Controversy Erupts Over Removed Plaque Highlighting Racial Segregation at US WWII Cemetery in โthe Netherlands
A wave of concern and criticism has followed the โrecent removal of informational panels detailingโข theโ racialโ segregation experienced by African-American soldiers duringโข World War II โfrom the Margraten Cemetery in theโค Netherlands. The cemetery, the final resting place for over 8,300 American service members who died liberating the southeastern netherlands, is managed by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC).
the panels, which acknowledged the segregation faced by Black soldiersโฃ despite their crucial roleโข in the liberation,โ were quietly โremoved in recent months, a move frist reported byโฃ the โฃDutch newspaper NRC. This action hasโค sparked outrage โขamongst Dutch officialsโข and historians, who view it as a concerning โattempt to sanitize history.
The cemetery โฃholds the graves of 174 African-American soldiers, โand the removed panels were โคa recent addition, installed in 2024 after initial criticism regarding the Visitor center’s opening film in Decemberโ 2023. The original filmโข briefly showed Black soldiersโข digging โgraves but failed to acknowledge their broader โcontributions toโ buildingโ the cemeteryโข orโ the discrimination they endured. Following concerns raised wiht then-US Ambassador to the Netherlands, โคShefali Razdanโ Duggal, the ABMC added details recognizing the โขwork of these soldiers.
Dutch historian Kees Ribbens, a โขSenior Researcher at the Institute for War, โHolocaust and Genocide studies (NIOD),โฃ expressed skepticism about the US explanation for the removal, suggesting the current governance may be uncomfortable acknowledging the history of racial segregation. He warned against โฃrewriting โWWII history, emphasizing its relevance to European understanding of the conflict. Ribbens also highlighted the deep connection between โคthe local community and theโ cemetery, notingโฃ that families have “adopted” graves since 1945, tending to them in gratitude for the liberation.
Alain Krijnen, โtheโค mayor of โEijsden-Margraten, the municipality encompassing theโ cemetery, has formally requested theโ ABMC โฃreconsider the removal and ensure continued recognition of the african-American soldiers’ stories. He plans to discuss the matter with the new American ambassador, Joseph Popolo. Eleven provincial โฃparties haveโ condemned the removal as “indecent and unacceptable” and are exploring the possibility of erecting a separateโ memorial to honor the Black soldiers outside the cemetery grounds.
The โMargraten Cemetery was establishedโ in 1944 and later transferredโค to theโค US Government on a perpetual loan basis. Along with the buried soldiers, the site also commemorates over 1,722 missing American service members.โข theโ Netherlands, liberated on May 5, 1945 – now a national holiday -โ remains deeply grateful for the sacrifices made by Americanโ troops โฃduring the โฃwar.
