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American Battle Monuments Commission.

The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) is a small independent agency of the United States government. Established by Congress in 1923, it is responsible for:

• Commemorating the services of the U.S. armed forces where they have served since April 6, 1917 (the date of U.S. entry into World War I)
• Establishing suitable memorial shrines; designing, constructing, operating, and maintaining permanent American military burial grounds in foreign countries
• Controlling the design and construction of U.S. military monuments and markers in foreign countries by other U.S. citizens and organizations, both public and private
• Encouraging the maintenance of such monuments and markers by their sponsors

The Commission administers, operates, and maintains 24 permanent American burial grounds on foreign soil. As of May 2006, there are 124,917 U.S. war dead interred at these cemeteries: 30,921 of World War I, 93,246 of World War II and 750 of the Mexican-American War. Additionally 6,033 American veterans and others are interred in the Mexico City and Corozal American Cemeteries.

Complete sortable list of ABMC cemeteries

Cemetery	Country	Conflict	Web	Video	Booklet	Coordinates
Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial	France	World War I	Link	.wmv	.pdf	49°4′46.02″N 3°17′29.16″E / 49.07945°N 3.2914333°E / 49.07945; 3.2914333 (Aisne-Marne American Cemetery)
Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial	Belgium	World War II	Link	.wmv	.pdf	50°32′50.75″N 5°27′55.55″E / 50.5474306°N 5.4654306°E / 50.5474306; 5.4654306 (Ardennes American Cemetery)
Brittany American Cemetery and Memorial	France	World War II	Link	.wmv	.pdf	48°31′11.6″N 1°18′6.2″W / 48.519889°N 1.301722°W / 48.519889; -1.301722 (Brittany American Cemetery)
Brookwood American Cemetery and Memorial	England	World War I	Link	.wmv	None	51°18′5″N 0°38′22.9″W / 51.30139°N 0.639694°W / 51.30139; -0.639694 (Brookwood American Cemetery)
Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial	England	World War II	Link	.wmv	.pdf	52°13.020′N 0°03.320′E / 52.217°N 0.05533°E / 52.217; 0.05533 (Cambridge American Cemetery)
Corozal American Cemetery and Memorial	Panama	Panama Canal	Link	.wmv	.pdf	8°59′28″N 79°34′14.2″W / 8.99111°N 79.570611°W / 8.99111; -79.570611 (Corozal American Cemetery)
Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial	France	World War II	Link	.wmv	.pdf	48°8′37.14″N 6°29′31.02″E / 48.14365°N 6.49195°E / 48.14365; 6.49195 (Epinal American Cemetery)
Flanders Field American Cemetery and Memorial	Belgium	World War I	Link	.wmv	.pdf	50°52′25.14″N 3°27′8.28″E / 50.87365°N 3.4523°E / 50.87365; 3.4523 (Flanders Field American Cemetery)
Florence American Cemetery and Memorial	Italy	World War II	Link	.wmv	.pdf	43°41′31.4″N 11°12′40.2″E / 43.692056°N 11.211167°E / 43.692056; 11.211167 (Florence American Cemetery)
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery and Memorial	Belgium	World War II	Link	.wmv	.pdf	50°41′50.58″N 5°53′54.48″E / 50.6973833°N 5.8984667°E / 50.6973833; 5.8984667 (Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery)
Lorraine American Cemetery and Memorial	France	World War II	Link	.wmv	.pdf	49°7′18.12″N 6°42′52.32″E / 49.1217°N 6.7145333°E / 49.1217; 6.7145333 (Lorraine American Cemetery)
Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial	Luxembourg	World War II	Link	.wmv	.pdf	49°36′42″N 06°11′08″E / 49.61167°N 6.18556°E / 49.61167; 6.18556 (Luxembourg American Cemetery)
Manila American Cemetery and Memorial	Philippines	World War II	Link	.wmv	.pdf	14°32′39.7″N 121°2′55.2″E / 14.544361°N 121.048667°E / 14.544361; 121.048667 (Manila American Cemetery)
Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial	France	World War I	Link	.wmv	.pdf	49°20′2.64″N 5°5′22.56″E / 49.3340667°N 5.0896°E / 49.3340667; 5.0896 (Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery)
Mexico City National Cemetery	Mexico	Mexican War	Link	.wmv	None	19°26′31.3″N 99°9′58.2″W / 19.442028°N 99.166167°W / 19.442028; -99.166167 (Mexico City National Cemetery)
Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial	Netherlands	World War II	Link	.wmv	.pdf	50°49′15.4″N 5°48′13.1″E / 50.820944°N 5.803639°E / 50.820944; 5.803639 (Netherlands American Cemetery)
Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial	France	World War II	Link	.wmv	.pdf	49°21′37″N 0°51′26″W / 49.36028°N 0.85722°W / 49.36028; -0.85722 (Normandy American Cemetery)
North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial	Tunisia	World War II	Link	.wmv	.pdf	36°51′55.5″N 10°19′46.3″E / 36.865417°N 10.329528°E / 36.865417; 10.329528 (North Africa Cemetery)
Oise-Aisne American Cemetery and Memorial	France	World War I	Link	.wmv	.pdf	49°12′8″N 3°32′53.3″E / 49.20222°N 3.548139°E / 49.20222; 3.548139 (Oise-Aisne American Cemetery)
Rhone American Cemetery and Memorial	France	World War II	Link	.wmv	.pdf	43°32′10.1″N 6°28′22.7″E / 43.536139°N 6.472972°E / 43.536139; 6.472972 (Rhone American Cemetery)
Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial	Italy	World War II	Link	.wmv	.pdf	41°27′55.08″N 12°39′30.18″E / 41.4653°N 12.6583833°E / 41.4653; 12.6583833 (Sicily-Rome American Cemetery)
Somme American Cemetery and Memorial	France	World War I	Link	.wmv	.pdf	49°59′6.18″N 3°12′47.88″E / 49.98505°N 3.2133°E / 49.98505; 3.2133 (Somme American Cemetery)
St. Mihiel American Cemetery and Memorial	France	World War I	Link	.wmv	.pdf	48°57′25.14″N 5°51′11.04″E / 48.9569833°N 5.8530667°E / 48.9569833; 5.8530667 (St. Mihiel American Cemetery)
Suresnes American Cemetery and Memorial	France	World War I	Link	.wmv	.pdf	48°52′18.84″N 2°13′7.56″E / 48.8719°N 2.2187667°E / 48.8719; 2.2187667 (Suresnes American Cemetery)

