Black Immigrant Daily News
For the first time in three years, Kensington Oval came to life with the full return of the annual Ceremonial Independence Day Parade, this morning.
With just over 950 armed and unarmed troops on the parade square, the stands at the cricket mecca were packed with Barbadians proudly wearing their national colours in celebration of the island’s 56th anniversary of Independence and its first anniversary of being a Parliamentary Republic.
Children, adults, members of Cabinet, the diplomatic corps, visitors to the island, including those from the visiting French naval vessel, the Frigate “Ventose” were present to witness the return of the full parade since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under the command of Commander Mark Peterson, the troops paid a salute to President of Barbados, The Most Honourable, Dame Sandra Mason, in slow and quick time.
The troops did not disappoint the spectators with their customary precision in drill as they marched across the parade square in slow and quick time to the tunes of the combined bands of The Barbados Police Service (TBPS) and the Barbados Defence Force (BDF).
Loud cheers could be heard from the stands as the troops marched past representing their organisations. These included the Barbados Prison Service, the Government Security Guards, the Youth Advance Corps, Barbados Cadet Corps, the Barbados Legion, the Barbados Red Cross, the Barbados Girl Guides’ Association, the St. John Ambulance Brigade and the Barbados Sea Cadets.
It was also a special day for the Head Boys and Head Girls of public and private primary and secondary schools across the island as they received their Leadership badges from Dame Sandra, Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley, Chief Justice Sir Patterson Cheltenham, Members of Cabinet, the House of Parliament and Permanent Secretaries.
For Kerrisha Skeete, a student of the Frederick Smith Secondary School, Independence Day will always be a memorable one as she proudly received a Barbados Bravery Medal for her unselfish act of bravery towards a senior citizen while preventing loss of life from a seizure which occurred on public transportation, just days before Independence.
Bravery Medals also went to Shaquan Price and Mitchell Roach, for placing their lives at risk to prevent extreme loss of property and loss of life from a house fire in Eastmond Land, Brittons Hill, St. Michael.
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Journalist Trevor Thorpe was also recognised for his service as a media practitioner and his contributions to the development of motorsports in Barbados as he too received a Barbados Service Medal. He was one of seven persons to receive that award.
Other awards conferred during today’s ceremony were the Freedom of Barbados; Order of the Republic; Honorary Order of the Republic; Gold Award of Achievement; Gold Trident of Excellence; and Silver Trident of Excellence.
The morning’s activities also consisted of a cultural performance by the Massed Band and the Pinelands Creative Workshop, before ending with the traditional 21-gun salute to the nation and the playing of the National Anthem.
The troops then marched down Fontabelle, through Cheapside into Bridgetown where Prime Minister Mottley and Members of Cabinet received the final salute for the day at National Heroes Square, The City.
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