U.S. removal of panels honoring Black soldiers at WWII cemetery in the Netherlands draws backlash

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: NBC News/AP

Dec. 30, 2025, 5:00 AM EST / Source: The Associated Press


MARGRATEN, Netherlands — Ever since a U.S. military cemetery in the southern Netherlands removed two displays recognizing Black troops who helped to liberate Europe from the Nazis, visitors have filled the guestbook with objections.

Some time in the spring, the American Battle Monuments Commission, the U.S. government agency responsible for maintaining memorial sites outside the United States, removed the panels from the visitors center at the American Cemetery in Margraten, the final resting place for roughly 8,300 U.S. soldiers, set in rolling hills near the border with Belgium and Germany.

The move came after President Donald Trump issued a series of executive orders ending diversity, equity and inclusion programs. “Our country will be woke no longer,” Trump said in an address to Congress in March. The removal, carried out without public explanation, has angered Dutch officials, the families of U.S. soldiers and the local residents who honor the American sacrifice by caring for the graves.

U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands Joe Popolo seemed to support the removal of the displays. “The signs at Margraten are not intended to promote an agenda that criticizes America,” he wrote on social media following a visit to the cemetery after the controversy had erupted. Popolo declined a request for comment.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/world/europe/us-removal-panels-honoring-black-soldiers-wwii-cemetery-netherlands-rcna251475

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REFERENCE - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143563121

[OLDMDDEM]

1. This is not surprising. This administration is very white and will remain that way during this term.

[everyonematters]

2. This is especially egregious because at the time, the military was segregated.

You are not going to see pictures of black and white soldiers acting together.

[ZDU]

3. Fuck Trump. Fuck Popolo.

[Lonestarblue]

4. The hatred and depravity of this whole administration knows no bounds.

Republicans are the party of hatred for anyone not white or male. Women are nothing but baby machines to them and LGBTQ+ people should not be allowed to exist. Only white males should have rights.

[IrishAfricanAmerican]

20. I'm sure you mean Open LGBTQ+ because them GOP closets are jam packed!

[dutch777]

5. Where are the people of color in protesting this? I am a white vet & this incenses me but if I were Black I'd be livid

It has struck me in the No Kings and other marches locally, eastern PA, that while we have a significant minority community, they are not well represented in the marches. I can get that maybe if you are Hispanic you could be worried about getting targeted by ICE or something but the rest being MIA is curious to me.

[BumRushDaShow]

8. Black people have been under assault throughout their existence here since BEFORE this country was founded

45 is currently in the process of ERASING ALL of the history of AAs here and extorting every corporation and institution of higher learning into purging us AND OUR HISTORY, including that OF PROTEST.

What more do you want from a population that represents only 14% of the U.S. population?

[quaint]

10. ☝

💔

[SunSeeker]

27. We need to talk about why Black people have not bothered with the No Kings protests.

Here's one Black woman's explanation:

https://www.ms.now/opinion/msnbc-opinion/no-kings-protests-black-americans-rcna238906

[maliaSmith]

19. Black GOP elected politicans

Why aren't elected black Republicans protesting? Why do black people vote for the black GOP who allow this crap.

[dutch777]

40. I assume all Repug pols are bought so hew to the party line. The folks of color who vote for that, mystifying.

[summer_in_TX]

23. The absence of black protesters at No Kings is on purpose and necessary.

They would be disproportionately targeted for retaliation and incarceration, for one thing.

Also, voting patterns have shown black Americans voting for democracy (and Democrats) in greater percentages than whites since Trump came upon the scene. White Trump voters betrayed democracy, but lack of sufficient white support for democracy allowed to happen. Now the most important and effective counter to white supremacy and authoritarianism must come from whites who value both democracy and multiculturalism if true pluralism with equality for all is to ultimately prevail.

At least, that is how I understand it after reading the disillusioned comments of black people after Trump was re-elected.

[SunSeeker]

28. Those aren't the reasons this Black sociologist gives for why Black people have not bothered with the No Kings protests:

https://www.ms.now/opinion/msnbc-opinion/no-kings-protests-black-americans-rcna238906

[Igel]

6. Black Liberators website links.

https://blackliberators.nl/en/

Specific to this issue: https://blackliberators.nl/en/stories/margraten

[3825-87867]

7. They truly are the Republiklans!

No longer the Republican Party, they are now the Republiklan Party.
And trump is the top Republiklan.
Maybe that needs to be spread.

