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Monday 4 april 2022 locAl
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Remembering Aruba’s history and involvement in World War II

Written by Evert Bongers

This February it was 80 years ago that Aruba became politics to building a war
involved in World War II through a submarine attack by industry that produced
Nazi Germany in 1942. They targeted the two oil refin- submarines, everything
eries on the island, the Lago and the Eagle, the former led to that second ma-
of which was a substantial provider of fuel for the allied. jor war in less than half a
century.
For the Netherlands, the Second World War started on bunker as headquarters. that could rotate 360
May 10, 1940, for other countries in central and Eastern For the Netherlands Antil- These four locations can degrees was installed
Europe as early as 1939. The 1930s were largely domi- les, there were concerns still be found, although on Seroe Colorado and
nated by the build-up to the outbreak of this war that for the safety of the is- after 80 years heavily its foundation is still there
would set the world on fire. From Hitler's rise in German lands where refineries damaged by the ravag- today. Together with
(the Lago and the Arend es of time. Gunmen and the four locations of the
(Eagle) here and the Isla naval personnel made coastal artillery battery
on our sister island) pro- up the crew. on Juwana Morto, this
duced jet fuel, essential foundation has been
for the Allied forces. Our Along the southwest preserved as military
territory was relatively coast of Aruba, from the heritage from Aruba's
safe within the territory lighthouse on Hudishiba- history. This also includes
of the United States and na (better known as the two bunkers, one of
far from the European California Lighthouse) to which is located be-
hotbed of war. The col- the lighthouse of Seroe tween the roundabout
ony of Curaçao, as the 6 Colorado (which was in front of the airport and
islands were then called, demolished), a large the building of the Ar-
also had some form of number of military posts chivo Nacional. It served
defense itself, however were set up, where they as a storage bunker for
small. kept watch with ma- ammunition at the 'Da-
chine guns and search- kota Field' and is now
Governor Wouters, a for- lights. That was in im- a monument to the Mi-
mer soldier in the army, portant places, such as litia Company and the
made an effort to im- around the Lago refinery Aruba Volunteer Corps.
prove the defense of with its harbor, the Ar- Then there is a small
the islands. He urged the end refinery with its large hexagonal bunker, of
motherland to supply pier, the airport, the Da- the 'pillbox' type, which
more weapons, ammu- kota Field, with Ameri- can still be found on the
nition, vehicles, vessels can warplanes, the Sa- beach of the Tamarijn
and military personnel vaneta camp with the Resort, over which the
to deal with them in the military headquarters, 'Bunkerbar' had been
event of a hostile attack. the water distillation fa- built and has been
His pleas were only spar- cility at Spanish Lagoon open for many years.
ingly answered. The Co- and of course Oranjes- Behind that beach was
lonial and Defense Minis- tad and San Nicolas. the Arend Petroleum
ters did decide to place Maatschappij, the Eagle
heavy coastal batteries On the north coast there refinery and in front of it
on both islands, in the vi- was also a guard post, the harbor entrance.
cinity of the essential re- at the North Cape, at
fineries. In Aruba, behind Fontijn. A large cannon To be continued..q
the Lago, near Juwana
Morto, a coastal artillery
battery was built: three
gun emplacements with
large cannons, with a