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“Where American Armed Forces Have Served Overseas”: The American Battle Monuments Commission and the Implications of Overseas American Military Commemoration

Sat, November 19, 10:00 to 11:45am, HYATT REGENCY AT COLORADO CONVENTION CTR, Floor: Level 4, Capitol 3

Abstract

War’s legacies continue to haunt civilian communities long after the end of war, whether it’s the disabled veteran returned home to domestic life in the United States, or the transformation of communities, landscapes, and geographies near war zones. For the United States, war has almost always been a global phenomenon, and with global wars comes global commemoration. Many Americans travel overseas to visit sites of famous historical conflicts and trauma - the Western Front, Verdun, Auschwitz, the Berlin Wall, Manila - often inspired by family connections, patriotic duty, or intellectual curiosity.

Once overseas, these visitors will likely encounter a site managed by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), an agency of the executive branch of the US Government, designated the “guardian of America’s overseas commemorative cemeteries and memorials,” that “honors the service, achievements and sacrifice of U.S. Armed Forces.” These overseas sites of American martial memory shape the domestic fabric of the surrounding communities, serving as a constant reminder of the legacy of war. While most of ABMC’s memorials are dedicated to WWI and WWII in Europe and the Pacific Theater, they also include sites marking the Korean War, Spanish-American War, Mexican-American War, and defense of the Panama Canal. These cemeteries and memorials continue to mark the US’ imperial reach, commemorating in place servicemen who fought and died for imperial endeavors. This paper will follow the origins, mission, current organization of the ABMC to theorize the implications that overseas American military commemoration has for domestic daily life and political relations

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