Post · bonfire.cafe

@mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io · 6 months ago

So the US recently forced the Dutch to remove a memorial to America's own Black soldiers that died liberating the Netherlands from the nazis? On brand. [Edit: the cemetery is US government controlled, and the US forced its own employees to remove the memorial plaques. The Dutch government had no opportunity to oppose the decision.]

Towards the end of WW2, the French were shocked when the US refused to let its own Black soldiers join the celebration of the liberation of Paris.

The 761st Tank Battalion was an all Black tank unit that served with distinction as part of Pattons 3rd army. They killed a lot of nazis, and liberated over 30 French towns, and much of the Netherlands.

If you saw their Black Panther logo? It was all over for you. Black Panther beats German Panzer.

These elite Black soldiers racked up victories.

But they weren't immortal, and they didn't have superior weapons to either the Germans or white American soldiers. They were just brave. Many Black soldiers died freeing Europe from the nazis.

Europeans were grateful.

Racist Americans? Not so much.

4 media

Soldiers from the 671 Tank Battalion sit on their tank during world war 2. All soldiers are Black.

A Black soldier from the 761 Tank Battalion looks up from his tank.

Soldiers from the 761 Tank Battalion. They're all Black.

Marcel Abraas

@kritischelezer@mastodon.social · 5 months ago

@mekkaokereke Here's an update you'll like: the satirical Dutch newsprograms 'Even tot hier' ('Up until here') has placed duplicate panels just outside the US controlled grounds, including panels about Trumps discriminatory executive orders, and spelled out the name William F. James Junior in hay bales in an adjacent field. Unfortunately, all panels were soon removed by the police; they are now looking for a permanent location. #BlackLivesMatter #BlackLiberators #Margraten #Veterans #BlackFedi

4 media

Copies of the two panels honouring the black liberators in Margraten, which were removed by the Trump administration, can be seen just after being revealed. They are placed to the sides of a gravel path with a field (part of the Margraten war cemetary) to the left and some barren trees to the right. A military trumpetist playing 'Taptoe' (similar to Taps) stands between the two panels.

A panel describing the removal of the Black Lives Matter Street painting: The text reads: "Black Lives Matter. March 2025. In Washington, D.C., under heavy Republican pressure, the Black Lives Matter street painting which has been there since the violent death of George Floyd in 2020 is being removed. The removal was ordered by Mayor Bowser after the Republican Party threatened to withhold millions of dollars in federal support. The panels show a photo of the street painting, as well as a photo of Trump holding up a signed document (an executive order, I assume). Behind the panel, out of focus, you see the 8288 white crosses of the Margraten War Cemetary - officially called the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial, and the trees surrounding them.

Part of a panel, describing how 'the Pentagon is removing articles about black, indigenous, LGBTQ+ and female veterans from its website.

Aerial photo of the field in which hay bales spell out the name 'Willy F. James JR. next to the Margraten War Cemetary.

duncan

@duncan_lithgow@mastodon.social · 5 months ago

@mekkaokereke
"Killing a lot of Nazis" is not in itself a good thing. Liberating French cities is a good thing. Killing mostly young, mostly conscripted, heavily indoctrinated men is never good in itself. Sadly, the nature of war is that powerful men make it necessary to kill in order to liberate.
Two generations ago I had relatives fighting on both sides of WWII. My grandmother was in a column of German refugees straffed by American bombers. My grandfather was at

duncan

@duncan_lithgow@mastodon.social · 5 months ago

the opening of Bergen-Belsen. War is always horrible for everyone. @mekkaokereke

kaneel

@kaneel@sonomu.club · 6 months ago

@mekkaokereke that being said, for the french, it’s harder commemorating the North African soldiers who helped us…

GhostOnTheHalfShell

@GhostOnTheHalfShell@masto.ai · 6 months ago

@mekkaokereke

The whole point of the authoritarian government is not to govern only to demonstrate who is subordinate.

The only thing MAGA is after is the eraser of history to fit what they think will bring a golden age.

This isn’t any different than the very famous modification of history Stalin engaged in

Besides state stakes in companies like Intel the pumpkin spice, Stalin is engaging another behavior familiar from the past.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Commissar_Vanishes

tom jennings

@tomjennings@tldr.nettime.org · 6 months ago

@mekkaokereke

Why would Netherlands comply?

mekka okereke :verified:

@mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io · 6 months ago

@tomjennings Added clarification. The cemetery is US government controlled.

Fardels Bear

@riggbeck@mastodon.social · 6 months ago

@mekkaokereke

Apparently this was done by the US without notifying officials in the Netherlands. It's clearly part of the attack on DEI initiated by Trump. No doubt the fact that Biden had them installed in 2024 added an element of revenge.

https://factually.co/fact-checks/military/us-memorial-black-soldiers-removed-netherlands-cemetery-606547

amalia

@amalia22@mastodon.social · 6 months ago

@mekkaokereke Even when force is used, you can always refuse. They did it because they wanted to. What power does Dozy dementia Don have over them?

huntingdon

@huntingdon@mstdn.social · 6 months ago

@mekkaokereke

Actually, the American cemetery in the Netherlands is operated by a US entity. The US entity took down the rotating display honoring Black veterans who both built the cemetery and fought bravely in WWII.

xinit ☕

@xinit@mastodon.coffee · 6 months ago

@mekkaokereke
I was wondering how the Americans could force the Dutch to do anything like this. Sounds like an American did it and the Dutch want it reversed.

"two panels highlighting the role of Black American liberators in World War II had been removed by the cemetery’s American administrator.

https://nltimes.nl/2025/11/10/limburg-demands-answers-us-whitewashing-black-history-wwii-cemetery

NL Times

Limburg demands answers over U.S. whitewashing of Black history at WWII cemetery

The province of Limburg has asked the American ambassador to the Netherlands to replace the information panels about Black soldiers in the visitors center of the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten. NRC reported late last week that two panels highlighting the role of Black American liberators in World War II had been removed by the cemetery’s American administrator.

David Mitchell :CApride:

@DavidM_yeg@mstdn.ca · 6 months ago

@mekkaokereke

Just recently heard a radio program about a Dutch town that searched for the history of indigenous soldiers from Canada buried over there, and then built a memorial exhibit honouring and teaching about their involvement in the war.

Now the exhibit will travel to Canada, because we shamefully need others to teach us our own erased history.

Basil

@basdriver@basdriver.nl · 6 months ago

@mekkaokereke @nflux Just double checked and although it doesn’t change that they are indeed removed, please correct the statement that the Dutch would have done so, as they haven’t. Inquiries are ongoing of how they have been removed and when, Americans in charge of maintaining the graveyard have likely removed them by executive order from the US.