WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate passed legislation introduced by Sens. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs – and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) to identify and research Jewish-American servicemembers interred in American cemeteries overseas who are buried beneath grave markers that do not accurately reflect their religion and heritage. 

The Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act would create a 10-year program within the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) to identify and conduct research on servicemembers who are incorrectly memorialized and locate and contact their surviving descendants to facilitate a grave marker change to properly represent their religious heritage. In order to process a grave marker replacement, ABMC will replace a grave marker containing an error, such as an inaccurate religious indication, and the process must be initiated by a decedent’s next of kin with supporting evidence.

“All veterans, especially Jewish-American veterans who have served and sacrificed for our nation’s freedoms, deserve to have their faith accurately represented at their final resting places,” said Sen. Moran. “This legislation makes certain that the religious heritage of those who have died for our country is rightfully represented at their gravesites and gives their families the lasting comfort of knowing their loved one’s faith is recognized and memorialized with dignity and truth. I look forward to its swift passage in the U.S. House of Representatives.”

“Our fallen veterans and servicemembers made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, and we owe it to them to ensure they are honored with dignity and accuracy at their final resting place,” said Sen. Rosen. “I’m glad to see that our bipartisan legislation to make sure our servicemembers and their faith are correctly reflected at their gravesites has passed the Senate.” 

There are an estimated 600 American-Jewish servicemembers who were killed in action during World War II that are incorrectly buried under a Latin Cross grave marker, instead of the Star of David.

This legislation will now be considered by the U.S. House of Representatives.

The legislation is cosponsored by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), David McCormick (R-Pa.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Jon Husted (R-Ohio), Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.).

The full text of the legislation can be found here.

This legislation is supported by Jewish War Veterans of America, Gold Star Spouses of America, Vietnam Veterans of America, the Jewish Community Relations Bureau of Kansas City, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, Mid-Kansas Jewish Federation, Non-Commissioned Officers Association, and the Jewish Federations of North America.

# # #