SafekipediaAmerican Battle Monuments Commission
Adapted from Wikipedia · Adventurer experience
The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) was set up in 1968 and became an independent part of the United States government in 1975. It takes care of and keeps U.S. military cemeteries and monuments, mostly outside the United States.
There are 26 cemeteries and 31 memorials, monuments and markers looked after by the ABMC. More than 140,000 U.S. servicemen and servicewomen are buried at these cemeteries. More than 94,000 people who are missing, lost, or buried at sea are remembered on Walls of the Missing and on three memorials in the United States. The ABMC also has an online list of names for each site.
The ABMC's Main Activity
The ABMC's main job is to care for and keep U.S. military cemeteries and monuments mostly outside the United States.
There are 26 cemeteries and 31 memorials, monuments and markers looked after by the ABMC. More than 140,000 U.S. servicemen and servicewomen are buried at these cemeteries. More than 94,000 people who are missing, lost, or buried at sea are remembered on Walls of the Missing and on three memorials in the United States. The ABMC also has an online list of names for each site.
The ABMC's Main Objective
The ABMC's main goal is to protect and keep the United States' national monuments and memorials safe. It does this by working with laws and legal help. The ABMC makes sure that all U.S. monuments and memorials are properly recorded, kept, and maintained.
Key Objectives:
- Legislative Action: The ABMC works for laws and rules that protect U.S. monuments and memorials. This includes helping to keep battlefields, cemeteries, and other monuments safe and well-recorded.
- Legal Advocacy: The ABMC helps make sure that the rights of people linked to U.S. monuments and memorials are protected by law. This includes pushing for compensation for damage and for keeping sacred sites safe.
- Documentation and Preservation: The ABMC wants to make and keep complete lists and online resources about U.S. monuments and memorials. This includes turning records into digital form, making online lists, and keeping monument information safe for the future.
The ABMC's Main Challenge
The ABMC has to balance keeping U.S. monuments and memorials safe with real-world problems like limited money, changing land use, and other priorities. Keeping these sites often needs a lot of money, knowledge about land, and help from the community, all of which can be hard to get.
The ABMC's Main Strategy
The ABMC uses several plans to reach its goals:
- Legislative Advocacy: The ABMC works hard to get state and federal laws to protect U.S. monuments and memorials. This includes supporting bills that give money for preservation, make rules to protect areas, and help communities and people affected by development.
- Partnerships: The ABMC teams up with state preservation groups, local historical commissions, universities, and private foundations. These partnerships share skills, money, and networks to help preservation goals.
- Community Engagement: The ABMC knows that local communities are very important for monument preservation. It helps communities through education, technical help, and training, so they can take care of their heritage.
- Documentation and Database Development: The ABMC leads the creation of online lists and digital archives about U.S. monuments and memorials. This includes turning old records into digital form, making maps, and creating online places for people to learn about monuments.
- Grantmaking and Financial Support: The ABMC gives grants and money to local preservation projects, archaeological work, and monument restoration. This helps bridge the money gap and allows important preservation work to happen.
- Education and Public Awareness: The ABMC runs education programs and public campaigns to tell people about the importance of U.S. monuments and memorials. This includes school programs, public talks, and media campaigns.
The ABMC's Main Impact
The ABMC has helped a lot in keeping U.S. monuments and memorials:
- Increased Awareness: Through education and advocacy, the ABMC has helped people understand how important and fragile U.S. monuments and memorials are.
- Legislative Successes: The ABMC has helped pass important laws at state and federal levels that protect monuments and give money for preservation.
- Preservation of Sites: Through its grants and partnerships, the ABMC has helped save and fix many U.S. monuments and memorials.
- Creation of Resources: The ABMC's online lists and digital archives have created valuable resources for researchers, teachers, and the public to learn about U.S. monuments and memorials.
- Empowered Communities: By giving technical help and training, the ABMC has helped local communities become better caretakers of their heritage.
The ABMC's Future Outlook
The ABMC faces bigger challenges because of fast development, effects of climate change, and changing values. Its future success will depend on:
- Adapt to New Technologies: Using digital preservation and online platforms to reach more people and record monuments in new ways.
