The Canadian Armed Forces complete inaugural 2021 Victory March

May 11, 2021 - Defence Stories

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The Victory March, an official CAF-led event, is a symbol of our long-lasting relationship with the Netherlands

From May 1^st to 9, over 2,700 people, including Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Joint Task Force Nijmegen members, Defence Team members, Veterans, international marchers and family and friends of the CAF community, completed the Military Personnel Command’s inaugural Victory March. The Victory March was created as a virtual way to ensure the continued spirit of CAF participation in the annual International Four Days Marches Nijmegen (4DAAGSE), which was cancelled for the second consecutive year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The Victory March, an official CAF-led event, is a symbol of our long-lasting relationship with the Netherlands, dating back to the Second World War, when many Canadians gallantly fought and died in the cities and towns surrounding the immediate area of Nijmegen.

During the Victory March, members of the CAF Joint Task Force Nijmegen completed 20 km on May 4^th, coinciding with the Remembrance of the Dead (held in the Netherlands each year on May 4^th to commemorate all who have died in service to the country), and another 20 km on May 5^th, coinciding with the Liberation of the Netherlands, and Dutch Heritage Day (as declared by the Parliament of Canada in 2019). These two dates are of particular importance for the connection between Canadian and Dutch people.

The Victory March proudly raised over $85,000 for Boomer’s Legacy (You are now leaving the Government of Canada website), a charity named after Corporal Andrew “Boomer” Eykelenboom, a dedicated CAF soldier and medic killed by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan. Andrew was committed to saving lives and helping the Afghan people realize freedom.

Today, Boomer’s Legacy funds humanitarian initiatives, such as helping local hospitals, providing opportunities for women, and improving health care and education conditions at home and abroad where our forces deploy.

It is intended that the Victory March will continue to be held in Canada on an annual basis, to provide virtual support to the CAF Joint Task Force Nijmegen team at the 4DAAGSE, in Nijmegen, once COVID-19 public health measures allow.