The American Battle Monuments Commission

Flanders Field American Cemetery and Memorial

As of 2005 there were nearly 125,000 war dead that are interred in the various cemeteries administered by the ABMC.

The news in recent weeks coming out of Washington and Wall Street has ranged from dismal to downright alarming. The American public’s (indeed, much of the world’s) confidence in our free enterprise system has sunk to a low unprecedented since the great depression of the 1930s. Money, power and unprecedented greed has resulted in a fiscal crisis that is far from being resolved and may take us into even harder times and a black hole of uncharted waters.

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In particular, confidence in our government and the way it spends taxpayers’ dollars has never been lower. Those charged with wisely spending those tax dollars seem in desperately short supply. However, there is one arm of the US government that is a remarkable exception. Unlike other bloated government agencies, it operates on a shoestring budget while performing a little known but vital function.

It is the American Battle Monuments Commission – the subject of this month’s article.

The ABMC is an independent agency of the Executive Branch of the Federal government and its small but effective staff are dedicated public servants. The Commission carries out is mission with a staff of 390 full-time civilian employees. The history of the ABMC dates to the years after World War I when, in 1923, Congress enacted legislation to create an agency to both honor American forces but also (initially) to find, identify and control military monuments and markers sited on foreign soil.

To insure ABMC had the necessary clout and prestige its first and longest serving chairman was none other than John J. Pershing, who served until his death in 1948. Other distinguished men have followed: Gen. George C. Marshall (1948-59), Gen. Jacob L. Devers, chairman until 1969, Gen. Mark W. Clark, who was succeeded by Gen. Andrew Goodpaster. The present chairman is Gen. Tommy Franks.

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Tags: Tours

4 Responses to “The American Battle Monuments Commission”

1. 1
   kevin cummins says:

   10/22/2008 at 12:28 pm

   It is a comfort to know that such stellar work is done for those who
   gave their all..This was a very moving tribute to all involved.

   Reply
2. 2
   Barton Stano says:

   10/22/2008 at 1:37 pm

   This gov. agency even helps (via administration) to rehab a French memorial to the WWI ace Frank Luke. I donated money to them and they got it to the
   group that repaired the small memorial located near where Frank Luke died in 1918.
   They do great work and on a shoestring.
   FYI: A British group gave some money to help on that repair also. It was nice to have the Brits contribute.
   When the memorial was rededicated a large crowd was present, some American, but many French. It was nice to see.

   Reply
3. 3
   John Ellsworth Winter says:

   10/30/2008 at 8:55 pm

   YEARS AGO I VISITED THE EPINAL CEMETERY IN EASTERN
   FRANCE, NEAR NANCY, TO VISIT THE GRAVE OF MY BROTHER-
   IN-LAW, LT. CHARLES HOFFMAN, KILLED IN THE SOUTHERN
   FRENCH CAMPAIGN IN 1944. I WAS MOVED DEEPLY BY THE
   BEAUTY OF THE CEMETERY, THE MAJESTY OF THE
   ARCHITECTURE, AND THE HELPFULNESS OF THE STAFF. THE
   WHOLE EXPERIENCE REPRESENTED FAITHFULLY THE
   NOBILITY OF BOTH THE HONORED DEAD WHO LIE THERE AND
   THE CAUSE FOR WHICH THEY DIED. NEVER WAS I SO
   THANKFUL IN MY LIFE, INCLUDING APPRECIATION FOR OUR
   GOVERNMENT WHICH CARES ENOUGH TO CARE FOR THOSE
   WHO SERVED AND DIED AND “THE GLORY OF THEIR DEEDS.”

   Reply
4. 4
   Charles A. Krohn says:

   12/2/2008 at 12:28 pm

   This is a very fine piece that describes our work at the American Battle Monuments Commission. There is one error: our chairman is not General Tommy Franks but General Fred Franks, USA(Ret). I hope this comment does not appear to diminish my great appreciation for this fine article.

   Charles A. Krohn
   Deputy Director of Public Affairs
   American Battle Monuments Commission

   Reply