Five Jewish American soldiers killed in World War I received new headstones bearing Stars of David at France’s Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery on June 2, replacing Latin crosses that had marked their graves for more than a century.
The American Battle Monuments Commission made the changes in coordination with Operation Benjamin, a nonprofit that works to identify Jewish U.S. service members buried under incorrect religious markers.
The marker replacements of the soldiers—Pvt. Samuel Tamkin, Pfc. Barney Bardman, Pvt. Samuel A. Backer, Pvt. Hyman Aronoff and Pfc. Maurice W. Akabas—were approved after historical research and documentation were submitted to the U.S. government, along with requests from the soldiers’ families.
Speaking at the ceremony in Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, commission chairman Michael X. Garrett said the effort was about ensuring historical accuracy and properly honoring the fallen.
“Meuse-Argonne is the largest American cemetery in Europe, and most of those buried here gave their lives in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive,” Garrett said. “In a place shaped by such immense loss, every name matters. Every marker matters. Every detail matters. Because remembrance worthy of sacrifice must be careful, humble and exact.”
He said that “for more than a century, these men have rested beneath markers that do not fully reflect who they were.”
“This ceremony does not alter their sacrifice,” Garrett said. “It affirms it more completely. It tells the truth more faithfully. And it ensures that the memory we pass to future generations is as accurate as it is reverent.”
Operation Benjamin researches military and genealogical records to identify Jewish service members who were mistakenly buried under crosses, often because military records were incomplete or inaccurate. The organization then works with descendants and government agencies to seek corrections.
Since partnering with the American Battle Monuments Commission in 2018, the group has helped secure dozens of headstone changes at American military cemeteries overseas.
