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local Thursday 20 June 2024
Meet Aruba’s biggest hero

Boy Ecury

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

Aruba to me

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