"As the sun rises over our majestic Quill and showers its shimmering, golden light upon us, it signals the dawn of a glorious day for Statia and the evolution of a nation full of promise. The rising sun also sheds light on the audacity of our forebears who left us a powerful legacy by what they did here 249 years ago.
Therefore, it is altogether fitting and proper that we meet here this morning to commemorate this legacy and to ensure that the world never forgets what they did here. What the sounds of the cannons of Fort Oranje represented in 1776. It was no symbolic gesture. It was an act of defiance, of principle, and of profound consequence. That single irreversible moment forged the first link in a chain that would bind Statia and the United States in history.
Our harbour was the lifeline for a revolution that the world's greatest empire was determined to crush. And we paid for it dearly.
Admiral Rodney led an attack on Statia in 1781 with devastating force. He looted the warehouses, expelled merchants, confiscated goods, and destroyed the economy. It was systematic devastation.
But we did not disappear. We rebuilt. Not in a year, not in a decade, not in a century but slowly, stubbornly. We persisted.
That is strength. That is Statia.
Think about what that legacy of strength truly means. It means our ancestors chose principle over profit, conviction over comfort. They chose right over the easy way out.
That is strength. That is Statia.
Therefore, we must never forget that chapter or any other chapter in our history. We must never forfeit our identity. We must never deny who we are and what was achieved here. We must never see our history as a burden, but as a foundation.
Our forebears did not pass down to us a legacy of capitulation or compromise. They passed down steely determination wrapped in dignity. They taught us that being small does not mean being weak, that having few resources does not mean having no power, that being overlooked by history books does not mean being absent from history itself.
Some history books do not mention Statia or the First Salute. But this can never diminish what happened here. Their silence will never erase the truth. Not if we reclaim our own story. Not if we tell it ourselves, in our own voices, with our own pride, and as victors. Because we are still here. Because every Statian standing here today carries in their DNA the refusal to be erased.
And that story makes possible a future unlike any other island in the Caribbean. We offer the birthplace of American recognition. We offer authenticity. We offer a story so powerful that it can anchor a tourism brand built not on imitation, but on irreplaceable historical truth.
We have the support of the Dutch national government and partners in the United States. We command attention. And we must dare to dream.
And when Statia dreams, we dream together, we excel together, we achieve together, we succeed together.
That collective spirit—that refusal to abandon one another—is itself part of our legacy of strength.
That is Strength. That is Statia.
Now, we have promises to keep. Promises to those who fired that First Salute. Promises to those who rebuilt after Rodney's plunder. Promises to the generations yet to come.
So let us go forward, not in fear, but with determination. Let us ensure that no part of our history is forgotten, diminished, or erased. Let us tell our story until the world is forced to listen. Let us build a legacy of strength into a future of promise.
This is our time. This is our island. This is our story to tell. Happy Statia Day."