[calimary]

38. Hey! I like that!

The Republiklan Party! Sure fits!

[Hope22]

9. This disgusting behavior!

Disgraceful….

[RazorbackExpat]

11. WTF is wrong with these people???

Really, this is so fukked up

[70sEraVet]

12. I'd like to hear some push-back from our Veterans organizations!

Where is the condemnation from VFW or the American Legion??

[progressoid]

21. I suspect a lot of them support it.

My Dad stopped going to Legion meetings because his chapter had become so right wing and unAmerican.

[70sEraVet]

31. I've stayed in the Legion, even though the national leadership is just....

A cheerleading squad for trump. I do write and complain, with little response.

[surfered]

13. This so wrong! I'm heartened by the Dutch objecting.

[Evolve Dammit]

14. Another disgusting example of rascism and re-writing history.

[Sedona]

15. The Nazis removed Jewish names

From World War I Memorials in the 1930's

So not a surprise

[Dixiegrrrl]

25. Did not know that. Thanks for the info.

It's like he ..well, Miller et al....have a Nazi playbook to go by. Amazing how universal that game plan is.

[patphil]

16. White washing history.

That's disgusting.

[mn9driver]

17. An American Monument on Dutch soil?

Maybe this is just me, but maybe the Dutch would be better suited to maintain that rather than giving an obviously delusional US control over anything over there…

[Ohioboy]

18. This is where MAGA doesn't get it...

A "woke" military would not have needed separate plaques to commemorate certain troops.

A "woke" military would have been integrated, and everyone would have been on the same display.

Get it, MAGA??????????

The fact that black soldiers had separate "special" displays at this particular cemetery was not because of "wokeness", it was the opposite of "wokeness", the segregation that existed in our military at the time of WW2.

[Joinfortmill]

22. What Cretins

[Scalded Nun]

24. Sick Fucks

[Jarqui]

26. It sickens me

when is this crap going to stop?

There is no memorial that will ever make up for the loss of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
They're dead. They can't fight back anymore.
But stuff like this sure bothers those of us who remember them.
I could care less what pigmentation they had when they died.
I find things like this distressing.

[Dave Bowman]

29. Can't wait for the racist rapist to get lost and croak.

[LudwigPastorius]

30. Despicable.

That cemetery was built by African American soldiers from the 960th Quartermaster Corps.

[Traildogbob]

32. We wonder why

A black footballer takes a knee during the total Bull
shit National Anthem.
This vet will not stand, remove my hat or put hand over heart. (Maybe as my heart breaks any more to ease the pain) I will not mumble the words. Most likely never be at any event where it is done. Not until this evil takeover is taken down. So God Damned embarrassed of the country I served.
Will we ever recover? I am having sever doubts we can.
I never dreamed such a wimpy, limp ass Pack of billionaires could bring our nation down. With all the billions spent on training the most elite special forces on the planet, this is what will end us. While they smirk, lie and steal it all.
RIP my brothers and sisters of color and all nationalities. I, like most veterans will never forget you and the sacrifice, no matter how much this white regime tries to erase you.

[Grim Chieftain]

33. His evil depravity knows no bounds

He is evil personified, and he gets away with all of it Nothing is off limits, nothing is sacred. He is trying to eviscerate and rewrite history to his own liking.

I hope every evil deed he has done comes back to him a thousand times over.

[Pas-de-Calais]

34. When he's gone, ALL, he changed will revert back. His name will be expunged from our history

Excepting how it happened, who allowed it, why it was allowed, who influenced who and when. Hopefully laws will be passed, parties shall be punished.

[calimary]

39. LOVE this!

And as a writer, I will help in any way I can.

[wolfie001]

35. Lynchings in America were occurring while we advertized ourselves as the savior of "freedom"

Stupid racist rePUKE slugs and their voters.

[Faux pas]

36. ....

FUCKING FUCKERS from FUCKERVILLE.

[Godot51]

37. The problem is very simple.

These men died not only for the U.S. but for the freedom of humanity and the end of fascism.

Yet, at that time, Black Americans were not accorded the same rights, advantages, or privileges as "whites".

Despite this many Blacks volunteered and they, both volunteers and draftees, fought bravely. All who were wounded or died deserve all of our respect.

They were not given special notice due to DEI, they were given special notice because of the segregation and discrimination they had endured, placed upon them by racists whites.

This needs to be noted and revealed due to the inequality they were given in their home country.