Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery

Saturday, May 26, 2018

Vice Admiral John N. Christenson, USN

The Representative of His Majesty the King of the Bel-

gians (look at him)

Chargé d’Affaires Lussenhop [Matthew] (look)

Mr. Miesen [“Mee-sen” -Alexander] (look)

Ms. Jadin [“Jhe-dan” – Kattrin] (look)

Mr. Denis [“Den-enz” – Andre] (look)

Ms. Delcourt (Catherine) (look)

Mr. Klenkenberg (Claude) (look)

Representitives from our great allies in Norway, Ger-

many, and Australia,

Elected officials and representatives,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

and most importantly --

The families of the fallen men who have joined us here to-
day. (look around at the people/FAMILIES)
 Good afternoon and welcome to this Memorial Day Com-
memoration, as we pay tribute to the heroes who gave their lives
in defense of freedom.

DR
(PAUSE)

It doesn’t take a hero to order men into battle—the heroes

are the men and women who follow those orders … with this
(point at the headstones) as the very possible outcome.

It is a great honor for me to represent the United States Mil-

itary here today, and I thank Superintendent Chris Arseneault
for the outstanding planning and preparation that went into this
event, as well as Dr. Jerry Sheridan, President of the American
Overseas Memorial Day Association, for the important work
you do in honoring our fallen heroes from World Wars One and
Two.

And again, a sincere welcome to the families and friends of

those men who lie in peace at this sacred site.

We are also honored to have representatives of the Belgian

military under the command of Province Commander Col Cruci-
fix, including the band and the rifle detail, and of course the
“Anciens Combatants” [“Ahn-see-ahn Com-ba-tahn”] carrying
the flags of their former military units.

DR
We are here not only to honor the fallen, but also to cele-
brate the partnership and friendship between our two nations.
The Kingdom of Belgium and the United States have fought
side by side for a hundred years – through two World Wars,
during the Cold War as founding members of NATO, and now
in Afghanistan and in the Coalition to combat violent extremists
in Syria and Iraq. Our friendship has been tested by time and by
shared combat, and just as in our previous conflicts, we will
again emerge victorious.

I’d like to now draw your attention to our present-day he-

roes – the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines who are
participating in this ceremony – both Belgian and American.

Like those we honor here at Henri-Chapelle, these young

men and women have chosen to serve their country in uniform
during a time of war. They are all volunteers, and they represent
the finest that our countries have to offer. We are indeed
blessed to have them.
 Today, on these hallowed grounds, we are reminded of
three things, the duty and sacrifice we are here to honor, the
trusted relationship we have built through decades of training,
fighting, and living side by side, and the fact that the United

DR
States continues to stand with its Allies and partners to main-
tain a free, prosperous and peaceful Europe.

Those who are interred here traveled to a land they had

never seen – to help people they did not know – and to defend
them from invasion. Today’s military is doing the same – trav-
eling to faraway lands to confront a different kind of invasion –
an invasion of our sense of security – to terrorize us.

So as we honor these fallen heroes from the past, let us not

forget the heroes of today who are fighting.

(Big Pause)

7,992 Americans are interred here at Henri-Chapelle,

many of whom died during the final invading offensive of the
war from December 1944 to January 1945 – more commonly
known to Americans as the Battle of the Bulge – or in the ad-
vance that followed which ultimately ended the war. While
many of the names on the crosses represent members of the in-
fantry, over half of those interred here served as aircrew in the

DR
bombers and fighter escorts that flew in defense of the infantry.

This site also commemorates the names of 450 of our

missing comrades, and 94 unknown soldiers and airmen who
were never able to be identified. In keeping the faith with our
comrades in arms, we continue to try to find the missing and
identify the unknown even to this day.

There are also 36 headstones marking the graves of two

brothers who are buried side by side, and one instance of three
brothers who died together serving their country.

All of those who are interred here, and who we honor and
remember today, answered the call to defend freedom. They en-
dured hardships most of us can not imagine in some of the most
brutal fighting the world has known. Yet they persevered – and
they prevailed. Their sacrifice guaranteed the life we are able
to live today.
 For that we owe them an incredible debt of gratitude and
respect – a debt we can never fully repay.

As our US President and US Navy combat veteran himself John

DR
F. Kennedy said,

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that

the highest appreciation is not to utter the words, but to
live by them."

Our men and women in uniform today continue to fight –

and if necessary give their lives – for those ideals.

So as all our nations remember those who lie here in eternal

peace, let us keep faith with their example of sacrifice, standing
together as we defend our freedom and our security.

I would like to close with what I and many Americans con-

sider the greatest words ever written about remembering those
who died for us. Our President Abraham Lincoln speaking at a
then new cemetery in Gettysburg Pennsylvania:

QUOTE
…we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hal-

low—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who strug-

gled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add

DR
or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what

we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for

us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work

which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It

is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining

before us — that from these honored dead we take increased de-

votion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of

devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not

have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a

new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by

the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
 Thank you, Merci, Dank U, and God Bless you all and your
families.

DR