Margraten Announcement Letter (PDF 159 KB)
27 March 2020
The Netherlands American Cemetery at Margraten is a special place. Americans and Dutch alike honor the soldiers buried here, men and women who gave their lives 75 years ago in a titanic struggle against tyranny and oppression.
Together as friends and allies, each year the American and Dutch people keep alive the memory of these brave Americans in ways both large and small. These include the family adoption program, the Faces of Margraten, the Liberation Concert, and of course the Memorial Day commemoration.
Today we find ourselves in another worldwide struggle, this time against an enemy that is harder to see but whose reach is also global. The Coronavirus pandemic has required the Netherlands national and local governments to take significant steps to keep people safe. We support these decisions and the direction set by the Cabinet.
As a result of the current situation we are cancelling the traditional Memorial Day ceremony for 2020, slated to take place on 24 May.
The U.S. Embassy will work with the Province of Limburg, the Municipality of Eijsden-Margraten, the Dutch Government, and the American Battle Monuments Commission to determine alternative options for a commemoration. We are confident that Memorial Day 2020 will continue the tradition of honoring the sacrifices of our fallen heroes.
As a group we will continue to keep you informed of our plans for Memorial Day 2020.
