The headstones are engraved with a swastika, an iron cross and inscription in German that reads “He died far from his home for the Führer, people and fatherland.”
“Marines are used to being on the frontlines of the fight, but this time our healthcare workers and other essential workers are the ones out there risking their lives by facing exposure to the virus on a daily basis."
In 1944, Allied forces began liberating the Netherlands from Nazi occupation. Among these soldiers were black GIs whose role in the liberation had largely been overlooked in historical accounts. Now, the Black Liberators Project seeks to highlight the service and sacrifice of these soldiers, including the 172 buried in Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten.
“We regret the use of the photograph of Joachim Peiper. The intent was to tell the full story of the Battle of the Bulge, which will continue here, by explaining the incredible odds that were stacked up against the American Soldier by the time the reserve was called in on 18 Dec,” the Army airborne unit tweeted Tuesday morning.