1944: The first soldiers are buried.

The American cemetery in Margraten is the only US military cemetery on Dutch territory. Three months after the successful Allied landing on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944 - D-day – The American cemetery in Margraten is the only US military cemetery on Dutch territory. Three months after the successful Allied landing on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944 - D-Day, the allied forces made good progress in the liberation of Belgium and Luxembourg and were able to advance into the Netherlands. The liberation of Limburg and the subsequent advance into Germany came next. The German army began to reinforce its defences on the Siegfriedlinie, located on Germany's western border..

The leadership of the US 9th Army assumed that in the attacks on the Ruhr, crossing the Rhine Crossand and the advance to Berlin Berlin would lead to many casualties. As no American soldiers were buried on German soil, on October 1944 it was decided to establish an American cemetery in south Limburg.

At the command of Major James McCormick of the Quartermaster Section of the US 9th Army, Captain Joseph Shomon, commander of 611th Graves Registration Company (611 GRC) , approached the town council of Margraten. The Mayor of Margraten agreed to the request to establish an American cemetery on farmland in the west of Margraten . Later, the Dutch government gave the land - more than 26 hectares - on loan to the US government in perpetuity.

The infrastructure construction of the cemetery was carried out by 172 Engineer Combat Batallion. Major McCormick of 611 GRC was in overall charge of the entire process of identifying and burying the dead. The daily management was in the hands of Captain Joseph Shomon, commander of 611 GRC.

On November 10, 1944 the cemetery was inaugurated. Much of the work - the construction of the graves, gathering clothing and personal belongings, and moving and burying the bodies - was carried out by men of 960 Quartermaster Service Company (960 QSC) and from mid-December by men of 3136 QSC. These units consisted almost entirely of African American soldiers. Only the officers were white.

Video: Informative film about the work of the Graves

Book: 'From Alabama to Margraten' tells the story of the African American gravedigger Jefferson Wiggings 960 QSC.

African American soldiers 'process' the remains.
Source: US Army Signals Corps / Collectie Mr. Kimo McCormick on Arie-Jan van Hees

African American soldiers are engaged in the construction of graves.
Source: US Army Signals Corps / Collectie Mr. Kimo McCormick on Arie-Jan van Hees

The vast desolation of the cemetery.
Source: US Army Signals Corps / Collectie Mr. Kimo McCormick on Arie-Jan van Hees

Cemetery in 1944 from the air. In the middle is the cemetery for American casualties.
Source: US Army Signals Corps / Collectie Mr. Kimo McCormick on Arie-Jan van Hees

Jackets and shoes of soldiers who are still usable are prepared for reuse.
Source: US Army Signals Corps / Collectie Mr. Kimo McCormick on Arie-Jan van Hees

Majoor James E. McCormick
Source: Collectie Mr. Kimo McCormick on Arie-Jan van Hees

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