Black soldiers’ panels at Margraten reinstalled by TV, removed hours later by police
The Dutch television program Even tot hier briefly reinstalled two information panels Saturday evening near the U.S. military cemetery in Margraten honoring Black soldiers who fought in Limburg during World War II, but the panels were removed immediately afterward under the supervision of police and military police. BNNVARA confirmed that the panels were only temporarily reinstalled and said they will be handed over to the Black Liberation Foundation, which focuses on research into Black liberators during World War II.
According to L1, the removal took place right after the Saturday evening installation ceremony. A police spokesperson confirmed that both authorities oversaw the panels’ removal. “You cannot just place things on someone else’s property,” the spokesperson said, while noting that the program makers had intended to pack up the panels immediately and did so voluntarily.
The panels, which provide photos and detailed accounts of the soldiers’ contributions, were first added to Margraten’s visitors’ center in 2024. One panel described the dual battle faced by Black U.S. servicemen—fighting both Nazi forces and racial discrimination within the American military. Due to segregation, many were assigned to support roles rather than front-line combat. The second panel commemorated George H. Pruitt, a Black soldier who died on June 10, 1945, while attempting to rescue a fellow soldier who had fallen into a river near Bremen, Germany.
The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), which manages the cemetery, had previously removed the panels, saying that stories of Black soldiers’ fight for equality “no longer fit within the commemorative mission.” The removals drew outrage from relatives of the soldiers and Limburg politicians, who called on U.S. Ambassador Joe Popolo to restore the panels. Popolo defended the decision on social media, stating, “The exhibitions in Margraten are not intended to promote an agenda that criticizes America.”
A BNNVARA spokeswoman said the foundation and the broadcaster will decide together what will happen with the panels and explore whether they can be given a permanent location.
The installation is part of a broader exhibition, humorously titled MAGA haten bij Margraten, which translates to Hating MAGA at Margraten, referencing President Donald Trump’s slogan, “Make America Great Again.” The Even tot hier presenters said the title highlights “all discriminatory actions of the Trump administration.”
In a symbolic tribute, the program arranged hay bales in a nearby field spelling the name of James Jr. The display will remain until the next Google Maps satellite update. “The field belongs to a farmer, and we can do what we like there,” the presenters said.
This is not the first time Even tot hier has made a commemorative effort. In early May, the program replaced a stolen plaque at the John Frost Bridge in Arnhem marking the 1944 battle during Operation Market Garden. During the war, Frost’s paratroopers temporarily held the bridge before surrendering to German forces. The new plaque features hundreds of images of Frost’s soldiers forming a composite portrait of the British lieutenant colonel who led them.
