American WWI troops honored on France’s former battlefields in Memorial Day tribute
Published: 25 May 2025
By Phillip Walter Wellman
via the Stars and Stripes newspaper website
Stars and Stripes photo
Staff Sgt. Joshua Rux of the U.S. Army Europe and Africa Band and Chorus plays taps among the grave markers at the Somme American Cemetery, May 25, 2025. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
BONY, France — The commander in charge of Army operations in Europe led Memorial Day tributes Sunday at the Somme American Cemetery, where some of the first American troops to die in combat on European soil are buried.
Gen. Christopher T. Donahue, commanding general of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, said that although the nearly 1,850 soldiers interred at the site died more than a century ago, their service must never be forgotten.
“Honoring their sacrifices reminds us that freedom isn’t free and that the American soldier will go and fight wherever, and whenever, their nation calls,” Donahue said.
Soldiers with the Army’s 7th Engineer Brigade salute in front of the memorial at the Somme American Cemetery in Bony, France, May 25, 2025. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
The event was one of about two dozen held in Europe over Memorial Day weekend at cemeteries run by the American Battle Monuments Commission.
More than 100,000 Americans who fought in both world wars are buried at ABMC sites in Europe beneath white crosses and Stars of David — enduring reminders of the sacrifice that helped secure the Continent’s freedom.
French and American officials were joined by British and Australian representatives at the ceremony, where several wreaths were laid. French soldiers stood in formation, and a U.S. Air Force contingent that included members of the Ramstein Air Base honor guard participated.
An Army formation from the 7th Engineer Brigade, based in Ansbach, Germany, and part of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command based in Kaiserslautern also took part.
“Being in the military, recognizing that there were those who gave their ultimate sacrifice for love of the country and the defense of the nation and our allies, it’s definitely something that we all feel connected to because we have all sworn to uphold that same oath and take it to that ultimate level if need be,” Army 1st Sgt. Issac Turrentine said.
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