American Battle Monuments Commission

The purpose of the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) is to oversee the commemorative cemeteries and museums that honor the service and achievements of the U.S. Armed Forces overseas.

Cemeteries and Memorials

ABMC operates and maintains 25 permanent American burial grounds on foreign soil. Including veterans of both World War I and II as well as the Mexican War, these sites house the remains of 124,908 U.S. soldiers.

In addition, 14,907 soldiers are interred at the Mexico City National Cemetery, Corozal American Cemetery and Clark Veterans Cemetery.

In the East Coast, West Coast and Honolulu Memorials in the United States there are 94,000 names of missing soldiers from World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

Services for Family Members

The ABMC offers a number of services for family members in order to further its goal of celebrating the service of deceased soldiers.

ABMC staff members are always on hand to receive and escort family members to a grave site, or help them navigate the cemetery. Floral decorations can be ordered, general information is offered and letters authorizing fee-free passports to visit the memorial are provided.

Additionally, the ABMC offers travel information to prospective visitors. Lithographs and photographs of a headstone or tablet of a missing soldier are provided to the family members of those buried or memorialized at the sites.

Monuments

The ABMC maintains 26 memorials, including monuments and markers, globally. In Washington D.C. there are three: the American Expeditionary Forces Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, and the World War II Memorial. These sites are now governed by the National Park Service but were originally installed by the ABMC.

Visit the American Battle Monuments Commission to learn more.