Veterans' Day in 2025

When is Veterans Day?

Veterans Day is a National Holiday in Timor-Leste on March 3rd each year.

This day honours those who took part in the resistance against Indonesian occupation and fought for independence.

History of Veterans Day

From 1976 until 2002, East Timor was occupied by Indonesia, who invaded after the end of Portuguese rule.

The struggle for freedom looms large over the country's national holidays with six holidays commemorating various aspects of the resistance to Indonesian control.

There is one group of people for whom the independence will seem like very recent history and dominates their lives - the veterans of the resistance movement.

The National Veterans Day commemorations are held over several days around March 3rd to honour the contribution made by veterans who have fought for the independence of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste.

Though the dates are different, East Timor is similar to the USA in that it has a Memorial Day (December 7th) to commemorate those who lost their lives and a Veterans Day to honour those who served.

Veterans Day is celebrated in March to commemorate the date of several important events on Timor-Leste's road to freedom, namely the first national conference of the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (FRETILIN), the creation of the National Council of Timorese Resistance and the election of Xanana Gusmão as the Political Commissioner of FRETILIN and Commander of FALINTIL (Timorese army).