ABMC @usabmc

More than 36,0000 Americans lost their lives during the Korean War, including thousands who went missing and never returned home. At the Honolulu Memorial, their names are etched in the Courts of the Missing. These quiet walls bear witness to their sacrifice – and to our enduring promised: they will never be forgotten. 👉 Visit the Honolulu Memorial in 360: virtual360.abmc.gov/honolulu_memor…

🎥 June 1942: the Battle of Midway becomes a turning point in the Pacific War. ⤵️ Considered one of the most decisive battles of World War II, the U.S. Pacific Fleet turned the tide of the war during this epic battle in June 1942. After the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the Japanese had been on the offensive, capturing territory throughout the Pacific. And by spring 1942, they planned to attack Midway with the goal of destroying the U.S. Pacific Fleet and capturing the atoll. Acquiring this small island would have positioned Japanese forces closer to the continental United States, serving as a jumping off point to the west coast. Intercepted messages and code-breaking proved a key component to American success, alerting forces well ahead of time of the pending attack. Through this critical intelligence and decisive American naval and air attacks, the Japanese fleet crumbled, losing the four large carriers that had attacked Pearl Harbor, and losing more than 100 trained pilots. Had the Japanese been successful in their attack, the war in the Pacific would have been dramatically different. Today, the American Battle Monuments Commission maintains eight memorials and monuments in the Pacific, including the World War II Midway Monument. 👉 Learn more about this unique site: abmc.gov/cemeteries-mem…

Today we remember WWII U.S. Army Pfc. Terrence C. Harris, buried at Normandy American Cemetery. Harris was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart Medal. Normandy American Cemetery is one of 26 ABMC cemeteries worldwide. It contains the graves of nearly 10,000 of our military dead, most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations. On the Walls of the Missing, in a semicircular garden on the east side of the memorial, are inscribed 1,557 names. We remember their service and sacrifice.

On June 17, ABMC successfully completed the first step in the relocation of the Pointe du Hoc Ranger Monument elements, including the dagger and associated components, from their current location. Carried out as part of ongoing efforts to preserve the historic site, the operation to move the monument followed a detailed technical sequence beginning in the early morning, with site preparation, safety briefings, and the controlled arrival of heavy equipment. Prior to any lifting, stabilization systems were installed to secure the monument and ensure safe handling of its components. Later in the morning, crews moved the two lateral elements commonly referred to as the “books.” These elements were carefully detached, lifted by crane, placed on pallets, and transported to a designated staging area. The main movement of the Pointe du Hoc Ranger Monument dagger took place later in the day. Following controlled detachment from its base, the monument was lifted and secured on a pallet before being transported. The monument will be stored until it can be placed in its new location at the Memorial Plaza. Here, the monument will be accessible to visitors and can serve as a backdrop for future ceremonies. Learn more: abmc.gov/news-events/ne…

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Richard Willoughby was born on April 19, 1924, in Belhaven, North Carolina. He was working as a sailmaker in Norfolk, Virginia when he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1943. He was assigned to the 453rd Quartermaster Laundry Company and was sent to Europe in 1944 while serving with this unit. In late December 1944 the grinding demands of combat overcame the Army’s segregationist policies, and a call went out to African American soldiers who served in support units to volunteer for combat service, with plans for African American platoons to be integrated into white infantry units. A first group of more than 2,000 volunteers successfully completed their infantry training on March 1, 1945, including Pvt. Willoughby. After his training, Willoughby was transferred to the 273rd Infantry Regiment, a previously all white unit, and took part in the rapid advance into central Germany. On April 7, 1945, he was killed in action in the vicinity of the German town of Hann Munden, just two weeks before his 21st birthday. Willoughby's story is one of the new stories to be introduced at the Netherlands American Cemetery Visitor Center. The cemetery is the final resting place of more than 8,000 World War II service members and a memorial to nearly 2,000 Missing from the war. ➡️ Learn more on our website: bit.ly/4r2b4MU

