U.S. lawmakers call for restoration of black soldiers’ panels at Margraten cemetery

A group of U.S. lawmakers is urging their government to restore the panels commemorating Black soldiers at Margraten Cemetery in Limburg. In a letter, they also seek an explanation for why the panels were removed, as previously reported by De Limburger.

The letter was signed by 34 members of the Democratic Party. On Monday, they published their letter to the U.S. administrator of the ABMC. The agency, responsible for military cemeteries and memorials, had earlier told NOS that the panels no longer aligned with “the commemorative mission.”

The lawmakers state in their letter that the Trump administration conducted a “months-long campaign against diversity initiatives” and characterize the removal of the panels as another effort “to erase not only Black history but also our collective American history.”

In the letter, the members of Congress say they are writing “with great concern” following reports that the panels were removed. “More than 1 million African Americans fought in World War II, most of them in segregated units. They were willing to die for a country that did not provide them with the same opportunities, services, or recognition. Among the thousands of American servicemen buried in Margraten, 172 are Black.”

The panels were on display in the visitor center of the American military cemetery in Limburg. According to the letter, they were installed in September 2024 and taken down in March 2025, shortly after the new administration took office in Washington. “As our nation honors its veterans this month, it is deeply concerning to witness the government erase so much of their service,” the lawmakers wrote.