Dear Editor,
On Thursday, August 6, 2009, I attended the small ceremony held beside the Seven Ponds in commemoration of the 24th Anniversary of the passing of President Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham. As I looked at many of the well-known faces, so many of them looked much older now. As I gazed on the tomb of the ‘Old man’ I could not help reflecting on the life and contribution of this mortal but extraordinary man.
President Burnham’s courage and intellect were only but two of the gifts which distinguished him as an all-time great. Today many Guyanese fly to and from Cuba for all kinds of medical treatment and the current government takes credit. What is not mentioned is that at the time when Cuba was ostracized and isolated by the US and blindly supported by several Caribbean and South American countries, it was Forbes Burnham who dared to be different.
Burnham made the case for brotherly relations with Cuba and took bold steps to help the Cubans in their struggle. In the late 1970s and 1980s as the war for the liberation of Southern Africa heated up Burnham again stood out.
As the battle raged in Angola and Namibia, the Cubans estimated that they needed to transport 40,000-45,000 troops plus tanks and artillery into the theatre of operation. Castro needed a place to refuel before taking to those long flights over the Atlantic.
It was Burnham’s decision that the Cubans install and use the facilities in Guyana. After many years Southern Africa was liberated and we Guyanese could be proud not only of our own Eman-cipation Day, but also for the freedom enjoyed by the continental Africans. I have personally visited several countries in Africa. South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, in southern Africa. They all regard Guyana as one of the frontline states which contributed toward the freedom and liberty now enjoyed by millions.
China is now a world power. Forty years ago it was subjected to the same kind of treatment as Cuba, and long before the famous trip by Nixon, Burnham led the charge to support this beleaguered nation.
As a gesture of their appreciation they offered to help us in many ways, including military training. Several of my colleagues led by Brigadier General Collins, Joe Harmon and Andy Worrell benefited from this exchange.
Today almost every item one picks up in the USA is marked “Made in China.” China, a country once held up to scorn and ridicule has become a success story. China now has more than one trillion dollars in its foreign reserve. I asked myself what the ‘Old man’ would say or how would he feel had he been alive today. His own push to feed, house and clothe Guyana was met with many obstacles, and many of his dreams for our beloved country have not been realized. Apart from endless criticism his detractors are mired in ineptitude and hugger-mugger.
As I left the Mausoleum I came to attention and paid compliments (saluted) as usual. Both in my head and in my heart I truly reflected on this man’s contributions; they were enormous – enormously unusual.
Yours faithfully,
Aubrey Retemyer
