There was a no­tice­able de­crease in the at­ten­dance at yes­ter­day’s mil­i­tary pa­rade for the 2024 Na­tion­al Day of Re­mem­brance in Port-of Spain.

The wreath-lay­ing oc­ca­sion ob­served an­nu­al­ly ho­n­ours mem­bers of the armed forces who served and per­ished in World War I (1914-1918) and World War II (1939-1945).

While there was a com­plete se­cu­ri­ty blan­ket in and around Memo­r­i­al Square, Fred­er­ick Street, by all arms of the pro­tec­tive ser­vices, the sur­round­ing streets, which are usu­al­ly lined with spec­ta­tors jostling for a po­si­tion at the front an­nu­al­ly, re­mained free and clear for the most part.

The ma­jor­i­ty of those that turned out milled around ex­cit­ed­ly as they watched care­ful­ly for their rel­a­tives who would have been part of the pa­rade.

The solemn cer­e­mo­ny saw Pres­i­dent Chris­tine Kan­ga­loo, Prime Min­is­ter Dr Kei­th Row­ley, Na­tion­al Se­cu­ri­ty Min­is­ter Fitzger­ald Hinds, and Chief of De­fence Staff, Air Vice Mar­shall Dar­ryl Daniel lay­ing wreaths to ho­n­our the fall­en sol­diers.

A large con­tin­gent of rep­re­sen­ta­tives from the diplo­mat­ic and con­sular corp al­so paid their re­spects by plac­ing wreaths on the steps sur­round­ing the base of the Ceno­taph.

—An­na-Lisa Paul