Page 11 - AHATA

Thursday 24 July 2025 LOCAL
A8

Meet Aruba’s biggest hero
Boy Ecury

(Oranjestad)—This past Nazi regime, was an Aru- participated in the rebel- man, he of course could
May 4th, Aruba as well ban named Segundo lion in The Netherlands not continue to be active
as The Netherlands com- Jorge Adelberto “Boy” against the Nazi regime, as a rebel. However, stub-
memorated those who Ecury. Born in Aruba on but his rebellious streak and born and naturally rebel-
sadly perished during the April 23rd, 1922, Boy spent constant drive to fight for lious as he was, he always
Second World War. As is his childhood on the is- justice began even before tried to join in on the opera-
known around the globe, land, before being sent to the war broke out. Being a tions regardless.
this chapter in world history The Netherlands by his fa- person of color with a Hai-
is one of the most tragic ther when he was 15 years tian heritage living in The In 1944, after his friend Luis
yet, and many soldiers and old to continue his studies Netherlands made him vul- de Lannoy, a fellow rebel
rebels have died on the abroad. This was in 1937, nerable to discrimination, from Curacao, was ar-
frontline during this time. three years before WWII and this inspired him to be rested and executed, he
broke out. an activist, to stand up and moved to Delft, where he
One of those rebels who fight against discrimination joined his third and last
have fought against the During the war, he actively and oppression. group in Rotterdam. During
After seeing the horrific this time, he wrote a good-
bombings of Rotterdam bye letter for his family,
first-hand, he decided to possibly knowing the risks of
join the resistance. At the him being active again in
same time, he was still the big cities.
studying and living with
family in Tilburg. It was there Eventually, he proved him-
where he met people who self right. On November
printed and distributed the 5th, 1944, Boy Ecury was
rebellion newspaper. This arrested by German sol-
would be the first of three diers. He was placed in
rebellion group that he the “Oranjehotel” prison in
would join throughout his Scheveningen, The Hague,
4-year service to the resis- where he was questioned.
tance. Despite being given away
by an acquaintance, he
Boy’s primary task as mem- himself never gave away
ber of the group was to dis- the names of his comrades.
tract the German soldiers Famously, he told his cell
while others ran into hiding mate: “I will die with a smile
into alleyways. This he was on my face.”
able to do because of his
skin color and confronting On November 6th, 1944,
demeanor. Boy also partic- Ecury was executed. He
ipated in the multiple sabo- was only 22 years old.
taging operations against
the German military oc- Ecury was buried with mili-
cupying The Netherlands. tary honor. In 1949, the Aru-
These included bombings ban Government erected
on German military trucks a monumental bust of him
and trains. The group also in front of what is now the
helped people go into hid- linear park trail, and in 1984
ing, as well as opened fire he received the Resistance
against allies of the Nazi re- Memorial Cross postmor-
gime. In these operations, tem.
Boy really stood out for his
cold bloodedness. Boy’s life motto was this: “In
my father’s house, there is
In 1943, he received a no- no place for a traitor.”
tice to be placed for work
in Germany. This he re- Source: “De Kolibrie op de
fused, of course, and went Rots (en meer over the ge-
into hiding using multiple schiedenis van Aruba)” by
addresses in multiple cities. Evert Bongers.
Because he was a wanted