Honour, humility and joy were expressed as four distinguished Barbadians on the National Independence Honours list received their awards Tuesday from Governor General Dame Sandra Mason.
During a brief ceremony at Government House this morning, Brigadier General Sir Rudyard Eggleton Carrington Lewis was invested with the Knight of St Andrew for extraordinary achievement and meritorious service to the military. He led the Caribbean forces involved in the US-led invasion of Grenada to restore order following the bloody October 1983 coup.
The Companion of Honour of Barbados was awarded to O’Brien Trotman, a former Labour Party cabinet minister for his service in politics and contribution to the trade union movement.
Veteran ranger Glenroy Hackett was awarded his Barbados Bravery Medal for his efforts in saving the life of a St Lucian UWI student who got into difficulty while swimming at a West Coast beach a few years ago.
Dr Edmund Dacosta Blades received the Barbados Service Star for his service to public health as a microbiologist and in particular his contribution to research into Sahara dust.
Sir Rudyard who said he served in the army for 67 years said he was honoured that Barbadians believe he should be rewarded for his contribution to serving the nation.
Hackett said it was a real joy to receive the award, which shows that people who do good can reap rewards. He said he appreciated that he has been recognized for his outstanding work in saving the life of the young woman and noted that that was not the first time he had done it.
Dr Blades also said that he was truly humbled and honoured to be able to accept such an award and noted that he has given God thanks and praise for the blessing.
He said: “It is one of those things that I never expected but God has been good to me and my family and I really appreciate the award.
“I thank the Government and people of Barbados for giving me the opportunity to serve. I have done lots of stuff in my public career as a lab technologist and since then as a microbiologist. I have done lots of work researching the African dust which comes to Barbados and the Caribbean every year for the last 15 years.”
Dr Blades said he is passionate about researching the Sahara dust, which is more of an irritant than an allergen, because it affects many people annually.
He said that while research shows that the dust itself does not trigger asthma attacks, Barbadians can protect themselves from its symptoms which affect people suffering from sinusitis.
Trotman also indicated that he too did not expect the award, but noted that he was happy his service has been acknowledged. Trotman, who has been involved in trade unionism since the 1960’s also served as Parliamentary Secretary and Minister, finally serving as Director of the Urban Development Commission before retiring.
When asked to comment on the local industrial climate at this time, Trotman said it is not unexpected considering that Barbados is being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has upset the world economy, impacting on the global labour environment, which has been suffering badly.
“But I think that here in Barbados we have not been doing too badly. We have got protection from a very well managed NIS system and that would provide some comfort for those who have been displaced,” Trotman said.
“And as a result of displacement, one would expect agitation. You cannot expect a man who cannot feed his child to be smiling. So that will happen but I am sure that if we stay the course that Barbados will get over these hurdles, we are doing quite well I think.”
Among those attending the investiture ceremony were Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs Cynthia Forde, Minister of Education Santia Bradshaw, and Chief of Staff of the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) Colonel Glyne Grannum. (AH)
