Foundation
The Dutch non-profitorganization Stichting Verenigde Adoptanten Amerikaanse Oorlogsgraven (Foundation United Adopters American War Graves), which was founded in 2011 actively aims to honor the men and women who have been buried in overseas American War Cemeteries in the Netherlands and Belgium by conducting research on them, hoping to preserve the memories to them and their sacrifices. The foundation was founded in July 2011, but was preceeded by the website Adoptiegraven.nl, which had been online since 2007. About twenty devoted volunteers from both the Netherlands and Belgium have committed themselves to remembering their sacrifices.
In the Fields of Honor – Database, which can be visited at www.fieldsofhonor-database.com, information and photos can be found about the American soldiers that have been buried in the Margraten Cemetery, but also about the American soldiers that have been buried in the American War Cemetery and Memorial Henri-Chapelle and the American War Cemetery and Memorial Ardennes in Belgium. All these cemeteries, including 22 other U.S. cemeteries, are maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission.
Thehe foundation has information about, albeit often still limited, all American soldiers buried in or memorialized at the American War Cemetery Margraten. Other than that, it has information and photos about 9,500 other American soldiers who have been buried in or are memorialized on the American War Cemeteries Ardennes and Henri-Chapelle. This information was gathered through independent research, but also submitted by adopters, soldiers' relatives, fellow researchers, and veterans' associations. The foundation hopes that it will be able to offer a personal memorial page for each soldier in the Fields of Honor – Database, with as much information about each soldier as possible.
For more information on the foundation and its work, please visit the foundation's website at www.svaao.nl. There you will not only be able to learn more about the foundation, you will also find more information on various Adopt-A-Grave programs (also see below), tips on how to do research, and our online forum.
Besides its activities on the internet, the Stichting Verenigde Adoptanten Amerikaanse Oorlogsgraven is also increasingly active outside of the internet. In the past two years, for example, the foundation organized meetings to the American War Cemetery and Memorial Ardennes and the American War Cemetery and Memorial Luxembourg.
Adopting a Grave
It is important to emphasize that Stichting Verenigde Adoptanten Amerikaanse Oorlogsgraven (Foundation United Adopters American War Graves) does not maintain any of the existing Adopt-A-Grave programs on U.S. War Cemeteries in Europe. You can find more information on these website though. However, if you would like to know more about who has adopted the grave or name of a loved one buried or memorialized in the Margraten Cemetery, please contact the Stichting Adoptie Graven Amerikaanse Begraafplaats Margraten (Foundation for Adopting Graves American Cemetery Margraten). This is the sole organization that maintains the Adopt-A-Grave program for this cemetery.
