FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Press release  

82nd anniversary of the landings at Sicily-Rome American Cemetery
American Battle Monuments Commission honors heroes of the landings in Anzio and Nettuno and their legacy of courage 

Arlington, Virginia (Jan. 22, 2026) — The American Battle Monuments Commission hosted a ceremony at Sicily-Rome American Cemetery to mark the 82nd anniversary of the landings in Anzio and Nettuno, paying tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of those who fought during these historic events in World War II and are commemorated at the hallowed grounds of the cemetery.  

The ceremony gathered U.S. and local dignitaries as well as visitors and family members of Pfc. Donato Caramia to honor the World War II heroes who gave their lives for freedom on the shores of Italy in 1944.    

Sicily-Rome American Cemetery Superintendent Mark Ireland delivered the welcoming remarks. The event included speeches from the U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian F. Burch II, Deputy Chief of Mission to Italy Marta Costanzo Youth, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani, the mayors of Anzio and Nettuno, and the Chief of Staff of U.S. European Command Maj. Gen. John L. Rafferty. The invocation and benediction were offered by Don Salvatore Di Cotra and Chaplain Aaron Melman. The ceremony also featured a formal wreath-laying ceremony and was accompanied by the playing of taps by U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa Band. Military units also participated in the event.    

Students from Istituto Comprensivo Nettuno III sang, read a poem, and laid roses in honor of the service members buried at the cemetery. 

“May we always remember with gratitude the service and ultimate sacrifice of those men and women honored here,” said Ireland.   

Sicily-Rome American Cemetery is one of two World War II American cemeteries in Italy. It is the final resting place of approximately 7,900 American service members. More than 3,000 other names are memorialized on its Tablets of the Missing in the chapel. The majority of these individuals died in the liberation of Sicily; in the landings in the Salerno Area and the heavy fighting northward; in the landings at Anzio Beach and expansion of the beachhead; and in air and naval support throughout the region.  

The American Battle Monuments Commission’s mission is to honor the service of the U.S. armed forces by creating and maintaining memorial sites, offering commemorative services, and facilitating the education of their legacy to future generations. 

For more information on American Battle Monuments Commission, please visit our website abmc.gov or our social media platforms: Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. 

Press contact: 

Hélène Chaulin   

Phone: +33 (0)1 40 75 27 55  

Email: chaulinh@abmc.gov  

About American Battle Monuments Commission: 

The American Battle Monuments Commission operates and maintains 26 cemeteries and 31 federal memorials, monuments and commemorative plaques in 17 countries throughout the world, including the United States. The three memorials in the United States are: the Honolulu Memorial located within the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu; the West Coast Memorial located within the Presidio National Park in San Francisco; and the East Coast Memorial located within the Battery in New York City. Since March 4, 1923, the ABMC’s sacred mission remains to honor the service, achievements, and sacrifice of more than 200,000 U.S. service members buried and memorialized at our sites. For more information about the ABMC, visit abmc.gov.  

ABMC footage available at https://www.flickr.com/photos/usabmc/. 

Credit: American Battle Monuments Commission.