American Battle Monuments Commission
The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) is a small independent agency of the executive branch of the US federal government . The administration is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia . Since 1923, this agency has been responsible for the construction, administration and maintenance of 24 US military cemeteries and 25 monuments in Europe , Central America , North Africa and the Pacific Ocean . Three monuments are administered in the United States itself.
Since then, 131,096 dead soldiers from three wars have their final resting place in the cemeteries supervised by the ABMC. Its monuments contain the names of approximately 94,135 missing or buried men and women since the First World War . By appointment of Congress , the ABMC is responsible for the planning and construction of newer monuments ( World War II Memorial in Washington ), for the future management and maintenance of which the National Park Service is responsible.
history
With the end of the First World War , in view of the thousands of US deaths, the call for an organization that should have the task of burying and honoring the fallen became loud. The US Congress set up the American Battle Monuments Commission by law (36th United States Code 121-138c) on March 4, 1923 . The then US President Warren G. Harding appointed General John Pershing as the first chairman of this agency, which took the following points as its task:
- Remembrance of the war victims of the United States Forces who served since April 6, 1917 (the day the United States entered World War I) by building appropriate memorials in and outside the United States.
- Design, construction and maintenance of permanent military cemeteries abroad.
- Promotion of federal, civil and private organizations involved in the construction and maintenance of monuments and plaques on foreign soil.
Since then, the ABMC employees have been working on maintaining 23 US military cemeteries on foreign soil. As of September 2006, the remains of 124,917 US soldiers were located there, 30,921 of them from the First World War (1917-1918), 93,242 from the Second World War (1941-1945) and 750 from the Mexican-American War (1846 -1848). There is also a cemetery in Panama where victims from the time the Panama Canal was built are buried. Since then, these graves have been closed to the burial of the dead from other conflicts. Only the remains found on the former battlefields of both world wars, which could be identified as US soldiers, can still be buried on them afterwards.
The final resting place of members of the Army , Navy and Air Force who died in World War I and II was regulated by Law 389 of the 66th Congress (1919) and Law 368 of the 80th Congress (1947). According to this, the bereaved of the deceased are entitled to decide where his remains should be buried. To select a stand on the one hand, the place of death nearest and appropriately designed military cemetery abroad and on the other hand, the transfer of the body to the United States and a burial in private or National Cemetery (z. B. Arlington National Cemetery ). In a few cases, the relatives of a soldier who fell in World War I were able, years later, to order the transfer of the remains from a European ABMC military cemetery to the USA. However, this was banned by a 1951 resolution, whereby the resting place requested for the first time is still valid.
First World War
After the war, the American Graves Registration Service of the US Department of War established eight military cemeteries in France and Belgium. The governments of the two countries granted the USA the right to operate these cemeteries permanently and without additional costs (e.g. lease ) on their territory. According to its statutes in memory of the fallen and missing of the armed forces in this war, the ABMC took care of the landscaping of each of the eight cemeteries and built one over denominational chapel . In addition, eleven separate memorials and two memorial plaques were built on the former battlefields on which US soldiers fought. The Allied Expeditionary Forces World War I Memorial also comes from the initiative of the ABMC.
In 1934, by order of the then US President, all US military cemeteries in Europe were finally placed under the care of the ABMC. The ABMC should also be responsible for the construction and maintenance of future war graves located abroad.
Second World War
During the war, the US Army created hundreds of smaller cemeteries for their dead soldiers on battlefields around the world. In 1947 the ABMC and the Secretary of the Army decided on 14 permanent burial sites in Europe and the Philippines . After the burial of all American war victims by the American Graves Registration Service , these military cemeteries were subordinated to the ABMC, which was to take care of their maintenance and management from now on. As with the graves from the previous World War, the respective governments granted permanent freedom of lease. In addition to a non-denominational memorial chapel, the military cemeteries were also supplemented with sculptures and numerous information boards that describe the course of the war at that time and also refer specifically to battles. Since then, numerous monuments have been erected on the former theaters of war and in the United States itself by the ABMC or by private individuals.
organization
The supreme body of the ABMC is made up of eleven US citizens nominated by the President of the United States . The committee members volunteer for an indefinite period of time and meet twice a year with permanent staff at the ABMC headquarters in Arlington , Virginia .
The agency employs 391 civilian workers worldwide, 69 of whom are US citizens , 18 of whom are mostly employed abroad. The European cemeteries and monuments are managed from the offices in Paris and Rome , while properties in Mexico , Panama and the Philippines are directly supervised by the headquarters.
