Initiative connects families of American service members with their Dutch grave adopters

The Forever Promise Project—a new initiative dedicated to connecting all of the families of American service members memorialized at the Netherlands American Cemetery with the Dutch citizens who have devotedly adopted their graves—is gaining powerful momentum thanks to the support of Bank of America.

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www.foreverpromise.org

The project is a collaboration between the Monuments Men and Women Foundation (MMWF) and the Foundation for Adopting Graves American Cemetery Margraten. With Bank of America’s generous support, the MMWF will expand its outreach and capacity to identify and connect all 10,000 American families to each of their respective Dutch adopters, while honoring one of the most extraordinary examples of international gratitude and remembrance. Presently, the Dutch adopters only have the contact information for the relatives of about twenty-five percent of their American liberators.

Rooted in the remarkable tradition that began in early 1945, families in Margraten and other towns in Limburg Province began caring for the graves of fallen U.S. soldiers, placing flowers and paying tribute to their sacrifice, before World War II had even ended. This gesture of gratitude towards the American liberators who restored freedom to this area of the Netherlands has existed as a formal adoption program for eight decades and has continued, uninterrupted, to this day.

“Thanks to Bank of America’s support, we are able to scale our efforts and shine a light on this remarkable legacy of gratitude and remembrance,” said Anna Bottinelli, President of the Monuments Men and Women Foundation. “The Forever Promise Project is about more than remembrance. It’s about human connection across generations and raising awareness of the enduring cost of freedom.”

“Preserving the memory of those who gave their lives for our freedom is an important way to honor their sacrifice,” said Brian Siegel, Global Arts, Culture & Heritage Executive at Bank of America. “We couldn’t be prouder to support the Monuments Men and Women Foundation as they embark on this mission, and to help foster the bonds that unite our global communities.”

The project aligns closely with the recent release of the New York Times bestseller Remember Us: American Sacrifice, Dutch Freedom, and a Forever Promise Forged in World War II, the latest book by Robert M. Edsel, founder and chairman of the MMWF. Remember Us tells the powerful story of twelve Americans—paratroopers, combat soldiers, pilots, a chaplain, and a grave digger – whose lives converge in this area of the Netherlands, and how the grave adoption program and its enduring bonds came into being.

“This book is a tribute to the Americans who liberated a portion of the Netherlands in September 1944, and the Dutch citizens whose profound gratitude transformed into a promise kept for generations—a forever promise” said Robert M. Edsel. “The Forever Promise Project is the continuation of that story—one that honors the American men and women who preserved our freedom with their lives. It is a timeless story as relevant today as it was 80 years ago.”

Families of U.S. service members buried at the Netherlands American Cemetery or memorialized on its Walls of the Missing are encouraged to visit ForeverPromise.org to complete a short form and begin the process—entirely free of charge—of being connected with the Dutch family caring for their loved one’s grave.

About the Forever Promise Project

The Forever Promise Project, a partnership between the Monuments Men and Women Foundation and the Foundation for Adopting Graves American Cemetery Margraten, seeks to connect American families with the Dutch adopters of their fallen relatives. Learn more at ForeverPromise.org

About Monuments Men and Women Foundation

The Monuments Men and Women Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to preserving and promoting our shared cultural heritage by honoring the legacy of the Monuments Men and Women of WWII. Through public awareness campaigns, restitution efforts, and partnerships, the Foundation continues their mission. Learn more at mmwf.org

About Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world’s leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 69 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 3,700 retail financial centers, approximately 15,000 ATMs (automated teller machines) and award-winning digital banking with approximately 59 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 4 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and more than 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BAC). Learn more at bankofamerica.com

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“The Forever Promise Project is about more than remembrance. It’s about human connection across generations and raising awareness of the enduring cost of freedom.”