The book: The Faces of Margraten

They remained forever young

In the rolling hills of Limburg near Margraten, they slowly appear, row after row, thousands of white marble crosses and Stars of David. They mark the final resting place of nearly 8,300 American soldiers who died during the Second World War. But while the gravestones tell us the names of the mostly young men who were involved in our liberation, they do not tell us who the soldiers were and who they left behind. Moreover, the peace and quiet at the only American war cemetery in the Netherlands conceal the circumstances that marked the end of their already turbulent lives.

Using hundreds of personal photographs and more than a hundred stories, The Faces of Margraten gives these soldiers a face again, especially for the commemoration of 75 years of freedom. The stories guide us through the history of the Second World War and the liberation of the Netherlands, while at the same time painting a picture of how and why the Dutch people still keep their memory alive.

Above all, each photograph and each story is a tribute to one of the more than 10,000 people buried and commemorated in Margraten. Concluding with a list of all their names, this commemorative book is a lasting monument on paper for them all.