Netherlands American Cemetery will host the Faces of Margraten from May 2-6, 2018 with an opening ceremony on May 2, 2018 at 3 p.m. The Stichting Verenigde Adoptanten Amerikaanse Oorlogsgraven (Foundation United Adopters American War Graves) has worked to create a unique tribute to the men and women buried or memorialized at the cemetery. They have been collecting photos since 2014 in order to give a face to the names on the marble headstones and the Walls of the Missing. During the Faces of Margraten, the photos will be placed directly next to the headstone or wall. Visitors will be able to walk through the cemetery and see the faces of the men and women that gave their lives in the fight to liberate the Netherlands. To date the group has collected more than 5,000 photos.
A new addition this year includes the debut of the Voices of Margraten, a free audio tour, available beginning May 2, 2018. Through a partnership with Laudio, and using recovered documents and eyewitness accounts of soldiers’ families and those who keep the memory of these men and women alive, visitors can hear the story of one of the fallen in the cemetery. Available in English and Dutch, hear the story of Pfc. Carmelo Amoroso. Here's an excerpt from the tour: "That day, when you weren’t here yet, Carmelo, the birds just sat on their branch, silently. They didn’t know how. They didn’t even know that they could sing!"
Download the free app, Voices of Margraten. While it's best to use the app in the cemetery, you can still enjoy the story from anywhere in the world:
- Visit www.degezichtenvanmargraten.nl to download the audio tour. Alternatively, you can download the izi.travel app from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. After downloading the app, search for the Voices of Margraten tour within the app for English speakers. Search Stemmen van Margraten tour within the app for Dutch speakers.
- To download the audio tour, you need an internet/wifi connection. If using the audio tour in the cemetery, your phone will only utilize the GPS capability. Cellular service is not required.
- The audio tour starts near the entrance of the cemetery at the information desk. The tour narrator will direct you over the cemetery grounds. Alternatively, you can also follow the route on your phone’s screen.
- The audio tour will be available for one year
Visiting the cemetery is always free, and open to the public.