Date of birth:

May 9th, 1958 (Groningen/Groningen, Netherlands)

Date of death:

May 4th, 1979 (Siddiquin, Lebanon)

Buried on:

Dutch Field of Honour Loenen
Plot: A. Grave: 816.

Nationality:

Dutch

Corporal Siebe Boonstra of the PaOstCie (armoured support company) of the UNIFIL force in Lebanon was hit by four bullets from a fellow patrol leader's Uzi submachine gun on 4 May 1979 at approximately 3:30 in the morning in the town of Siddiquin, while returning from a patrol. Siebe Boonstra hit by four bullets from a fellow patrol leader's Uzi machine pistol. The Marechaussee later launched an investigation into the accident. The two-year-older soldier, whose weapon caused the accident, was temporarily housed in the Haris hospital. He was completely devastated by the loss of his comrade.

Boonstra's body was flown from Beirut to Schiphol on a scheduled KLM flight. The cremation took place in Groningen and seven soldiers from the Dutch UNIFIL battalion from South Lebanon had come over for the ceremony, as well as his direct commander, Captain P. Oolders. He read the text of the in memoriam, which had been distributed among the Dutch soldiers in Lebanon the week before. In it was described as a calm and conscientious young man who carried out his tasks as a matter of course.

On behalf of the Minister of Defence, the Inspector General of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Jhr. W.H. de Savornin Lohman, spoke. De Savornin Lohman said, among other things: feelings of despondency also prevail among Siebe's comrades and friends, and in particular among the one from whose weapon the fatal shots fell. Our thoughts also go out to him . He further said: I cannot find any words of comfort and I do not wish to speak heroic words. I only wish to sincerely state that Siebe Boonstra met his death while carrying out his task, a task he had in attempting to bring peace to Lebanon. He met his death when he selflessly did his duty for a just cause . Later, a stone was unveiled in Boonstra's honour at the Loenen cemetery. On behalf of the parents, army chaplain Rev. G. Wassing spoke.

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• Photo 1: Oorlogsgravenstichting
• (source: Leeuwarder Courant, May 7, 1979) (source: Tomorrow cremation of deceased UNIFIL soldier, in De Telegraaf, May 9, 1979) (source: Comrades from Lebanon at the cremation of Corporal S. Boonstra. Nieuwsblad van het Noorden, 10 May 1979) (source: Cremation of UNIFIL militair, gloomy ceremony, in De Telegraaf, May 11, 1979).

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