Operation Benjamin is devoted to preserving the memories of American-Jewish soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice while defending the cause of freedom during World War I and World War II. Our mission is to identify Jewish soldiers at American military cemeteries all over the world who were mistakenly buried under Latin Crosses and replace the headstones with a Star of David. This allows for accurate and just recognition of the soldier’s identity, provides comfort to the families of the fallen, and enables the millions of visitors to the American military cemeteries to visually understand and appreciate the shared Jewish sacrifice in the causes of democracy and freedom. We work quietly and with dignity, without any cost to the families involved.
March of 2023 marked the 100th anniversary of the founding of the American Battle Monuments Commission. The ABMC is the US federal agency charged with maintaining the US military foreign cemeteries. The first chairman of the ABMC, General John J. Pershing set the standards for design and care of these spectacular final resting places for the soldiers who fought in America’s wars, most prominently, WWI and WWII. He penned the oft repeated words, “time will not dim the glory of their deeds.”
The ABMC and Operation Benjamin work hand in hand to ensure that the headstones gracing the
graves of America’s soldiers are accurate.
In honor of the centennial the ABMC created the documentary film,
“Our Promise: 100 Years of the American Battle Monuments Commission.”
Operation Benjamin was proud to be featured in the centennial video with the focus on the headstone replacement of 2LT Kenneth Robinson, who was a B-17 crew member, killed in action in August of 1943. The ceremony took place in April 2022 at the Ardennes American Cemetery in Belgium.