The idea of adopting graves of the American liberators started in February 1945, at which time a citizens' committee, "Burger Comite Margraten," launched a campaign to promote the adoption of the graves. The adoptors were expected to visit the grave, maintain it and lay flowers. Communication with the surviving relatives was also encouraged. By the second Memorial Day (1946) all of the 18,764 graves had been adopted, and over the past 62 yrs the care of the graves has been past down from generation to generation, They care for the grave by visiting that grave regularly and placing flowers on the grave each week in rememberance of the brave young men who gave their lives in helping to free this small country from the hands of Hitler's death grip.
In 2002, the work of the cemetery committee was taken over by the Association for Adopting Graves at the American Cemetery of Margraten. The Association is continuing the work of the commitee and keeping the adoption registry updated.
Stichting Adoptie Graven Amerikaanse Begraafplaats Margraten
(Foundation for Adopting Graves at the American Cemetery)
Postbus 22, 6269 ZG Margraten, The Netherlands
E-mail: st.adoptie.graven@margraten.nl