Commission
Chairman
Frederick M. Franks, Jr. , General i. R. of the US Army
- Franks graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1959 and retired from active service in 1994 after 35 years of service. During his military career, he was head of the US Army Training and Doctrine Command and commanded the VII Corps of the Coalition Forces during Operation Desert Storm . His awards include a. Silver Star , Distinguished Flying Cross , Bronze Star , Air Medal and two Purple Heart .
| No. | Surname | Beginning of the appointment | End of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | John J. Pershing | 1923 | 1948 |
| 2. | George C. Marshall | 1949 | 1959 |
| 3. | Jacob L. Devers | 1960 | 1969 |
| 4th | Mark W. Clark | 1969 | 1984 |
| 5. | Andrew J. Goodpaster | 1985 | 1990 |
| 6th | Paul X. Kelley | 1990 | 1994 |
| 7th | Fred F. Woerner | 1994 | 2001 |
| 8th. | Paul X. Kelley | 2001 | 2005 |
| 9. | Frederick M. Franks, Jr. | 2005 |
Commissioners
- She is the founder, president and CEO of the consulting firm LG Strategies . During her 15 years of political experience, she was a. a. Associate Director of the Ridge Leadership Fund , former Republican Governor of Pennsylvania 1995-2001 and Secretary of State for Homeland Security 2001-2005 Tom Ridge , vice president of the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse and public affairs officer under President George HW Bush .
- Chester L. Berryhill, Jr.
- Berryhill is the pastor of the New Philadelphia Baptist Church in Memphis , Tennessee , and the co-founder and chairman of the North Mississippi Herald , the first African-American newspaper in northern Mississippi . He was previously a department head within the US Postal Service and fought as a soldier in the 82nd Airborne Division in the Vietnam War . Berryhill holds degrees from the University of Memphis and Memphis Theological Seminary .
- Donald T. Bollinger
- Bollinger is President and Managing Director of the family business Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. , which has existed in Lockport, Louisiana since 1946 and specializes in ship maintenance work and newbuildings. He worked on the export commission under the George Bush administration . In addition to his work for the ABMC, Bollinger u. a. also on the National Petroleum Council , an oil advisory commission to the US Department of Energy , and on the two advisory committees on military and maritime affairs for the Governor of Louisiana.
- James B. Culbertson
- Culbertson graduated from the Military College of South Carolina in Charleston , South Carolina and served two years as an intelligence officer in the US Army before heading up Financial Computing Inc. for 26 years , which mainly supplied specialized application software and hardware to the automotive trade and various financial institutions . He got involved a. a. on the American Council of Young Political Leaders Board , North Carolina Banking Commission and the Federation of Independent Businessmen National Board .
- James B. Francis, Jr.
- After graduating from Tulane University, Francis served in the US Air Force and was successful in the investment industry . Before becoming President of Francis Enterprises Inc. in 1996 , Francis worked at Bright & Company , where he a. a. Managed oil and gasoline sales and negotiated the purchase of the Dallas Cowboys American football club . He is also a member of the supervisory board of the hotels operating Silverleaf Resorts Inc. and is a member of the Texas Department of Public Safety .
- Jerry L. Laws , Brigadier General i. R.
- Jerry Laws graduated from the University of Oklahoma before joining the US Army with the rank of Second Lieutenant in August 1966 . The trained pilot for fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters served for a long time in various field artillery units and the like. a. with the 101st Airborne Division (58 jumps) and the 2nd Armored Division , in the Vietnam War and during the Desert Storm and Desert Shield operations . In 1998 he retired as commandant of the White Sands Missile Range . His awards include a. Legion of Merit , Bronze Star and Meritorious Service Medal . Prior to his appointment to the ABMC Commission, Laws served on the Veterans Administration's advisory committee for National Cemeteries and Monuments .
- Zell Miller is a graduate of Young Harris College and the University of Georgia and served in the U.S. Marine Corps in the 1950s. Then he worked as a teacher and was mayor of his hometown. As a member of the Democratic Party , he held the post of governor of Georgia from 1991 to 1999 and represented this state in the US Senate from 2000 to 2005 . In the last few years of his career, he split from his party to support Republican President George W. Bush against rival John Kerry during the 2004 presidential election, and since 2003 he has frequently raised issues he sees in his own party.
- Carol A. Mutter , Lieutenant General i. R. of the US Marine Corps
- Mother graduated from the University of Northern Colorado before joining the Marine Corps in 1967. When she retired in 1999, she had an exceptional career. Mother was u. a. Instructor, platoon commander and the first woman to hold the post of space director within the US Space Command and a tactical command (deputy chief of staff of the III Marine Expeditionary Force ). She was also the first woman major general in the Marine Corps and the first woman lieutenant general in the entire US armed forces .
- James M. Reynolds III.
- Reynolds graduated from the University of Georgia in 1974 and co-founded the American Real Estate Investment Company , which has since been successful in real estate, banking and the wood industry. He also served on the Committee on Industry, Commerce, and Tourism and chaired the Georgia State Department of Natural Resources. Reynolds supported Republican candidates George W. Bush and Dick Cheney during the 2000 and 2004 US presidential elections . Georgia Trend magazine named him one of Georgia's 100 Most Influential Citizens of 2005.
