III 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 487 

Commemorating the centennial of the American Battle Monuments 

Commission. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 6, 2023 

Mr. MORAN (for himself and Mr. TESTER) submitted the following resolution; 

which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Commemorating the centennial of the American Battle 

Monuments Commission. 

Whereas the American Battle Monuments Commission, also 

known as the ‘‘ABMC’’, was founded by Congress on 

March 4, 1923, to commemorate the service and sacrifice 

of the United States Armed Forces through perpetually 

maintained cemeteries and memorials; 

Whereas the American Battle Monuments Commission, for 

100 years, has maintained the vision of General of the 

Armies John J. Pershing that ‘‘time will not dim the 

glory of their deeds’’; 

Whereas, in 1927, then-Major Dwight D. Eisenhower, of Abilene, Kansas, was assigned to the American Battle Monuments Commission and helped compose ‘‘A Guide to the 

American Battle Fields in Europe’’, which he later helped 

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•SRES 487 ATS 

to revise and expand to ‘‘American Armies and Battlefields in Europe: A History, Guide, and Reference Book’’, 

a guidebook for Americans traveling overseas to visit battle sites, cemeteries, and memorials of World War I; 

Whereas, in 1928 and 1929, during the revision and expansion of that guidebook in Paris, France, then-Major Eisenhower gained critical geographic and cultural knowledge of Europe that would prove crucial during World 

War II; 

Whereas, in 1944, during World War II, the temporary 

American St. Laurent Cemetery was established as the 

first American cemetery on European soil, eventually becoming the Normandy American Cemetery, which is the 

most visited cemetery maintained by the American Battle 

Monuments Commission; 

Whereas, in 2023, the American Battle Monuments Commission celebrates 100 years of service to members of our 

Armed Forces and their families; 

Whereas the workforce of the American Battle Monuments 

Commission is comprised of dedicated civil service professionals and locally engaged staff in countries around the 

globe; 

Whereas the American Battle Monuments Commission administers, operates, and maintains 26 permanent American military cemeteries and 32 Federal memorials, 

monuments, and markers, which are located in 17 foreign 

countries and territories, primarily commemorating the 

American war dead from World War I and World War 

II; 

Whereas approximately 124,000 American war dead are buried in cemeteries operated by the American Battle MonuVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:33 Dec 06, 2023 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR487.ATS SR487
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•SRES 487 ATS 

ments Commission, and more than 94,000 Americans 

who were lost, missing in action, or buried at sea during 

World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the 

Vietnam War are remembered by name on stone tablets 

at cemeteries and memorials maintained by the American 

Battle Monuments Commission; and 

Whereas the American Battle Monuments Commission seeks 

to educate the public on the history and sacrifices of 

members of the Armed Forces of the United States honored at cemeteries and memorials around the world: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) recognizes the century of service by the 

3 American Battle Monuments Commission and their 

4 personnel who have worked to honor the service and 

5 sacrifices of our fallen warriors and those who 

6 fought at their side; 

7 (2) commends the work done by the American 

8 Battle Monuments Commission to oversee and exe9 cute commemorative events at cemeteries and memo10 rials, especially for the benefit of veterans and fami11 lies who return to those sacred grounds on milestone 

12 anniversaries or dates of personal significance; 

13 (3) supports the efforts of the American Battle 

14 Monuments Commission to educate the coming gen15 erations, young Americans, and young people from 

16 around the world on the sacrifices made by those 

17 American soldiers, sailors, aviators, Marines, and 

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•SRES 487 ATS 

1 members of the Coast Guard who died during mili2 tary service and are buried or memorialized on the 

3 sacred grounds they steward; 

4 (4) encourages all people of the United States 

5 to visit and pay their respects to those interred in 

6 cemeteries maintained by the American Battle 

7 Monuments Commission overseas who died fighting 

8 against tyranny; 

9 (5) lauds the continued mission carried out with 

10 excellence by the American Battle Monuments Com11 mission; and 

12 (6) wishes the American Battle Monuments 

13 Commission continued success for another 100 years 

14 and beyond. 

Æ