Brunssum, the Netherlands – Lt General Jean-Pierre Perrin, Joint Force Command Brunssum (JFC Brunssum) Chief of Staff, attended the U.S. Memorial Day Ceremony at the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, on Sunday, 25 May 2025.
To me, one of the most precious features of this quiet and beautiful place of remembrance is something invisible to the eye
Lt Gen Perrin represented JFC Brunssum at the ceremony, alongside other distinguished guests, including the King of the Netherlands, Willem-Alexander van Oranje; Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof; Chargé d’Affaires of the United States Emabassy in the Netherlands, Mr. Marcus Micheli; and Governor Emile Roemer, King’s Commissioner for the Province of Limburg.
The annual ceremony commemorates American Soldiers who gave their lives liberating the Netherlands during World War II. This year’s ceremony was particularly important, as it coincided with the 80th anniversary of “Victory in Europe Day” in 1945.
“To me, one of the most precious features of this quiet and beautiful place of remembrance is something invisible to the eye. It’s not the stunning views, not the lush surroundings nor the breathtaking design of this cemetery,” said Prime Minister Dick Schoof, in a speech during the ceremony. “It’s the fact that all the graves and the names on the Walls of the Missing have been adopted by local people, a tradition that started in 1945 and has continued to this day. That is what lasting gratitude looks like.”
In total, sixteen wreaths were laid to honour fallen U.S. service members. Lt Gen Perrin offered a wreath on behalf of JFC Brunssum and NATO. A combined formation of C-130 and F-35 aircraft performed a “missing man” flyover to conclude the event.
The Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial is the sole U.S war cemetery in the Netherlands. It is the final resting place of 8,289 U.S. WWII soldiers, many of whom died in the Netherlands during Operation Market Garden in September 1944. Included among those 8,289 Americans are six recipients of the Medal of Honour, the highest U.S. Military award, and four women. In addition to those buried there, the Walls of the Missing records the names of 1,722 missing U.S. soldiers whose final resting place is unknown.
In 2023, the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten opened a Visitor's Centre to highlight further the accomplishments and sacrifices of the soldiers laid to rest and commemorated there.
