Ten American Battle Monuments Commission sites take part in European Heritage Days
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Advisory
ARLINGTON, Va. (Sept. 8, 2022) — The weekend of Sept. 17, 2022, ten American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) cemeteries will be featured in a series of events dedicated to highlighting European cultural heritage and ensuring citizens are aware of the historic significance of these sites. This year’s theme is “sustainable heritage.”
This year, the European Heritage Days is held at the following ABMC sites: Ardennes American Cemetery (ARAC), Brittany American Cemetery (BRAC), Cambridge American Cemetery (CAAC), Epinal American Cemetery (EPAC), Lafayette Escadrille Memorial Cemetery (LEMC), Lorraine American Cemetery (LOAC), Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery (MAAC), Netherlands American Cemetery (NEAC), Normandy American Cemetery (NOAC), St. Mihiel American Cemetery (SMAC) and Suresnes American Cemetery (SUAC).
Participating sites will offer free activities during regular operating hours that enable the public to learn more about ABMC, the way ABMC manages horticulture to adapt to climate change, the two World Wars, the history of the sites, as well as stories of service men and women buried within their grounds.
“European Heritage Days provides ABMC a unique opportunity to share with visitors the stories of the men and women commemorated overseas, and unveils how these hallowed grounds are maintained,” said Karen Wurzburger, Visitor Services & Interpretation director at ABMC. “It enables ABMC to carry on Gen. John J. Pershing’s promise that ‘time will not dim the glory of their deeds,’ and to ensure the stories of those who made the ultimate sacrifice are still remembered.”
The program at ABMC sites is as follows:
- ARAC: Sept. 10, the local history club “Mémoire de Neupré” will organize free guided tours of the site.
- BRAC: Sept. 18 at 2 p.m., ABMC staff will organize tours through the cemetery and memorial. No reservations needed.
- CAAC: From Sept. 9 to 18, CAAC will take part in “Open Cambridge,” which is organized and hosted by the University of Cambridge. They will actively participate on weekends only (Sept. 10-11; and Sept. 17-18, with three tours per day). CAAC interpretive staff will offer historic tours focusing on “astounding inventions.” In addition, CAAC staff will also offer horticultural tours.
Reservations are needed through the following links:
Dare-devils, Boffins and Cowboys: WWII technology in your lives today | Open Cambridge
- EPAC: Sept. 17 and 18, at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., ABMC staff will conduct tours on the origin of the American memorial and cemetery. Reservations are needed by email at epinal@abmc.gov.
- LEMC:Sept.17and 24, the exhibit “First World War Aces,” will be displayed for visitors to learn more about the American military aviators who fought with France during the Great War. The exhibit was developed in partnership with ONACVG (https://www.onac-vg.fr/). No reservations needed.
- MAAC: Sept. 17, at 3 p.m., ABMC staff will guide visitors through the cemetery. Sept. 18, at 10 a.m., staff will offer an informational tour of the memorial. Reservations needed.
- NEAC: Sept. 18, at 3:30 p.m., the 17th edition of the Liberation Concert will take place. This is the annual concert by the Philharmonic Orchestra of South Limburg. No reservations needed.
- NOAC: Sept. 17 and 18, ABMC staff at NOAC will offer a Memory Trail with talks at different locations on various topics. Visitors will have the opportunity to follow all talks or pick up the ones they are most interested in. Thematic guided tours will also be provided: one for the general public, and one with a focus on families with young children. No reservations needed.
- SMAC: Sept. 17 and 18, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., ABMC’s greenspace workers will meet with the public and explain how they fulfill their mission of commemoration through excellent standards of care, while adapting to new environmental challenges. Tours will take place at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. No reservations needed.
- SUAC: From Sept. 17 to 22, the “Faces of Suresnes” exhibit will take place. Over 1,000 photographs will be displayed next to the headstones and inside the chapel in front of the Walls of the Missing, honoring the men and women who lost their lives and rest at SUAC. No reservations are necessary. Guided tours are available upon request, by contacting suresnes@abmc.gov.
For more information or if there are further questions, please contact:
Hélène Chaulin Ashleigh Byrnes
Cell: +33 (0)6 38 13 56 25 Cell : +00 1 (703) 584 1564
Email: chaulinh@abmc.gov Email: byrnesa@abmc.gov
For more information about ABMC, please visit our website abmc.gov or our social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
About American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC):
The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) operates and maintains 26 cemeteries and 32 federal memorials, monuments, and commemorative plaques in 17 countries throughout the world, including the United States. The four memorials in the United States are: the World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C.; the Honolulu memorial located within the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii; the West Coast Memorial located within the Presidio National Park in San Francisco, Calif; and the East Coast Memorial located within Battery City Park in New York, N.Y. Since March 4, 1923, 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 ABMC, visit abmc.gov.