Flensburg celebrates the first veteran day: honor for soldiers and veterans!

Flensburg celebrates the first veteran day: honor for soldiers and veterans!

Flensburg, Deutschland - June 15 is not only a date in the calendar, but was officially appointed National Veteran Day in 2023 to honor the Bundeswehr's active and former soldiers. This year, Flensburg, as the former large location of the Bundeswehr, celebrated this day with a special internal event for members of the office. So reports Förde News in the past. Military worked and were in over 50 countries.

The celebrations around the veteran day did not only extend to Flensburg. Over 130 events took place nationwide, including a central event in Berlin. This included a ceremony with a photo exhibition, panel discussions, concerts and a veteran village. In Flensburg the day was characterized by a ceremony in which a memorial stone was unveiled to honor soldiers injured in the active service. There was also a field service and a memory stand, followed by a sociable grill festival.

political support and critical voices

The importance of the veteran day was also emphasized at the political level. Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that June 15 is devoted to those who are willing to risk their lives for Germany. On the X platform, he emphasized that the requirements for soldiers are increasingly increasing in view of the current threat situation. This statement finds echo in the commitment of the Bundestag president Julia Klöckner, who sees the veteran day as a promise for improving care and care for veterans. She emphasizes that the service as a soldier goes beyond taking the uniform, is often associated with psychological and physical aftermath.

Not all voices are positive. Critics, such as the left, criticize that on such a day, attention will be drawn too much to the Bundeswehr members, while the support of local forces remains neglected. This is also supported by the German Peace Society (DFG-VK), which even demands the abolition of the veteran day and would like to be given more recognition. Henning Otte, the new military officer of the Bundestag, invites critics to seek direct contact with soldiers in order to better understand their perspective, reports DW .

The view of the next veteran day

The next national veteran day is already planned for 2026 and, thanks to the experience from the first celebrations, is certainly again celebrated throughout Germany. In Flensburg you will also have to make sure to continue the tradition and to show the due respect for the many active and former soldiers. The veteran day also offers an important platform for the exchange about the challenges that veterans and active soldiers face.

The Bundeswehr remains a central topic in the political discussion and in public in these eventful times, which is not least visible on the veteran day. Information On upcoming events and activities around the veteran day can be called up online.