WILLEMSTAD - The planned memorial ceremony for the crew of the American warship USS Erie, scheduled for Tuesday at the Erie Memorial in Koredor, was unexpectedly canceled this year. According to Allan van der Ree from the USS Erie Curaçao working group, the site near Marriott Beach was deemed inaccessible due to a sudden infestation of aggressive black mosquitoes.
"The swarms were so persistent that it would have been irresponsible to expose attendees, including diplomats and military personnel, to such conditions," Van der Ree explained.
During preparations, the organizers managed to quickly place flowers at the monument but decided to cancel the event immediately afterward. The working group is now considering holding the ceremony at an alternative location.
The monument, unveiled in 2017 by a relative of a fallen officer, honors those who lost their lives at sea near Curaçao during World War II. The USS Erie was torpedoed by a German submarine on November 12, 1942, off the coast of Piscadera.