Normandy American Cemetery honors more than 9,000 Americans who lost their lives during World War II, most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations. Its Garden of the Missing memorializes more than 1,500 of their brothers-in-arms whose remains could not be interred. Bronze rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified. It is one of 26 overseas military cemeteries managed by the American Battle Monuments Commission. abmc.gov/cemeteries-mem… 🙏

The Pointe Du Hoc Ranger Monument is going through a major restoration project that will last until mid-2027. ⚠️ Please note that the site will be closed to the public Wednesday, June 17. We appreciate your understanding. 🙏 For more information about the restoration project, please visit: abmc.gov/pointe-du-hoc-…"

⚠️ Cemetery Alert: Flagpole Maintenance at Cambridge American Cemetery Please note the area immediately around the flagpole and the flagpole itself at Cambridge American Cemetery will undergo scheduled maintenance, June 16 - 26. The cemetery staff will be unable to fly the flag during this time and the area immediately around the flagpole will be inaccessible to the public. Thank you for your understanding and patience as we complete this work. 🙏 To learn more about Cambridge American Cemetery, please visit: abmc.gov/cemeteries-mem…

ABMC offers a number of services to the public so as to commemorate the service, achievements, and sacrifice of the members of the U.S. armed forces buried or memorialized at our sites worldwide. From ensuring intellectual access to artifact collections, to developing quality resources across disciplines for teachers to use in classrooms, or assisting family members upon your arrival at the cemetery, learn more about our services. ⤵️ abmc.gov/about-us/our-s…

“Lafayette, we are here!” This weekend, the American Battle Monuments Commission paid tribute to Washington and Lafayette at their final resting places in Mount Vernon, Virginia, and Paris, France.
Honoring the enduring alliance between that the United States and France forged during the American Revolution and renewed during World War I, both wreath laying ceremonies resonated with the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. ABMC Commissioner Dorothy “Deecy” Gray reflected on the shared history that binds the United States and France, and the importance of preserving the stories of those who helped secure American independence. Washington and Lafayette “helped secure American independence and laid foundation for a partnership between our nations that has endured for nearly two and half centuries,” said Gray. “In honoring Washington and Lafayette, we honor the conviction that free peoples do not stand alone. We honor the belief that alliances forged in principle and strengthened through sacrifice can endure across centuries.” Through its mission, and its ten cemeteries and numerous memorials located in France, ABMC honors the service and sacrifice of America’s military personnel. These sites remind us that history is shaped by courage, loyalty and remembrance. Learn more: abmc.gov/news-events/ne… @MountVernon | @theydied4us | The Society of the Cincinnati | @FranceintheUS | @USEmbassyFrance #Freedom250 #America250 #mountvernon #lafayette #americanhistory

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Today we remember WWII Staff Sgt. Albert L. Natkin buried at Cambridge American Cemetery. 🇺🇸🇬🇧 Natkin was awarded the Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters. Cambridge American Cemetery is one of 26 ABMC cemeteries worldwide. It contains the remains of nearly 4,000 of our war dead. Over 5,000 names are recorded on the Walls of the Missing — rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified. Most died in the Battle of the Atlantic or in the strategic air bombardment of northwest Europe. We remember their service and sacrifice.

On June 6, 1944, more than 150,000 Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy. More than 10,000 American fallen are commemorated at Normandy American Cemetery, many of whom lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations. They never came home but they continue to be remembered and honored every day.

📸 WWII veterans visit Brittany American Cemetery for the anniversary of D-Day. Brittany American Cemetery is located on the site of the temporary American St. James Cemetery, established on August 4, 1944, by the U.S. Third Army. It marks the point where the American forces made their breakthrough from the hedgerow country of Normandy into the plains of Brittany during the offensive around Avranches, France. Most of those buried and memorialized here lost their lives in the Normandy and Brittany Campaigns of 1944.

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✅UPDATE: The N278 road works in front of the entrance to Netherlands American Cemetery will be completed ahead of schedule and are expected to finish by the end of the day on Friday, June 12. Starting Saturday, June 13, the front entrance will be fully open to all traffic and normal access to the cemetery will resume.