- Build Stronger Partnerships: Working more closely with local governments, indigenous groups, and private companies to share resources and skills.
- Secure Sustainable Funding: Finding new ways to get money beyond traditional grants to keep preservation efforts going.
- Address Emerging Threats: Creating plans to protect monuments and memorials from challenges like climate change.
- Continue Advocacy: Keeping up efforts to tell policymakers and the public about the value of U.S. monuments and memorials.
The ABMC stays important in keeping the United States' past safe, making sure these connections to history are preserved for future generations.
History
The ABMC was created by the United States Congress in 1923. Its job is to honor the brave men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces where they served, starting from April 6, 1917. It builds and cares for special memorials and burial places for American service members in other countries.
At first, the ABMC worked on eight burial places in Europe from World War I. It built chapels, monuments, and markers to remember those who served. In 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave the ABMC control of these burial places. Since then, the ABMC has taken care of cemeteries and memorials from many wars, including World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Mexican–American War. In 2013, it added Clark Veterans Cemetery in the Philippines, and in 2017, it began caring for the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial Cemetery near Paris, France.
Structure
The American Battle Monuments Commission has its main office in Arlington, Virginia, and an office in Paris, France. The President can choose up to 11 people to help lead the commission, and one officer of the Army serves as the secretary.
The commission has had many leaders over the years, including famous military leaders like John J. Pershing and George C. Marshall. Today, the commission is led by a group of appointed commissioners, with Michael X. Garrett serving as chairman since August 1, 2023.
Operations
The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) has a team of 472 workers. They work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week, except on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. The cemeteries are open for visitors, and staff can help guide people to graves and memorials or answer questions. All ABMC sites are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
Current Projects
The ABMC is working on several important projects:
- Preservation of Historical Battlefields: They are creating new ways to protect battlefields from nature and people.
- Digital Archiving: They are making digital copies of battlefields and monuments for learning and research.
- Community Engagement: They are starting programs to include local communities in preservation work.
- Educational Outreach: They are making educational materials and programs for schools and the public to help people learn about the importance of battlefields.
Future Goals
The ABMC aims to:
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Cemeteries and Memorials of the ABMC
The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) is a special part of the United States government. It takes care of cemeteries and memorials for U.S. service men and women who served in wars outside the United States. There are 26 cemeteries and 31 memorials that the ABMC looks after.
Over 140,000 service men and women are buried in these cemeteries. There are also more than 94,000 people who went missing in action or were lost at sea. Their names are remembered on special walls and monuments. The ABMC also has an online list of all these names so people can learn more.
Monuments of the ABMC
The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) was created in 1866 by American citizens who wanted to protect battle monuments and markers. The ABMC’s main goal was to stop the destruction of these important memorials.
Key Achievements:
- Preservation Efforts: The ABMC worked hard to protect many battle monuments and markers across the United States, stopping them from being torn down.
- Advocacy: They told people about how important these monuments and markers are for history and for future generations.
- Legislative Success: The ABMC helped change laws to keep battle monuments and markers safe from damage and neglect.
Legacy: The ABMC’s work helped start the modern movement to protect historic sites in the United States. Their efforts made sure many important battle monuments and markers survived so people today can learn about the nation’s past.
