GEN Gordon R. Sullivan, USA Ret, AUSA president presided over a wreath laying ceremony at Suresnes American Military Cemetery in Suresnes, France marking the Army’s 231st Birthday on June 14. Participating in the ceremony were Command Sgt. Maj. Jimmie W. Spencer USA Ret. AUSA’s director of NCO and enlisted affairs - joined by a color guard from the 1st Infantry Division under the guidance of the division’s command sergeant major, John Fourhman, and Hamid Faqir, the cemetery’s superintendent. In addition, attending the ceremony were BG Steven Hawkins, USA Ret, director of the European Region and COL Guy A. Giancarlo, USA Ret, Chief Financial Officer/Director of Finance, respectfully for the American Battle Monuments Commission. COL (R) Giancarlo is also the VP for Family Programs for the George Washington Chapter AUSA.

The American Battle Monuments Commission maintains and oversees American cemeteries and monuments around the world. They are commemorative sites honoring our nation’s war heroes, BG John “Jack” Nicholson USA Ret, Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the commission.

BG William J. Leszczynski Jr., USA Ret, is the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the commission that directs the administration and operation of 24 American military cemeteries and 25 monuments located in 15 countries, including three memorials in the United States.

The commission is an agency of the executive branch of the federal government, GEN Frederick M. Franks, USA Ret is ninth and the current chairman of the commission.

There are 124,917 American war dead interred in the ABMC cemeteries. In addition to gravesites, commemorated by name on Tablets of the Missing are 94,135 US servicemen and women who were Missing in Action, lost, or buried at sea in their general region during the World Wars and the Korean and Vietnam Wars.