Today, Sweden commemorates Veterans Day with a flag ceremony led by Speaker of the Parliament, Andreas Norlén, outside the Riksdag. In the presence of Members of Parliament and guests, Supreme Commander Micael Bydén spoke about the pride in Sweden’s tradition of working for peace worldwide. Veterans Day is being honored throughout the day on Gärdet in Stockholm and across Sweden.
The day began with the flag ceremony outside the Riksdag, conducted by Speaker Andreas Norlén. In his speech, Supreme Commander Micael Bydén expressed gratitude to all Swedish men and women who have chosen to step forward and say, “I’m ready to serve.” The ceremony was attended by the Speaker, Members of Parliament, and invited guests on Riksplan.
Currently, there are approximately 54,000 foreign veterans in Sweden. Spread across the country and around the world, they continue to contribute their experiences wherever they are in life. Since 2012, Veterans Day has held a status as a state ceremony, and since 2018, it has been an official flag day.
“The Swedish Armed Forces are one of several agencies that deploy personnel to peacekeeping missions. It is for all of them that we raise the flag today, and especially remember those who paid the ultimate price and are no longer with us,” says Mats Fogelmark, Director of the Swedish Armed Forces Veterans Centre.
The state ceremony will commence at 14:30 at the Maritime Museum on Gärdet in Stockholm, with the presence and speeches of representatives from the government. The ceremony will also be broadcast live on the Swedish Armed Forces’ YouTube channel.
For those interested, Studio Utlandstjänst provides an exclusive insight into the Swedish Armed Forces’ and other agencies’ work for peace worldwide on their website and YouTube channel.
From morning until the ceremony, a full schedule of activities awaits, including demonstrations by the Customs Service’s sniffer dogs. The Director-General of the Swedish Armed Forces invites attendees to the annual veteran policy seminar, focusing this year on research concerning foreign veterans. Attendees will also learn more about the Lebanon mission UNIFIL from Navy Chief and Lebanon veteran Ewa Skoog Haslum and military historian Per Iko. UNIFIL will be particularly commemorated this year.