Which Netherlands Antilles governor whose kidnapping started up the Aruban and Antillean militaries only served for 9 months and was visited by Charles Lindbergh one month before leaving office?

Answer 1

Leonardus Albert Fruytier [1882-1972] served as governor of the Netherlands Antilles from January 30, 1929 to October 30, 1929. On June 28, 1929, he was kidnapped. He briefly was held hostage by Venezuelan rebel leader Rafael Simon Urbina [1897-November 13, 1950], and then released.

As a result of this surprise attack, the Netherlands decided to establish a permanent naval ship [stationsschip] in the Netherlands Antilles and to establish volunteer defense corps on Curaçao [Vrijwilligerskorps Curaçao, VKC] and Aruba [Vrijwilligerskorps Aruba, VKA].

On September 28, 1929, Charles Lindbergh [February 4, 1902-August 26, 1974] and his wife, Anne Morrow Lindbergh [June 22, 1906-February 7, 2001] visited Curaçao. The Lindberghs toured Curaçao's capital, Willemsted. They visited Governor Fruytier at the Governor's Palace in Willemstad.

For pictures of Charles Lindbergh in Curaçao, and for the Time magazine article on Governor's Fruytier's kidnapping, please visit the respective links provided below.