Lest We Forget

Lest We Forget is a 14-page chapter dedicated to the 24 American military cemeteries abroad and the war dead who rest within them. Twenty of these cemeteries are in Europe, one is in North Africa, one is in the Philippines, and two are in Central America. Only the introduction of Lest We Forget is pasted below; if you'd like to read more, click here to be directed to our Store where you can download the whole document (PDF file, 1.7mb) for one penny.

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It is appropriate, a responsibility, and an honor to include a section on the hallowed ground that is forever America on foreign soil. We at Harriman Travel Books are not, in any way, discounting those fellow allied-Commonwealth members who have also paid the ultimate price for freedom, nearly 1.7 million brave in the two world wars. No matter what your nationality, it is your duty to pay homage—at least once—to those who died to help preserve your liberty.
The fallen servicemen and women listed in this chapter came from all walks of life, from every state in the union. They died serving their country. For this they never got to cuddle a loved one again or see their child grow up; things we take for granted every day. Each death—represented by a white-marble cross or a Star of David that as a whole sweep through the cemeteries—is a vivid reminder that freedom is not free. A monumental debt is owed here; though difficult to repay, we can honor their eternal sacrifice. There is perhaps a military cemetery near you, or in a neighboring state/province, or maybe you wish to visit overseas where they fought and died. For Americans, overseas means ABMC.

ABMC: (American Battle Monuments Commission) Most all of you are familiar with the work performed by this federal agency, but perhaps not in detail. Moviegoers will remember the opening and ending scenes of “Saving Private Ryan,” which were filmed at the ABMC cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France, where 9387 heroes rest peacefully. More recently (April/May 2004) the ABMC unveiled its *$180-million WWII Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. (*Funded almost entirely from private donations.)
The ABMC is an independent agency of the Executive Branch of the United States federal government responsible for commemorating the courage and sacrifice of the American Armed Forces through the erection of memorials and for designing, constructing and maintaining permanent American military cemeteries overseas where the Armed Forces have served since their entry into WWI (April 6, 1917).
In 1923, legislation created the ABMC and the incumbent U.S president, Warren G. Harding, appointed General John J. Pershing to chair the committee—a position in which he served until his death in 1948. Succeeding him was another distinguished general, George C. Marshall. Today, the ABMC administers and maintains on foreign soil 24 permanent American military burial parks, as well as 23 monuments, memorials or markers. Currently there are 30,921 war dead interred in these cemeteries from WWI (26% of recovered fallen); 93,242 from WWII (23% of recovered fallen); and 750 from the Mexican War, totaling 124,913 U.S. servicemen and women buried abroad. In addition, there are 60,314 names of comrades still listed as missing to be honored within the 22 WWI and WWII cemeteries.

Burial: By war’s end (WWI & WWII), the bodies of deceased Americans were interred in hundreds of temporary cemeteries, forged on or near the battlefield, with wooden crosses staking individual plots. Laws entitle the next of kin to either select permanent burial of a loved one’s remains in an ABMC cemetery on foreign soil or to repatriate the body to the United States for interment in a national or ABMC, Brittany private cemetery. Occasionally, when the choice was made by the next of kin to entrust their loved one with the ABMC, relatives would veto this request by demanding that the body be flown home. (Inset: Brittany Cemetery.) Those family members making such demands are told the decision is final. However, after seeing the immense splendor and immaculate care of the commission’s cemetery memorials, these same relatives often later admit that they are pleased their loved one was left to be permanently interred in such a divine place—eternally resting with fellow comrades. At Luxembourg Cemetery, for example, you can visit “old blood and guts” (General George S. Patton) positioned at the head of his troops. We can’t imagine him wanting to be anywhere else.

