Dear Editor,
It is with shock and horror I witnessed the conduct of an official of the Guyana Veterans Legion on May 1, 2016 at the Guyana Veterans Legion Hall on Carifesta Avenue in front of 149 attendees. This former officer would not give deference to the 92-year-old Gladwin Winston Rudolph Nestor, a World War II veteran, and a World War II military medal recipient. He would not give him an ear. He sought to tarnish this man’s name, and called him a “fraud” in my presence. This word is in no way synonymous with the name Nestor. His service to the British Guiana Constabulary and Guyana Police Force was distinguished and unbroken.
British Guiana gained its independence in 1966. GWR Nestor retired in 1979 at the rank of Acting Assistant Superintendent, having served 33 1/3 years. Mr GWR Nestor is the same man who seconded the motion cementing the merger of the Guyana Legion and all the ex-Joint Services associations, which the Legion’s official is now disparaging.
When it comes to the distribution of veterans’ grant funds, this official erroneously thinks you have to be from the Guyana Defence Force, Caribbean Forces or a senior overseas service to be a beneficiary. This is incorrect. Gladwin Winston Rudolph Nestor is not a fraud and will not allow anyone to defraud him. He would not apply for anything he knowingly did not qualify for; he fights for what is his.
Funds arrived on the 2nd February, 2016, and GWR Nestor was told that they were awaiting anti-money laundering clearance, which would take a mere 28 days. He was told to come early in April to uplift the cheque. When he arrived, he was told the Finance Officer had refused to sign the cheque. He was patient, and on Sunday May 1, 2016 Mr Nestor sought an audience with the first-mentioned official at the Legion’s meeting, held on the first Sunday of each month to find out why his cheque was not signed. This money is a yearly grant by the Royal Canadian Legion (RCEL) Canada, Dominion Command to named veterans and legal widows and common-law widows of World War II, issued in care of the Guyana Legion, now the Guyana Veterans Legion.
This means neither the Legion nor its principals has the authority to withhold, rescind or alter a grant for these veterans and widows, once it has been approved by Dominion Command. Their role is simply to act as the local agency through which these beneficiaries uplift their money. Those who laughed at my father cannot redefine his or his colleagues’ veteran status; my father’s military service is older than the Guyana Defence Force. They are ignorant of my father’s status as a World War II veteran and the status of those who served in the British Guiana Constabulary.
My father does not have to toot his horn or play tin soldier. He was there in 1942. When he speaks, he speaks about what he can defend.
The British Guiana Constabulary members are World War II veterans, recognized the world over. No amount of vitriol can change that. The fact is, members of the British Guiana Constabulary and their widows, with service between 1939 and 1945, with a minimum of 28 days service are so honoured. They joined their brethren who stood resolutely on the frontline, at home, in defence of the homeland. British Guiana did not have a standing army. To qualify for a World War II military campaign medal, you needed to be a full-time paid member of the specially approved colonial and other military forces, militarised police or militarised civilian bodies that were eligible to qualify for campaign stars. Also eligible to qualify were those with the minimum 28 days of service during the qualifying period as laid down for the force concerned, of which the British Guiana Constabulary met the aforementioned requirement.
The qualifying period for this medal in British Guiana was September 3rd 1939 to July 4th 1945. The said British Guiana Constabulary was the precursor and trainer of the Volunteer Force that is now the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).
In 1945, my father received the King George VI Military Campaign World War II Medal. In 1960, my father received the QEII Medal of Service after 18 years of service. In 1966 he was given the Medal of Independence.
The grants for veterans and widows cannot be tampered with. I urge that all funds owing to the veterans and widows be released forthwith. I urge all those who have relatives who served in the same capacity as my father and were approved for this 2016 grant and earlier, to go to the Finance Office of the Guyana Veterans Legion and demand the release of their funds. If you do not get a favourable response, do not be intimidated; contact the The Royal Canadian Legion, Dominion Command, 86 Aird Place, Ottawa Ontario K2L 0A1 or the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League, UK, 199 Borough High Street, London SEI IAA to report any variation or irregularity such as my father has experienced.
Yours faithfully,
Louis Nestor
