Morotai`s soil was aimed at marking the historical relations.Jakarta (ANTARA News) - North Maluku Governor Thaib Armiyn and the people`s welfare ministry`s secretary, Prof Indroyono Soesilo, presented a small bag of Morotai`s soil to Major General Emmet R Titshaw Jr at the Florida National Guard (FNG), in Florida, the United States, Tuesday.
The presentation of Morotai`s soil was aimed at marking the historical relations between Morotai, a small island in North Maluku Province, and Florida, Governor Thaib Armiyn said as quoted in a press statement issued by the Indonesian consulate general in Houston, Texas, Thursday.
Dating back to World War II era, the FNG had sent its 124th regiment joining the 31st Dixie Division (DD) to Morotai on September 14, 1944.
The FNG has so far collected soil from various battle fields where the FNG units had been assigned such as Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam. The Morotai soil is expected to add the collection and to be spread around the FNG headquarters in St Agustine.
The Indonesian delegation went to Florida to promote the Sail Morotai 2012 to be organized on September 15, 2012.
Because Morotai Island is a historical World War II battle field, a number of veterans from the US, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands and Japan, are invited to join the Sail Morotai 2012.
Around 120 ships from several countries are expected to join the Sail Morotai.
Indonesia hosted the Sail Bunaken 2009, Sail Banda 2010, and Sail Wakatobi-Belitong 2011.
(Uu.F001/KR-BSR/S012)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
