Bram Stemerdink

Abraham "Bram" Stemerdink (born 6 March 1936) is a retired Dutch politician of the Labour Party (PvdA) and army officer. Stemerdink was conscripted in the Royal Netherlands Army serving as a corporal from July 1955 until August 1956 and attended the Royal Military Academy and was commissioned as an officer in August 1956 serving in the cavalry Regiment van Heutsz as a captain from August 1956 until August 1970. Stemerdink was wounded in action after losing an eye from an explosion during a training exercise, after his recovery he studied law at the Leiden University and he subsequently returned to active service a military lawyer and judge for the military justice system of the Royal Netherlands Army. Stemerdink served on the Provincial-Council of North Holland from June 1970 until August 1971 and served on the Municipal Council of 's-Hertogenbosch from 1 September 1970 until 11 May 1973. Stemerdink became a Member of the House of Representatives after the resignation of Joan Willems, taking office on 25 August 1970 serving as a frontbencher chairing the special parliamentary committee for Military Justice Reform and spokesperson for Defence and Veterans' affairs. After the election of 1972 Stemerdink was appointed as State Secretary for Defence in the Cabinet Den Uyl, taking office on 11 May 1973. Stemerdink was appointed as Minister of Defence following the appointment of Henk Vredeling as the next European Commissioner from the Netherlands, taking office on 1 January 1977. The Cabinet Den Uyl fell on 22 March 1977 after four years of tensions in the coalition and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity. After the election of 1977 Stemerdink returned as a Member of the House of Representatives, taking office on 14 June 1977 but he was still serving in the cabinet and because of dualism customs in the...