- Born in Atlanta , Georgia in 1942 , Cleland graduated from Stetson University in DeLand , Florida in 1964 and received a Masters in American History from Emory University in Atlanta the following year . He joined the US Army , volunteered to Vietnam and took part in the 1968 Battle of Khe Sanh . Because of the wounds he suffered there, both of his lower legs and his right forearm had to be amputated. After leaving the army (awards including Silver Star and Bronze Star ), Cleland was a Democratic politician and was elected to the Georgia Senate in 1970 . Under President Jimmy Carter , he was Chairman of the Veterans Board and from 1997 to 2003 US Senator for his home state of Georgia.
- In May 2009, Cleland was appointed the new managing director of the ABMC by US President Barack Obama .
administration
- headquarters
- Max Cleland ; executive Director
- William J. Leszczynski, Jr. , Brigadier General i. R. of the US Army; Responsible director
- R. Alan Gregory , Colonel I. R. of the US Army; Accounting and finance
- Theodore Gloukhoff ; HR management
- Thomas R. Sole ; Construction and maintenance
- Michael G. Conley ; public affairs
- Regional office Europe in Paris
- Steven R. Hawkins , Brigadier General i. R. of the US Army; director
- Walter L. Frankland ; Deputy Director
- Mediterranean Regional Office in Rome
- Ronald A. Grosso ; director
useful information
- Every headstone in ABMC cemeteries is made of pure white marble . The tombstones for victims of the First World War were built exclusively in the shape of a cross , while for those who died in the Second World War, differences were made with regard to the Holocaust . Members of the Jewish faith were given a stone in the shape of a Star of David on a shaft . The stone engraving includes name, rank , branch of service (Army, Air Force, Navy), birthday and, if it was known, the date of death of the fallen soldiers. Unidentifiable corpses only bear the words "HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY AN AMERICAN SOLDIER KNOWN BUT TO GOD". For those who died in World War II, the words “AMERICAN SOLDIER” were replaced by “COMRADE IN ARMS”.
- Only pure white Lasa marble was used for the grave crosses and gravestones with stars of David of the American soldiers who died in World War II .
- The area to be looked after by the ABMC staff comprises 647 hectares , of which about 370 hectares are meadows and flower beds, approx. 279,000 m² of hedges and bushes, 108 km of streets and sidewalks and almost 11,000 ornamental trees .
- There is no American military cemetery on German soil. To this day, no American soldier has been buried in Germany, unless expressly requested. The dead are all transferred to the United States. Search parties endeavor to locate the unburied soldiers in the theaters of war at that time and on the basis of contemporary statements and documents, to exhume them and to transfer them to the USA. Even today, an average of seven fallen soldiers are rescued from the soil of the former battlefield every year. The remains of John Farrell Jr. were last revealed on September 26, 2008. and Edward T. Jones found in Schmidt. They belonged to the 28th US Infantry Division . Her remains are transferred to the American investigative service in Hawaii, which notifies the descendants.
Lists
ABMC cemeteries
- 1 soldiers buried in the respective cemetery
- 2 names of soldiers missing in the war on memorial plaques
Monuments of the ABMC
See also
- United States National Cemetery
- German War Graves Commission
- Austrian Black Cross
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission
literature
- Thomas H. Conner: War Remembrance. The Story of the American Battle Monuments Commission , Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky 2018, ISBN 978-0-8131-7631-4 .
Individual evidence
- ^ A b c American Battle Monuments Commission: Fiscal Year 2008 Annual Report . Washington 2008, p. 31 ( PDF, 1.5 MB [accessed on August 24, 2009]). PDF, 1.5 MB ( Memento from May 27, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
- ^ Commission Structure. In: American Battle Monuments Commission. Archived from the original on June 30, 2007 ; Retrieved July 12, 2007 .
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Commissioners. In: American Battle Monuments Commission. Archived from the original on October 15, 2011 ; Retrieved July 12, 2007 .
- ↑ Chairmen. In: American Battle Monuments Commission. Archived from the original on June 30, 2007 ; Retrieved July 12, 2007 .
- ^ Four Terry College of Business alumni to be honored at 2007 awards banquet in Atlanta. In: Terry College of Business. Retrieved August 10, 2012 .
- ↑ Press release of May 24, 2009. In: The White House. Archived from the original on August 24, 2009 ; Retrieved August 24, 2009 .
- ^ Staff Organization. In: American Battle Monuments Commission. Archived from the original on August 12, 2009 ; Retrieved August 24, 2009 .
- ^ Crosses for US military cemeteries (Second World War) . Lasa Marmo. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
- ^ American Battle Monuments Commission: Fiscal Year 2005 Annual Report . Washington, DC 2005, p. 9 ( PDF, 4 MB [accessed on July 12, 2007]). PDF, 4 MB ( Memento from June 30, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
- ^ A b c American Battle Monuments Commission: Fiscal Year 2008 Annual Report . Washington 2008, p. 30 ( PDF, 1.5 MB [accessed on August 24, 2009]). PDF, 1.5 MB ( Memento from May 27, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
Web links
- Official homepage of the ABMC (English)
- Map of all cemeteries (English)