The Governor General, Sir Rodney Williams, wants nationals to follow the examples laid down by the country’s National Heroes as Antigua and Barbuda honour and celebrate the contributions to nation building of the six persons elevated to the highest honour of the land.
Speaking at the wreath laying ceremony at Heroes’ Park at Tomlinson’s on Monday, Si Rodney noted that each of these heroes took a journey and while their paths were not identical, they shared a destination, the advancement of the people and the upliftment of Antigua and Barbuda.
“They faced adversity, disappointment, and doubt. Yet they walked forward with conviction, grounded by faith and driven by purpose.
“Today, as citizens of Antigua and Barbuda, we too are on a journey, one that requires the same courage, honesty, and perseverance that our heroes embodied. The road to being solid, stable, and soaring is not paved only with celebration, but with introspection and responsibility,” he observed.
Sir Rodney noted in every generation, there will be challenges that test the people’s resolve and moments that call for renewal. “However, our heroes remind us that true greatness lies not in avoiding trials, but in how we respond to them, with grace, with wisdom, and with a steadfast belief in the good that lies within our people,” he remarked.
During the ceremony, wreaths were laid by Sir Rodney, Acting Prime Minister Sir Steadroy Benjamin, Festivals Minister, Daryll Matthew, representative of VC Bird family as well as the Sir George Walter and Sir Lester Bird families. A representative of the TOR Memorial School as well the Reparations Commission also laid wreath.
Members of the diplomatic corps were also invited to lay wreaths along with Brigadier Telbert Benjamin of the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force and Acting Police Commissioner, Everton Jeffers.
