The Tribune

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe honoured distinguished Defence Force and HMBS Flamingo survivor Captain Witfield Neely at an awards ceremony Sunday.

Minister Munroe with RBDF Commodore Raymond King and other guests attended the Yellow Elder Community Associations post Father’s Day luncheon that paid special tribute to Captain Neely.

At a ceremony held outside the Yellow Elder Senior Centre several speakers, including the Captain’s daughter, Ciji Neely, highlighted the illustrious 42-year Defence Force career of Captain Neely.

During Commodore King’s remarks, he called Captain Neely his mentor and commended him for his steadfast rescue efforts during the sinking of HMBS Flamingo on May 10, 1980.

“Captain Neely was one who maneuvered the safe boat or the sea boat and actually saved basically all of his crew members on that fateful day,” Commodore King said.

“And so Neely has been a pioneer in the Royal Bahamas Defence Force. It’s because of his and others like himself who were a part of the organisation from its initial formation and upon whose backs that I enjoy today and I continue to build our legacy and our contributions to this country in terms of defense and security services.

“But Captain Neely and those would have made it easy for me today. Their labour, their hard work and their guidance and for that I’m truly grateful.”

The Defence Force Commodore in addition to mentioning how Neely, at his request, selflessly came out of retirement to re-establish law and order in Abaco and Grand Bahama after Hurricane Dorian, also extolled his friend’s tireless service to the nation.

“And so it’s indeed an honour impromptu to congratulate him, I’ve had a good run with him. He’s still supportive and he reminded me today that whenever I need him I can simply call on him and he will be there to assist me as needed. So, I’d like for you to join me in applauding Captain Neely on this occasion, my mentor, and I’m pleased to have been one of his protégés.”

Speaking at the event and in addition to congratulating Captain Neely for his years of long service, Minister Munroe also expressed his desire for there to be more public recognition for servicemen who died during the sinking of HMBS Flamingo.

The Minister of National Security said that without a proper memorial to this watershed moment in our history the memory of that tragedy could be lost to time.

“If you don’t set up something for people to see and ask you about them we stand the chance of losing it and that would be very, very wrong and very regrettable. And so we now know that the Bahamas government intends to honour the entire crew which is appropriate because you sail as a crew, you fight as a crew, you live as a crew and you mourn death as a crew. Canon Sebastian Campbell has challenged that we set another memorial that we set May as HMBS Flamingo month,” Mr Munroe said.

“I’ll do my part to make it (a new memorial) so and I’m smart enough to know when you talk about things people get to talk about it and then things may happen. So, have my congratulations Captain Neely on this fitting honour. Your tribe is celebrating you and just as there were 12 tribes, this is your tribe celebrating you.”

After hearing these tributes, Captain Neely said that he was thankful to all the people who made this event happen and was deeply honoured by the accolades for his years of dedicated service.

He said: “All of my friends are here and this has been truly a wonderful experience for me. You know they always said something about give them their flowers while they’re alive and that would be the best thing you could do for someone. This would be an occasion that I will remember for the rest of my life.

“Sir Winston Churchill would have said: ‘This will go down in infamy, this will live forever.’ This has truly been a surprise for me. On behalf of my wife, Raenelle, and I thank you very much for coming out here.”