A Forever Promise We Can Help Fulfill

Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in a remarkable story of remembrance. Nearly 80 years ago, a promise was made in the Netherlands by citizens who adopted the graves of American soldiers who died liberating their homeland during World War II. That promise, made by ordinary people like Mrs. Emilie van Kessenich, was simple but powerful: to remember and care for these fallen heroes as if they were their own.

Since then, thousands of Dutch families have honored that promise. But only a small percentage have ever been able to connect with the American families of the soldiers they so lovingly honor.

Today, through the Forever Promise Project, we have the opportunity to change that.

Forever Promise Project www.foreverpromise.org

In partnership with our dear friends at the Foundation for Adopting Graves American Cemetery Margraten, the Monuments Men and Women Foundation is proud to launch this initiative—designed to connect the next of kin in America with the Dutch adopters who have cared for their loved one’s grave for decades.

This is a deeply personal mission for me. My new book, Remember Us: American Sacrifice, Dutch Freedom, and a Forever Promise Forged in World War II, shares the human stories behind this extraordinary tradition. But now, with the Forever Promise Project, we’re not just telling the story—we're inviting Americans to be part of it.

If you have a family member buried at Margraten, or simply want to help us spread the word, please visit foreverpromise.org. Let’s fulfill the Forever Promise together—and ensure these heroes are remembered.