Strongly Oppose the Removal of Plaques Honoring Black Soldiers at Dutch WWII Cemetery

Sometime this spring, the U.S. War Memorials Commission—the government agency responsible for maintaining overseas memorial sites—removed display panels from the visitor center at the American Cemetery in Magelaten. Nestled in rolling hills near the Belgian-German border, this cemetery serves as the final resting place for approximately 8,300 American soldiers.

One display panel recounted the story of 23-year-old Black soldier George H. Pruitt, buried at the cemetery, who sacrificed his life in 1945 to save a drowning comrade. Another panel described America’s racial segregation policies during World War II.

This relocation was carried out without any public explanation. My uncle was an African American soldier, and I believe this is an important part of history.

Removing these panels “continues a pattern in American history of erasing the stories of men and women of color.”

They should put these panels back.

I hope the Black Liberators organization finds a permanent location to erect a monument for the Black soldiers who gave their lives to liberate the Netherlands.‌