Legislation to identify and research Jewish-American servicemembers interred in American cemeteries overseas who are buried beneath grave markers that do not accurately reflect their religion and heritage has been introduced in Congress.
The Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act would create a $500,000 annual grant for 10 years to fund a program within the American Battle Monuments Commission to identify and conduct research on servicemembers who are incorrectly memorialized and locate and contact their surviving descendants to facilitate a grave marker change to represent their religious heritage properly.
The legislation was introduced by Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.).
“We owe a debt we can never repay to those who have given their last full measure of devotion on behalf of our nation and the freedoms we cherish, religious liberty being chief among them,” said Moran. “This legislation makes certain that the religious heritage of those who have died for our country, particularly Jewish-American servicemembers, is rightfully represented at their final resting places, providing their survivors with assurance that their loved one’s faith is being acknowledged and memorialized with accuracy.”
During World War II, the number of burials conducted in theater sometimes resulted in clerical errors concerning the grave markers needed for the fallen. Some American-Jewish servicemembers did not wish to publicly display their faith on their dog tags when fighting against Nazi Germany. Currently, there are an estimated 600 American-Jewish servicemembers who were killed in action during World War II that are incorrectly buried under a Latin Cross grave marker, instead of the Star of David.
“Our nation has a duty to fully honor the heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms,” said Rosen.
In order to process a grave marker replacement, there must be an error, such as an inaccurate religious indication, and it must be initiated by a decedent’s next of kin with supporting evidence.
The legislation has found support among numerous veterans' services organizations and other groups, including the Jewish Federations of North America.
"Nearly 11,000 Jewish American soldiers gave their lives during World War II, but many still haven’t received proper burials, laying under a Latin Cross rather than a Star of David,” said Karen Paikin Barall, JFW’s vice president of government relations. “Jewish Federations proudly support this bill to fund the painstaking research in identifying American-Jewish soldiers improperly buried overseas. Whether they died for their country during the Battle or Normandy or the Battle of Manila, each deserves to rest under the marker that not only represents their religion, but their heritage."
The bill is cosponsored in ther Senate by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas). Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) and Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio).
The full text of the legislation can be found here.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.