Complete sortable list of ABMC monuments

Monument	Country	Nearest town	Conflict	Web
Audenarde American Monument	Belgium	Oudenaarde	World War I	Link
Belleau Wood American Monument	France	Belleau	World War I	Link
Bellicourt American Monument	France	St. Quentin	World War I	Link
Cabanatuan American Memorial	Philippines	Cabanatuan City	World War II	Link
Cantigny American Monument	France	Montdidier	World War I	Link
Chateau-Thierry American Monument	France	Château-Thierry	World War I	Link
Chaumont AEF Headquarters Marker	France	Chaumont	World War I	Link
East Coast Memorial	USA	New York City	World War II	Link
Guadalcanal American Memorial	Solomon Islands	Guadalcanal	World War II	Link
Honolulu Memorial	USA	Honolulu	World War II	Link
Kemmel American Monument	Belgium	Ieper (Ypres)	World War I	Link
Montfaucon American Monument	France	Verdun	World War I	Link
Montsec American Monument	France	St. Mihiel	World War I	Link
Naval Monument at Brest	France	Brest	World War I	Link
Naval Monument at Gibraltar	Gibraltar	Gibraltar	World War I	Link
Pointe du Hoc American Monument	France	St. Laurent-sur-Mer	World War II	Link
Papua American Marker	New Guinea	Papua	World War II	Link
Saipan American Memorial	Mariana Islands	Saipan	World War II	Link
Santiago Surrender Tree	Cuba	Santiago de Cuba	Spanish American War	Link
Sommepy American Monument	France	St. Menehould	World War I	Link
Souilly American Headquarters Marker	France	Claye-Souilly	World War I	Link
Tours American Monument	France	Tours	World War I	Link
Utah Beach American Monument	France	Ste-Marie-du-Mont	World War II	Link
West Coast American Memorial	USA	San Francisco	World War II	Link
Western Task Force American Marker	Morocco	Casablanca	World War II	Link

Chairmen of the ABMC

• Brigadier General John McAuley Palmer, (1921–1923)
• General of the Armies John J. Pershing, (1923–1948)
• General of the Army George Marshall, (1949–1959)
• General Jacob L. Devers, (1960–1969)
• General Mark W. Clark, (1969–1984)
• General Andrew Goodpaster, (1985–1990)
• General Paul X. Kelley, (1991–1994, 2001–2005)
• General Frederick F. Woerner, Jr., (1994–2001)
• General Frederick M. Franks, Jr., (2005–2009)

The authorizing legislation for the American Battle Monuments Commission (36 U.S.C., Chapter 21) specifies that the president will appoint 11 members to the commission and an officer of the regular Army to serve as the secretary. President Barack Obama appointed Max Cleland to serve as Secretary in June 2009. There currently are no appointed commissioners, but President Obama is expected to name new commissioners.

See also

• Register of Culturally Significant Property
• National Register of Historic Places

References

Possible sources for continued research can include:

• Nishiura, Elizabeth, editor, American Battle Monuments: A Guide to Military Cemeteries and Monuments Maintained By the American Battle Monuments Commission, Omnigraphics Inc., Detroit, Michigan 1989
• Hallowed Grounds (2009) PBS video of twenty-two America's overseas military cemeteries in eight different countries.

Bibliography

• American Battle Monuments Commission (1938). American armies and battlefields in Europe: a history, guide, and reference book. U.S.G.P.O.. Selected photos available online through the Washington State Library's Classics in Washington History collection
• American Battle Monuments Commission (1938). American armies and battlefields in Europe: a history, guide, and reference book. U.S.G.P.O.. Maps available online through the Washington State Office of the Secretary of State's Washington History collection
• Nishiura, Elizabeth, editor, American Battle Monuments: A Guide to Military Cemeteries and Monuments Maintained By the American Battle Monuments Commission, Omnigraphics Inc., Detroit, Michigan 1989

External links

• Official website

• World War I : Soldiers Remembered Presented by the Washington State Library and Washington State Archives
  • American operations in the Aisne-Marne region: May 31–12 October 1918
  • American operations in the St. Mihiel region: September 12–11 November 1918
  • The Meuse-Argonne offensive of the American First Army: September 26–11 November 1918
• Records of Thomas North regarding Dwight D. Eisenhower's service with the Commission, 1927-1929

See also

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission