FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press release

American Battle Monuments Commission sites in France closed as COVID-19 precaution

In keeping with guidance from authorities, all American Battle Monuments Commission sites in France will temporarily close beginning Friday, Oct. 30, 2020

ARLINGTON, Va. (Oct. 29, 2020) –American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) will officially close its sites in France at closing hours today until at least Dec. 1, 2020, per official guidance.

In March 2020, ABMC closed all sites based on local and U.S. authority guidance to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to protect the health and safety of our staff and visitors. Per authorities in France, ABMC will again temporarily close all cemeteries, monuments and memorials in France to align with country-specific requirements after closing hours today.

With 26 cemeteries and 30 federal monuments in 17 countries,  ABMC continues to closely monitor potential impacts of COVID-19 and adjust its operating status based on local and U.S. guidance in each country. Should additional site closures be necessary during this difficult time, we will continue to update our website at www.abmc.gov and social platforms.

While sites may be closed due to COVID-19, we continue our sacred mission to honor the service, achievements, and sacrifice of the more than 200,000 U.S. service members buried and memorialized at our sites. For more information about our mission, as well as the operational status of ABMC sites, we encourage the public to follow us on our ABMC social media platforms and to visit our website at ABMC.gov.

If you are Next-of-Kin and have questions regarding the operating status of ABMC sites, please contact us at publicaffairs@abmc.gov for more information.