PRESS RELEASE
Memorial Day 2024
The U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg, Tom Barrett, together with the American Battle Monuments Commission, is pleased to invite members of the public and press to attend the annual Memorial Day ceremony in Luxembourg:
on Saturday, May 25, 2024, at 13:45
at the Luxembourg American Military Cemetery and Memorial
(50 Val du Scheid – Hamm)
The ceremony will also be attended by government and military representatives of the United States and Luxembourg.
Representatives of organizations who wish to have a wreath pre-positioned for the ceremony are kindly requested to inform the cemetery at the earliest opportunity via email luxembourg@abmc.gov or by calling +352 43 17 27. All wreaths must be delivered to the cemetery no later than 10:00 am on Saturday, May 25.
BACKGROUND
About Memorial Day:
Memorial Day in the United States, observed on the last Monday of May, honors the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Memorial Day 2024 will occur on Monday, May 27 but it is traditionally marked with a ceremony in Luxembourg the preceding Saturday.
Originally known as Decoration Day, it began following the U.S. Civil War as a remembrance of the fallen from that conflict and was formally recognized in 1868. After World War I, the day came to honor all those who had died in military service and became known as Memorial Day. In 1971, the U.S. Congress established Memorial Day as a federal holiday to be observed on the last Monday in May. Many Americans observe the holiday by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings, and participating in parades to remember and show gratitude for those who died in the service of their country.
For more information, please contact the Public Affairs section at the U.S. Embassy in Luxembourg at +352 46 01 23 24 or at LuxembourgPublicAffairs@state.gov
