American Battle Monuments Commission leadership visit sites for Veterans Day
The American Battle Monuments Commission hosted Veterans Day ceremonies at 22 of its sites. ABMC Chairman U.S. Army Gen. (Ret.) Michael X. Garrett, ABMC Commissioner U.S. Navy Rear Admiral (Ret.) Michael E. Smith and ABMC Secretary Charles K. Djou attended public and private events, respectively, at Manila American Cemetery, Naval Monument at Gibraltar and Cambridge American Cemetery to commemorate Veterans Day.
At Manila American Cemetery, Garrett was present at the ceremony Nov. 11, alongside the U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines, MaryKay Carlson, and Undersecretary Irineo C. Espino from the Department of National Defense of the Philippines.
At the ceremony, Garrett paid tribute to Capt. James Canfield Fisher—known as “Dr. Jimmy”—a doctor with the 6th Ranger Battalion. Fisher sustained deadly injuries during a raid on a Japanese prisoner of war camp in Cabanatuan in January 1945 during which U.S. forces rescued more than 500 American service members.
“The torch of freedom has been passed through the hands of our veterans from generation to generation—hands like those of Captain Fisher,” said Garrett. “Over the past decades our Commission has been evolving from an agency of grieving to one of educating. We see our mission today to preserve the legacy of service and sacrifice represented by this cemetery and those it honors—by sharing stories like that of Dr. Jimmy.”
Smith represented ABMC at the Naval Monument at Gibraltar on Nov. 10, where he laid a wreath on behalf of the agency. This monument, constructed of the stone from the neighboring Rock of Gibraltar, commemorates the achievements of the U.S. Navy in the nearby waters and its comradeship with the British Royal Navy during World War I.
Djou paid tribute to the nation’s servicemen and women at the Royal Air Force Alconbury event held at Cambridge American Cemetery on Nov. 11. Approximately 500 guests, including Jane D. Hartley, U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom; Phil Murphy, New Jersey Governor; and U.S. military representatives, as well as the local community gathered at the site. The ceremony included the posting of the colors, the national anthem, an invocation, a wreath laying and the playing of taps. Ceremony remarks were provided by Djou, Murphy and Hartley.
"History is real and it is made by individuals willing to sacrifice their lives for the cause of freedom," said Djou. "If you wonder, if you question, if you doubt: come here to Cambridge American Cemetery. See these crosses. See these Stars of David. See the real cost of war and the true price of freedom."
ABMC’s mission is to honor the achievements of the U.S. armed forces by preserving their legacy of service and by seeking new and innovative ways of reflecting on the evolving nature of sacrifice. More than 200,000 servicemen and women are buried or memorialized at ABMC sites.