Press Releases

On Tuesday and Wednesday, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.) continued his bipartisan delegation visit with stops at sites managed by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), which falls under the jurisdiction of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

The delegation made oversight stops at Chateau-Thierry American Monument, Belleau Wood Battlefield and Aisne-Marne American Cemetery. This June marks the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Belleau Wood, and President Macron recently gifted the United States with an oak tree from the grounds at Belleau Wood, which will be planted on the White House lawn. 

While at Chateau-Thierry, the delegation visited the new visitor center, which officially opens May 27, 2018. The visitor center was completed using funding from ABMC's annual Interpretation Program appropriations.

In addition, the delegation visited Pershing Hall - which is currently closed and under construction - where members were briefed on the progress of the renovations to the property currently owned by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Last October, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs held a legislative hearing on a proposal authorizing the VA Secretary to sell Pershing Hall. The nation’s largest veterans service organization, The American Legion, was formed in Paris, France, and fought for Pershing Hall to be a memorial there.

The members also visited the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial Cemetery. ABMC assumed ownership of the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial Cemetery in January 2017, pursuant to legislation ushered through the House of Representatives by the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. CODEL Roe is the first Congressional delegation to conduct an oversight visit to the site since it came into ABMC's portfolio. 

Finally, the delegation received a classified country team briefing at the U.S. Embassy. Following the briefing, members met with representatives from the Veterans of Foreign Wars and The American Legion. 

 

Chairman Roe is joined by Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee Chairman Mike Bost (R-Illi.) and Reps. Neal Dunn, M.D. (R-Fla.), Lou Correa (D-Calif.) and Andy Harris, M.D. (R-Md.).

Some photos of the meetings are below. Additional stops will be announced in the coming days.