Cemeteries: Unique are the ABMC cemeteries themselves; each is a masterpiece of landscape design, individually planned by distinguished American architects (or architectural firms) to forever enshrine the uncommon valor and selfless sacrifice demonstrated by U.S. servicemen. All burials were explicitly arranged so that there would be no distinction or segregation according to rank, religion, origin, race or state. Understandably, a few exceptions to the aforesaid rule had to be made, such as the special allocation for brothers to rest side by side, or the instance in which the lush sod around General Patton’s grave (at Luxembourg Cemetery) became trampled yuck-brown on account of numerous visitors to his plot. In this case, the legendary general was separated and moved to the head of his troops. However, there is one corresponding aspect to each cemetery: the chapel—although designed differently, they are all nondenominational. ABMC, Luxembourg
The white-marble headstones that fill the cemeteries were quarried in Italy and subsequently erected with great care. To maintain precise symmetry across perfectly mowed lawns, each 125-pound headstone (Star of David for those of Jewish faith, a Latin cross for all others) is cemented in place by way of a vast network of subsoil beams made from reinforced concrete. (Inset: Luxembourg Cemetery.)
To simply say that ABMC cemeteries are “beautiful” is an understatement. They are divine, glorious, magnificent, immacu-late, serene, moving, poignant, breathtaking—commemorative shrines marking hallowed ground, home to the selfless sons of a proud nation. Unsurprisingly, to visit an ABMC cemetery is a must-do. One is likely to be near a destination already on your travel itinerary. If not, make a detour. In many cases ABMC memorial parks are located adjacent to, or overlook, the battlefield where brave soldiers fell.

Note: The land constituting ABMC cemeteries has been—gratefully and ceremoniously—donated by the home country in perpetuity to the United States and is by lawful decree American soil.

     It is obvious by the staggering numbers of war dead that freedom should not be taken for granted, and we owe our deepest gratitude to the hundreds of thousands of altruistic individuals who, for the sake of liberty, stared death in the face and sacrificed their most precious gift.
     It was the every-day farmer, store clerk, tailor, factory worker, blacksmith, to name a few, who—as ordinary men—were certainly scared as hell as they marched into battle. The eyes of the world were upon these 20th-century crusaders and they achieved extraordinary deeds, fighting with uncommon valor for the God-given right to free will. Those who survived came home and built the American Dream. A great nation was forged and we the people are their privileged heirs.
     Ask any veteran about the heroes they fought with and they’ll tell you about their comrades who stayed behind; the ones who didn’t survive the day to tell their tale. Tears well in the eyes; faces contort; stories abound as happy thoughts resurrect these posthumous heroes. Veterans take solace in the fact that their buddies will always remain ageless, radiating youth with a bright smile as they march off into an eternal sunset.
     We at Harriman Travel Books can wholeheartedly say that when you visit an ABMC cemetery and stand amid the broad green lawn alive with sweeping rows of white-marble headstones, you will undeniably be among the greatest of company. They died, so that we may live!

Inscribed on an unassuming war memorial in the medieval town of Dinkelsbühl, Germany, are the following words, Der Toten Vermächtnis: Achtung des Lebens! “Legacy of the Dead: Respect Your Life!”

The 24 ABMC cemeteries are listed below in alphabetical order. To read about them in detail, click here to be directed to our Store where you can download “Lest We Forget” for one penny.

Aisne-Marne (France), Ardennes (Belgium), Brittany (France), Brookwood (England), Cambridge (England), Corozal (Republic of Panama), Epinal (France), Flanders Field (France), Florence (Italy), Henri-Chapelle (Belgium), Lorraine (France), Luxembourg (Luxembourg), Manila (Philippines), Meuse-Argonne (France), Mexico City (Mexico), Netherlands (Holland), Normandy (France), North Africa (Tunisia), Oise-Aisne (France), Rhone (France), Sicily-Rome (Italy), Somme (France), St. Mihiel (France), Suresnes (France).

American Military Cemeteries in Europe

Lest We Forget

Taps: Play, pause, stop

Taps courtesy of the 761st Tank Battalion

Grave of General Patton, Luxembourg Cemetery