⚠️ Road closure and visitor access to Netherlands American Cemetery June 1–19 ⤵️ The N278 road in front of the entrance to Netherlands American Cemetery will be closed to traffic June 1-19 June due to road works. Please note that the entrance will remain accessible to bicycles, emergency services and pedestrians only. Visitors arriving by vehicle or caravan should use the south entrance — parking will be available in a nearby designated area, followed by a short walk to the entrance. We invite tour buses to reschedule their visit as bus parking will not be available near the cemetery from June 1-14. 🌐 abmc.gov/cemeteries-mem…

On June 6, 1944, more than 150,000 Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy. More than 10,000 American fallen are commemorated at Normandy American Cemetery, many of whom lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations. They never came home but they continue to be remembered and honored every day.

On June 6, ABMC joined service members from the Britannia Royal Naval College and Dartmouth Sea Cadets, veterans, and community members in Dartmouth, England, to commemorate the 82nd anniversary of the D-Day landings. The annual ceremony began along Dartmouth’s historic harbor before continuing to Dartmouth Monument, where prayers were offered and wreaths laid in honor of the Allied service members who fought for freedom on June 6, 1944. Dartmouth played a vital role in the preparations for the Normandy landings, making it a fitting place to reflect on the courage, sacrifice, and enduring legacy of D-Day. On June 3, 1944, an amphibious force of 485 @RoyalNavy and @USNavy vessels departed from the town to take part in the Allied invasion of Normandy. Learn more about Dartmouth Monument: abmc.gov/cemeteries-mem… @DartmouthBRNC | @USAinUK

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The American Battle Monuments Commission offers a range of digital resources to honor America’s fallen service members and share their stories with the world: • ABMC.gov to learn about our mission, our cemeteries and memorials, and the servicemen and women honored overseas. 👉 abmc.gov • We Remember, a directory to search those service members commemorated at ABMC's overseas cemeteries and memorials. 👉 weremember.abmc.gov • We Preserve, an online catalog that offers access to the rich and diverse collections preserved within ABMC. 👉 wepreserve.abmc.gov • WWII Registry, honoring the 16 million who served in the U.S. armed forces, the more than 400,000 who died, and all who supported the war effort from home. 👉 wwiiregistry.abmc.gov Explore them, and together, let's remember the service and sacrifice of our fallen heroes.️ 🙏

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@HQUSAFEAFAF Band bugler plays "Taps" at Normandy American Cemetery honoring those who fell on D-Day. 🙏

Through careful preservation, thoughtful interpretation, and its connection to other ABMC World War I sites in the region, including Aisne‑Marne American Cemetery and the Château‑Thierry Monument, Belleau Wood continues to honor the Marines who fought there and helps visitors understand the human cost and lasting legacy of the First World War. Whether visited on its own or as part of a broader journey through World War I history in France, Belleau Wood remains a powerful place of remembrance and reflection.

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The Marine Monument at Belleau Wood is unique in Europe, as it is the only memorial on the continent dedicated exclusively to the U.S. Marines. The sculpture was created by Felix de Weldon, the Austrian‑born American artist who also designed the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. The monument was inaugurated in 1955 by the commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Lemuel C. Shepherd Jr., making the ceremony especially meaningful. Thirty‑seven years earlier, Shepherd had fought and been twice wounded at Belleau Wood as a second lieutenant. Today, the monument stands as a powerful tribute to the Marines who fought at Belleau Wood and reflects the lasting bond between the site and the history of the U.S. Marine Corps.

Located in northern France, Belleau Wood is one of the most significant American World War I sites. Closely associated with the @USMC, it marks a decisive moment in the Allied effort to halt the German advance in 1918. Today, Belleau Wood remains both a preserved battlefield and a place of remembrance, carefully maintained for future generations by the American Battle Monuments Commission. Here are three elements that help explain its enduring significance. ⤵️