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10 Ways to Honor our Fallen from World War I and World War II this Veterans Day

This Veterans Day Americans around the world will honor their fellow citizens who have served their country. The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) offers ten ways you can show your appreciation this November 11th.

ABMC, an agency of the U.S. federal government, manages America’s overseas, military cemeteries from World War I and World War II. Some of the best ways to honor our fallen is by learning about the men and women who gave their lives in these conflicts. More than 200,00 Americans are buried or memorialized overseas. They were brothers, fathers, sons, daughters, mothers, wives, and friends who left the United States to defend freedom abroad. In a matter of minutes, you can honor these men and women on Veterans Day.

  1. Visit one of ABMC’s 25 cemeteries or 27 monuments: Admission to all sites is free and no tickets are required.
     
  2. Watch the WWI documentary Never Forgotten (link is external): This film tells the story of Sgt. Paul Maynard who fought in some of the major American campaigns of the war. 
     
  3. Visit ABMC’s education website to bring WWII into the classroom or home (link is external): Full of free lesson plans, videos, and primary source documents, learn about America’s involvement in WWII.
  1. Follow ABMC on Facebook (link is external), Instagram (link is external), and YouTube (link is external):  Receive daily updates, breathtaking images, historical articles and more by following ABMC.
     
  2. Download a free app for your smartphone: Explore our cemeteries via your Apple or Android device.
     
  3. Search the ABMC Database to find a family member: With more than 200,000 Americans honored overseas, this database includes burial information on all these individuals.
     
  4. Use an Interactive to learn about major WWI and WWII campaigns and battles: From Normandy to Meuse-Argonne,  watch videos, see troop movement and better understand why Americans played critical roles in these events.
     
  5. Download a photo of an iconic overseas cemetery: Download a high resolution photo for your computer, tablet or smartphone to serve as a constant reminder of the sacrifices made.
     
  6. Pause to remember those Americans who never made it home: More than 200,000 from WWI and WWII are honored at ABMC cemeteries.  
     
  7. Share what you’ve learned with a family member or friend:  Don’t forget the sacrifices of the men and women from WWI and WWII. They paid the ultimate price for our freedom.