A viaduct between Eindhoven and Son en Breugel, near Ekkersrijt, has been given a new name. It is a tribute to the Eindhoven soldier Paul van Nijnatten, who died during a peace mission in the former Yugoslavia.
On Wednesday the viaduct was named after him. This happened with an official ceremony at the Eindhoven city hall, in the presence of relatives and veterans. Representatives from The Hague were also present. The bridge is now called ‘Soldier of the 1st class Paul van Nijnatten’.
Pride
“I am proud that from now on there is a place in our city that connects Paul to Eindhoven and keeps his memory alive for us forever,” said Mayor Jeroen Dijsselbloem during the ceremony. The naming is part of a national initiative, at the request of the 75 Years of Freedom Coordination Foundation. Scattered across the country, more bridges and viaducts are being named after fallen soldiers. These are people who died during their efforts in peace missions, from the UN mission in Korea in the 1950s.
Mission
Paul van Nijnatten was born in 1966 in Eindhoven. He signed up for a posting to Bosnia in the 1990s. There he was active during the UN peace mission UNPROFOR. He was killed when a gun fell on the floor in a waiting room and a shot went off.
Source: Studio040
For Eindhoven News: Lila Mehrez
