Memorial Day in Luxembourg, 2024;
Credit: US Embassy Luxembourg
On Saturday 25 May 2024, the Embassy of the United States of America in Luxembourg, together with the American Battle Monuments Commission, held the annual Memorial Day ceremony at the Luxembourg American Cemetery in Luxembourg-Hamm, commemorating the men and women who sacrificed their lives in military service.
“Memorial Day serves as a poignant reminder of our responsibility to preserve and defend the freedoms for which so many military members have given their lives. It is our duty to honour their sacrifice by actively participating in our democracy, by standing up against injustice and by working together to build a society that truly reflects the values they fought for,” said US Ambassador to Luxembourg, Tom Barrett.
The ceremony commenced with a Presentation of Colours and a flyover by the 37th Airlift Squadron of the 86th Airlift Wing based at Ramstein Air Force Base, in Germany. The invocation was given by Auxiliary Bishop Léon Wagener, representing the Archdiocese of Luxembourg. Remarks were made by Ambassador Tom Barrett, Claude Wiseler, President of Luxembourg’s Chamber of Deputies (Luxembourg’s Parliament), Yuriko Backes, Luxembourg’s Minister of Defence, Minister for Mobility and Public Works and Minister for Gender Equality and Diversity, Lieutenant General John D Lamontagne, Deputy Commander of the United States Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa and Edmund Ryan, Executive Director of Operations of the American Battle Monuments Commission.
The official party then took part in a wreath-laying ceremony, which included wreaths presented on behalf of Luxembourg’s Grand Duke, the United States of America, the Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies, the Government of Luxembourg, the City of Luxembourg, the past and present men and women of the United States Armed Services and the American Battle Monuments Commission.
The official party included Tom Barrett, the US Ambassador to Luxembourg and Mrs Kris Barrett, Paul Dühr, Marshal of the Royal Court for His Royal Highness the Grand Duke, Claude Wiseler, President of the Chamber of Deputies, Yuriko Backes, Minister of Defence, Minister for Mobility and Public Works, Minister for Gender Equality and Diversity, Auxiliary Bishop Léon Wagener, representing the Archdiocese of Luxembourg, Maurice Bauer, Chief Alderman of the City of Luxembourg, Lieutenant General John D Lamontagne, Deputy Commander of the United States Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa, Colonel Georges Eiden, Deputy Chief of Defence of the Luxembourg Army, Colonel Scott Adams, Air Attaché, representing US Embassies of Belgium and Luxembourg, Chaplain Lieutenant Colonel Kelly Porter from the Chaplain Corps of the US Army and Edmund Ryan, Executive Director for Operations, representing the American Battle Monuments Commission.
The Ceremony concluded with a gun salute by the 106th Finance Battalion of the US Army, Taps, and the national anthems performed by the Luxembourg Army Band, ending with the benediction from Chaplain Lieutenant Colonel Kelly Porter and the retiring of the Colours.
