10th Annual Roll Call of Nations

On June 9, the ten-year anniversary of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation (VOC) Memorial statue‘s dedication, we gathered with 17 embassies, 3 delegations, 31 ethnic and human rights organizations, and over 150 guests for our Annual Roll Call of Nations Wreath-Laying Ceremony.

This year’s ceremony centered on the legacy of communism in the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. VOC awarded our Truman-Reagan Medal of Freedom to H.E. Dr. Mart Laar, the first official Prime Minister of Estonia’s Second Republic.

H.E. Dr. Vytautas Landsbergis, first head of state of Lithuania after it declared independence from the Soviet Union, offered keynote remarks.

Guests enjoyed music by Venezuelan violinist and freedom advocate Wuilly Arteaga who laid a wreath on behalf of the people of Venezuela and Cuba.

The day was a powerful reminder of the bond between those who fought for freedom in the 20th century and today’s dissidents pursuing freedom still.