In 1945, when World War 2 ended in Europe, thousands of brave, Young American soldiers were buried in cemeteries across Europe. Buried in foreign soil without any family attending their funeral.
Captain Joseph Shomon, who was in charge of the 611th Graves Registration Company, and his men had the task to bury American soldiers at the American Military Cemetery in Margraten The Netherlands. When they were finished, more than 17,000 Americans were buried there. Captain Shomon asked a local office worker if it was possible to look after the graves of the more than 17,000 American graves there. The Americans were going home again. That’s when the idea for an adoption program came to mind by this man.
Within a couple of months all 17,000 graves were adopted. People were bringing flowers to the cemetery and placing them on the grave of a soldier whose grave they had adopted.
In 1948 more than 8,000 bodies were repatriated to the United States. Now there are 8,301 American soldiers buried in Margraten. The adoption program still stands, and all graves are adopted. There are 1,722 names of men on the Wall of the Missing. All names have been adopted as well. There is even a waiting list for people who want to adopt a grave, or a name on the Wall of Missing.
It is an honor for people to adopt a grave and bring flowers to it on several occasions. During Memorial Day, Christmas and Easter there are lots of flowers decorating the American cemetery. In Europe, we don’t want to forget what these men did for our freedom—they paid the ultimate sacrifice.
The adoption program started in Margraten, The Netherlands. It is now also possible to adopt graves at the American cemetery in Henri-Chapelle, Neuville-en-Condroz (both Belgium) and in Normandy (OMAHA-Beach). Thousands of graves have been adopted at all these cemeteries. All over Europe, people want to express their thanks for those who gave their lives so we can live in peace.
Lots of Americans are unaware of this. We don’t do this to get a thank you from Americans. We want the people to say thank you to the veterans and those who didn’t come home. They are all heroes to us. It is the least we can do for those men.
Last year, a group of enthusiastic Dutch people organized “The faces of Margraten”. They are trying to find a picture of every soldier who is buried in Margraten. Within a year they collected more than 3,000 pictures. It seems easy but it is very, very difficult to find pictures of these soldiers. If anyone can help locate pictures, it would be highly appreciated. You can find more information on their website: www.fieldsofhonor-database.com.
I would like to end this by saying thank you to everyone who fought for our freedom.
Lest we forget!
by Frank Gubbels, Associate, The Netherlands
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Passionate about collecting the history of the 82nd Airborne, I found a jumpsuit model 1942 that belonged to Edward L Mokan, the 504th PIR, at Cheneux in the Ardennes. In 2002 I learned that he was dead.
Belgium, meanwhile, was authorizing the adoption of American soldiers’ graves, so I wrote a letter to the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, to ask if it was possible to adopt the grave of a paratrooper from the 82nd Airborne, 504th PIR.
Two weeks later, I received a letter from the Henri-Chapelle cemetery giving me the name Francis L. Allen. A few days later I went to visit and adorn his grave. Subsequently, I received a certificate of adoption from Belgium.
by Bruno Pollet, Associate, Belgium
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VBOB is honoring those fine citizens in Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands who adopt the graves of our Battle of the Bulge soldiers, by sending them a VBOB certificate of gratitude. Please send the name, mailing address and e-mail of the grave caretaker and the name [and service unit if known] of the Battle of the Bulge soldier.
Send the information to: VBOB, PO Box 27430, Philadelphia, PA 19118.
Contact: tracey@battleofthebulge.org
703-528-4058.