๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฅ
On my way to work, on the corner of the Drรจve de Lorraine and the Drรจve du Haras, there stands a memorial stone. Today, fittingly, between All Souls Day and the 11th of November, some potted chrysanthemums have been placed to remember a brave man who died doing his duty. As may be the case, many of you will know little about this man so I have prepared an obituary.
๐๐๐ซ๐ฬ๐๐ก๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ซ
(๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐๐)
Marรฉchal des logis Marc De Ridder, a devoted member of the Belgian Gendarmerie, lost his life in the line of duty during the violent winter storms that struck Belgium in early 1990. He was twenty-nine years old.
In the space of three fierce tempests on 25 January, 26 and 28 February, the country suffered widespread destruction and loss. Among the victims was Marc De Ridder, who died while coming to the aid of a motorist in difficulty in the Forรชt de Soignes. His final act was one of service, commitment, and courage.
To honour his memory and his sacrifice, a stone stele now stands near the junction of the Drรจve de Lorraine and the Drรจve du Haras in the Uccle section of the forest. Erected through public subscription at the initiative of the Cercle dโhistoire, dโarchรฉologie et de folklore dโUccle, the memorial bears an inscription in French and Dutch noting his selfless death during a rescue mission amid the storms that devastated the forest.
Marc De Ridder is remembered not only for the tragic circumstances of his loss, but for the values his final act represents. His life stands as testimony to quiet bravery, public duty, and the human instinct to help others even in the most dangerous moments.
The memorial in the woodland clears the way for remembrance. It marks a place where loss met courage, and where one young life, dedicated to protecting others, came to its end.
Sources: Le Soir 22/06/1992 odmp.info