Honoring and Remembering Fallen WWII American Soldiers in the Netherlands
In 1945, following the end of WWII, a letter arrived at City Hall in Maastricht, Netherlands. It was from a young American war widow, Mabel Rose Feil. She wrote asking for a photograph of her late husband’s grave. “He was my whole life,” Feil wrote. “I will be grateful to you all the days of my life if you can get me a snapshot of his grave.” Pvt. Warren F. Feil’s remains were buried along with more than 20,000 war dead in the Netherlands American Cemetery in the village of Margraten, near Maastricht, just fourteen miles from the German border.
The plea of Mabel and others prompted a grateful Dutch nation to establish an organization to “adopt” the graves of their American liberators buried at the Netherlands American Cemetery, even while the war was still being fought, a story told in the new book by Robert M. Edsel titled Remember Us. For 80 continuous years, Dutch families have lovingly cared for each grave. In some cases, second—and third-generation family members now care for the same grave their parents and grandparents did.
During WWII and despite Dutch neutrality, Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands in 1940. As the war progressed, the Dutch people endured famine, persecution, and in some cases, death. American troops liberated the Maastricht/Margraten area in mid-September 1944 and were given a hero’s welcome. Despite ongoing fighting, the Dutch opened their homes, billeted soldiers, and freely shared their meager food and possessions. American soldiers who fought in the area for months became honored friends. Those who died fighting were mourned as beloved sons.
What initially started as a small burial ground in Margraten eventually ballooned to a resting place for almost 18,000 American men and women. Following the war, about half of those remains, including those of Warren F. Fiel, were repatriated to the United States at the family’s request. Today, the Netherlands American Cemetery is the final resting place for 8,300 war dead, with more than 1,700 names on the Walls of the Missing. The memory of each American service member is preserved by Dutch citizens.
When Robert M. Edsel, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Monuments Men, heard about the Margraten grave adoption program, he was astonished to learn that the 9,000 Dutch families who care for these American graves have connected with just 20% of the American descendants of those buried at Margraten. “Despite repeated efforts,” Edsel said, “the early grave adoption organizers were unable to convince the United States government to provide the next of kin information. Emilie Michiels van Kessenich – a Dutch mother of eleven – went so far as to write to President Truman asking for his intervention. When that effort failed, she made a five-week-long trip to the United States, living with the families who lost a boy during the war, meeting with young widows, and speaking at American Legion and VFW posts. Her message to each was the same: ‘Leave your boys with us; we will watch over them like our own, forever.’”
Edsel embarked on an eight-year research journey to tell the story of American service and sacrifice in the Netherlands in his new book, Remember Us. Along with the book, Edsel has helped facilitate a partnership between the Monuments Men and Women Foundation and the Foundation for Adopting Graves American Cemetery Margraten to launch the Forever Promise Project.
What is the Forever Promise Project?
The Forever Promise Project aims to connect American families with the Dutch adopters who, for 80 years, have watched over the graves of their fallen loved ones. In some instances, the Dutch adopters have photographs or letters of these men, having known them during the war. You can learn more at ForeverPromise.org.
How Does it Work?
Descendants of Americans buried in Margraten can go to ForeverPromise.org and complete a brief questionnaire indicating their relationship to those buried or honored on the Walls of the Missing at Margraten. The Forever Promise Project then facilitates the connection with the Dutch family who cares for their loved one’s grave. There is no cost to the participants. In addition, we’ve added a link on each Find a Grave Memorial at the Netherlands American Cemetery that will link you to ForeverPromise.org.
How Can I Help?
Even if you don’t have an ancestor who served in the Netherlands, you can still participate in this inspiring project by simply spreading the word! Share this post or a link to ForeverPromise.org within your organizations and communities. We can’t think of a better way to honor the sacrifice of the fallen than by building bridges of friendship and connection.
Explore the military records of the brave men and women buried in Margraten on Fold3. Search the Netherlands American Cemetery on Find a Grave, or visit ForeverPromise.org to connect with the Dutch citizens who care for the graves of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.