Memorial Day, originally known as Decoration Day after the Civil War, was a time to honor the sacrifices of those who gave their lives in defense of the nation by decorating their graves.
In modern times, however, Memorial Day has devolved into little more than the unofficial start of the summer vacation season and a long weekend sale event for retailers.
The painful reminders of war’s human toll are increasingly distant for many Americans. The last service members who fought in World War II have nearly all passed away. Korea and Vietnam fade further into the past with each passing year.
Add to that the commercialization, with retailers using the opportunity to make it about great “deals,” which erodes the day’s solemnity.
While Americans are increasingly forgetting to be grateful for the sacrifice of those who fought and died for our freedom, across the pond, the people of the Netherlands have taken it upon themselves to ensure the memories of American liberators are kept alive.
Projects like Faces of Margraten demonstrate the Dutch efforts to honor the thousands of U.S. soldiers buried in their country after giving their lives to defeat Nazi Germany during World War II, according to Fox News.
Ever since allied forces liberated the Netherlands from Nazi German occupation, the Dutch people have honored the American soldiers who perished in nearby battlegrounds through an “Adopt-A-Grave” program at the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial in the city of Margraten, according to a 2016 report in the Sidney (Ohio) Daily News.
Dutch families have “adopted” and tended to each of the 10,000 graves at the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, searching the fallen heroes’ stories and even connecting with their relatives in the United States.
REMEMBERING HEROES: Why the actions of American soldiers to help win World War II still leave Europeans “inspired” to keep their memories and stories alive. https://t.co/c8Hm8pWN2v pic.twitter.com/9tTZx4VlBe
— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 26, 2024
On beautifully landscaped grounds, a sea of white crosses stands among cherry trees and rhododendron shrubs. Most of the soldiers buried there perished nearby as the allies pushed to liberate the Netherlands. Their headstones, adorned with American and Dutch flags, stretch out in curved rows, The Christian Post reported in 2022.
Etched into the cemetery’s tower are the words: “In Memory of the Valor and the Sacrifices Which Hallow This Soil.” At the base of the tower is a reflecting pool where the names of missing in action are recorded. It is a solemn reminder that for the Dutch people, this sacred place represents far more than rows of graves.
If an “adoptive” person or family cannot continue tending to the grave for any reason, there is actually a waiting list of other adoptive persons ready to care for these graves, Fox reported.
Sebastiaan Vonk, a 31-year-old native of the Netherlands, launched the Faces of Margraten initiative in 2007 as an addition to this effort.
Vonk, who was only 14 at the time, created the Fields of Honor Database website to collect photos and information on the nearly 24,000 Americans buried in the Netherlands and Belgian military cemeteries, the Sidney Daily News reported.
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“Just the fact that there is a waiting list to adopt a grave at Margraten and the fact that thousands of other graves have already been adopted in other cemeteries is very telling about how people in Europe still feel about the American liberators today,” Vonk told Fox News.
“They are grateful and, speaking for myself, inspired by what these Americans did for us,” he added.
But Vonk’s vision extends far beyond the borders of his home country.
He is expanding the initiative to five other American battlefield cemeteries across Europe, for a total of 42,000 fallen U.S. service members. The goal is to have adoptive families in Europe commit to researching and honoring the legacies of these heroes in an effort to “humanize” the cost of war.
So far, he has 8,651 photographs, according to Fox News.
The “Faces of Margraten” photos that have been collected are placed beside the adopted soldier’s grave or name on the Tablets of the Missing for a five-day vigil each year. However, the gratitude of the Dutch people extends far beyond those few days, as they honor these liberators’ memories year-round.
The adoption program represents far more than mere grave tending for the Dutch families involved. They undertake extensive research into the lives and histories of their adopted soldiers. Many even forge transatlantic connections, traveling to the United States to meet surviving relatives and learn more about the heroes they have pledged to honor.
Vonk’s goal is that every grave would have a photo and a family to adopt it.
#NeverForget 🇺🇸
American World War II heroes adopted in ‘Faces of Margraten’ project by ‘grateful’ Dutch peoplehttps://t.co/8u8p2PxjQi
— 🇺🇸MAGA-PearTx🍐 (@nosl67) May 26, 2024
Vonk himself has adopted Brooklyn native Lawrence F. Shea, born on September 12, 1923 — “an ordinary boy and sports lover” who served in the 80th Infantry Division during World War II, losing his life to enemy tank fire on April 2, 1945, not far from Margraten.
At a time when military recruitment is at an all-time low, it is befitting to honor the impact our military has made, not just in keeping the United States safe but also in protecting the world.
As we celebrate Memorial Day, it’s important to impart an attitude of gratitude to the next generation, as they have done in the Netherlands.
While the heroes who perished on distant shores and times long passed may be gone, their extraordinary impact lives on through the liberties we enjoy today.
Setting aside our merriment briefly to remember, say a prayer of gratitude, and connect with the solemnity of what these courageous souls gave up is the very minimum this day demands of us.