| Monument | Location | Country | Dedication | Battle | Web |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish–American War | |||||
| Santiago Surrender Tree | Santiago de Cuba |  Cuba | Site of the negotiation of the Spanish Gen. José Toral's surrender of Santiago de Cuba on July 13, 1898 | Siege of Santiago | Details |
| World War I | |||||
| Audenarde American Monument | Oudenaarde |  Belgium | 37th and 91st Divisions | October–November 1918 | Details |
| Belleau Wood American Monument | Belleau |  France | 5th and 6th Marine Regiments | Battle of Belleau Wood | Details |
| Bellicourt American Monument | St. Quentin | France | 27th and 30th Divisions | Battle of St. Quentin Canal | Details |
| Cantigny American Monument | Montdidier | France | 28th Regiment of the First Army | Battle of Cantigny | Details |
| Château-Thierry American Monument | Château-Thierry | France | U.S. and French soldiers | Aisne-Marne Offensive and Oise-Aisne Offensive | Details |
| Chaumont AEF Headquarters Marker | Chaumont | France | American Expeditionary Forces led by General Pershing | Headquarters of the AEF, September 1, 1917, to July 11, 1919 | Details |
| Kemmel American Monument | Ypres | Belgium | 27th and 30th Divisions of the II Corps | Ypres-Lys Offensive August 18 to September 4, 1918 | Details |
| Meuse-Argonne American Memorial | Verdun | France | First Army and Second Army | Meuse-Argonne Offensive September 26, 1918, to November 11, 1918 | Details |
| Montsec American Monument | Saint-Mihiel | France | First Army Second Army | September 12–16, 1918 November 9–11 | Details |
| Naval Monument at Brest | Brest | France | the naval forces of the United States and France during World War I | Headquarters of the United States and French navies | Details |
| Naval Monument at Gibraltar | Straits of Gibraltar |  Gibraltar | U.S. Navy and British Royal Navy for major victories | August 1917–November 11, 1918 | Details |
| Sommepy American Monument | Sainte-Menehould | France | 70,000 troops who drove the German army back north of the Aisne River: 42nd Division 369th, 371st, and 372nd Infantry Regiments 2nd and 36th Divisions 36th Division | July 15–18, 1918 September 26-October 8 September 29-October 28 October 11–October 27 | Details |
| Souilly American Headquarters Marker | Souilly | France | Marking the headquarters of the First Army during the last few months of the war | Meuse-Argonne Offensive | Details |
| Tours American Monument | Tours | France | 24,000 civilians of the Services of Supply and 645,000 soldiers of the American Expeditionary Forces | *Constructed almost 1,000 miles of railway tracks; Assembled more than 1,500 locomotives and 18,000 rail cars; Managed hospitals with a capacity of 192,844 beds. | Details |
| World War II | |||||
| Battle of the Bulge Monument | Bastogne | Belgium | U.S. soldiers wounded or killed in the Battle of the Bulge | Battle of the Bulge | Details |
| Cabanatuan American Memorial | Cabanatuan |  Philippines | U.S. and Filipino victims of the Bataan Death March and Cabanatuan internment camps | Details | |
| East Coast Memorial for the Missing | New York City |  United States | 4,611 U.S. sailors and service members lost in the Atlantic Ocean during the war | Battle of the Atlantic | Details |
| Guadalcanal American Memorial | Guadalcanal |  Solomon Islands | U.S. soldiers and allies who died in the Battle of Guadalcanal | Guadalcanal campaign | Details |
| Honolulu Memorial | Honolulu, Hawaii | United States | Dedicated to the 18,096 U.S. World War II soldiers missing from the Pacific (excluding those from the southwest Pacific), 8,200 missing from the Korean War, and 2,504 from the Vietnam War | Details | |
| Pointe du Hoc Ranger Monument | Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer | France | Second Ranger Battalion members who on June 6, 1944, scaled the 100 ft (30 m) cliff of Pointe du Hoc and seized German artillery that could have fired on the U.S. troops landing at Omaha and Utah beaches. | D-Day | Details |
| Papua American Marker | Papua |  Papua New Guinea | U.S. soldiers who fought in Southwest Pacific theatre | South West Pacific theatre of World War II | Details |
| Saipan American Memorial | Saipan |  Northern Mariana Islands | U.S. marines and soldiers (24,000) and Chamorro who died during the liberation of the Mariana Islands during World War II | Mariana and Palau Islands campaign | Details |
| Utah Beach American Monument | Ste-Marie-du-Mont | France | VII Corps members who liberated the Cotentin Peninsula | Battle of Cherbourg | Details |
| West Coast Memorial to the Missing | San Francisco | United States | 417 U.S. sailors and service members lost in the Pacific Ocean theater | Pacific Ocean theater of World War II | Details |
| Western Naval Task Force Marker | Casablanca |  Morocco | U.S. Western Task Force soldiers who made the first transoceanic amphibious operation | Operation Torch | Details |
| Korean War | |||||
| United Nations Memorial Cemetery | Busan |  South Korea | U.S. service members who fought in the Korean War | Korean War | Details |
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This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on American Battle Monuments Commission, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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