THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) is deploying new Burial and Memorialization Electronic Directory kiosks at its sites worldwide. ABMC runs and maintains 26 permanent American military cemeteries, 31 federal memorials, monuments, and other markers, in 17 countries outside the United States.
They are a new generation of interactive units, replacing existing kiosks at Normandy American Cemetery and Oise-Aisne American Cemetery in France, Netherlands American Cemetery, and Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines. The new visitor center at Cambridge American Cemetery in England was also equipped with the new device during its redesign. As the initiative progresses, all ABMC sites will be supplied with the new kiosk system.
The new generation of kiosks integrate with ABMC's new Burial and Memorialization Electronic Directory which was launched in 2025, providing improved search capabilities to explore the service members commemorated at the sites. The database is designed to offer an advanced search function by site, state, unit and other designations, allowing the public and ABMC guides to find individual graves as well as give information about fallen servicepeople during visits.
ABMC says that it “continuously seeks new and innovative ways to maintain a living legacy, by bringing the stories of the honored dead home to Americans to educate the next generation about the cost of maintaining our nation’s independence, and the evolving nature of sacrifice” and that its mission is to “honor the service of the U.S. armed forces by creating and maintaining memorial sites, offering commemorative services, and facilitating the education of their legacy to future generations.”
ABMC Director of IT Vincent Rochette said, “We are committed to improving the visitors’ experience at our sites through technology. Offering an easy way to locate service members commemorated in our cemeteries enhances connection with family members and visitors.”
