gathered for the annual Remembrance Day Ceremony.

The function, which honours the thousands of Jamaican soldiers who fought and died in World Wars I and II, served as a reminder of the 4,000 to 5,000 Jamaicans who stepped forward to serve in the Royal Air Force, the ground forces of the British Army, and the Canadian Armed Forces.

For Retired Captain Clifton C. Lumsden, attending the ceremony is not simply tradition but a deeply personal acknowledgement of how different history could have unfolded, without the courage of those early volunteers.

He explained that Remembrance Day carries a powerful meaning for him, because of the scale of sacrifice made by Jamaicans and other Commonwealth soldiers.

“It means a lot, because hadn’t those men from Jamaica, UK, and the Commonwealth in general, had they not volunteered, the outcome could have been one of two. One, I’d not be standing here talking to you now because the black race would have been annihilated by Hitler and company. Or secondly, I would have been probably speaking German had those gentlemen not offered themselves for that service,” he told JIS News.

Captain Lumsden added that his gratitude compels him to attend the ceremony each year, noting that “I’m very grateful to them and I make it a point of my duty to be here annually to remember them”.

Speaking about his own years of service from 1989 to 2001, Captain Lumsden shared that his experience in the military, was shaped by a lifelong connection to uniformed service, beginning when he was a young boy.

“From I was a youngster at St. Aloysius Primary, I was in the Cub Scouts. Then I transitioned to Scouts. Then I transitioned to the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force, which I still now serve as a Lieutenant Colonel and in charge of training,” Captain Lumsden stated.

He said this foundation stayed with him throughout his career, adding that, “my background from childhood has been somewhat grounded in the military and that has guided me exceptionally well and has caused me to be the person I am today”.

His most memorable experience, he recalled, came when he was deployed as part of a regional effort to restore democracy in Haiti.

“My most memorable experience would be to travel to Haiti… to restore democracy… Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who was ousted by some undesirables and between the Jamaican and some Caribbean islands in collaboration with the United States Army, he was returned to Haiti and resumed his duties as president,” he said.

Among the other veterans who gathered to pay their respects was Michael Donovan Deer, who enlisted on June 16, 1981, and spent more than 36 years in the JDF before retiring in 2018.

He described his time in service as unforgettable, saying, “My stay in the JDF was… very commendable, memorable; you name it, we had it.”

For Mr. Deer, Remembrance Day is an opportunity not only to honour the fallen but to reconnect with past comrades.

“Today really means, one, you get a chance to physically view personnel who have served a long time before you, with you, and even persons after you. And we use this as a memorable occasion just to mix, mingle, exchange ideas, check on previous mentorship and all, but it’s good,” the ex-service member told JIS News.

He also recounted one of the most personal challenges he faced while serving, overcoming a long-standing fear of swimming in order to keep his rank.

He explained to JIS News that he had always struggled with water because “I had a phobia, whereas I used to suffer from cramps, muscle contracts”.

That fear followed him into adulthood, until the day his superior insisted, he could no longer avoid the military swim test.

He recalled a phone call with his superior, “She said, ‘No, Mikey. You have to swim… . You don’t want the rank you get… . If you don’t give me a swim test by X time, then you’ll be reverted.’.”

He recalled how the thought of losing his rank pushed him to act, telling JIS News that, “there and then I stepped out and did the necessary, and I was successful”.

Former JDF serviceman Norman Harris, who spent five years in the infantry before transitioning into mechanical training at VTDI and serving in St. Ann, reflected on a decade of diverse experiences that shaped him.

He said it was difficult to choose a single memory, explaining, “There’s so many memories. There are so many things that it’s hard to just pick out one. But it was an enjoyable thing, as we always say, we would have done it again. I don’t have any regret.”

Mr. Harris recalled that a typical day in the army varied widely depending on the company assignment at the time.

“It depends… each company would be tasked with a different thing for one month. So, it would be guard duty for one month, patrol for one month, or IS [internal security] … IS was maybe the hardest because anything as emergency come up, you would be the first one to be sent out,” he said.

One of his most vivid memories came during the tension-filled 1980 General Election. He described how his team was sent on a midnight patrol into Payneland, an area none of them knew well.

“There was no light around but what was on the main street… and we were going into a dark community and none of us on the patrol did not know the area. It was a bit scary looking up there in the dark, but you had to overcome because you had to do it,” Mr. Harris told JIS News.

After several patrols, he said, the team learned the area and moved with more confidence, but the memory of that first night never left him.

As he reflected on Remembrance Day, Mr. Harris said many people still do not fully appreciate the scale of Jamaica’s wartime contribution.

“A lot of people don’t realise… how many people died in it (World Wars I and II), and how many people from Jamaica served and died in that war,” he noted.

Mr. Harris said, for him, standing beside the cenotaph each year is a symbolic act of honour and continuity, adding that, “we are standing in the gap for them today, that they’re not being forgotten… . It’s to reflect on those who made that sacrifice in World War I and II”.

The veterans’ reflections, filled with gratitude, personal triumphs, moments of fear, and unwavering loyalty, echoed the spirit of those early Jamaicans who served with honour and sacrifice.

As wreaths were laid and a brief moment of silence passed, Remembrance Day stood as an enduring and essential part of the nation’s story, a promise that those who served, and those who fell, will never be forgotten.