While taking part in the American Battle Monuments Commission International Fellowship at Netherlands American Cemetery, Air Force ROTC cadet Catherine Prince made a surprising connection from her home state.

As part of the fellowship, Prince and fellow cadet Anaiya Harris were encouraged to learn more about the service members buried at the cemetery. When reading about the four women buried at the site, Prince discovered one, 1st Lt. Christine A. Gasvoda, was from Calumet, Michigan, which is about 20 miles from where Prince attends Michigan Technological University. The town has banners up honoring service members from the area, Prince said.

“It never registered for me because you drive past those so many times that at one point, sometimes you stop looking at them and they just kind of fade into the background,” Prince said of the banners. “When I go back up, I’m going to particularly look for hers.”

Connecting with those service members who came before her was one of the reasons Prince said she applied to take part in the fellowship program. She and Harris, who is studying at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, spent about two weeks in the Netherlands learning more about the site and experiencing its operations from interacting with guests to working with the grounds staff. Their experience culminated with the annual Memorial Day ceremony.

“It was very sobering,” Prince said, “But also you felt a sense of pride and appreciation.”

“The most effective way to educate the fellows on the important work ABMC does is to have them join ABMC staff at the cemeteries to witness firsthand the work that goes into maintaining these scared grounds,” said Jason Bordelon, Netherlands American Cemetery superintendent. “When they have the opportunity to clean headstones, interact with visitors or walk among the rows with American next-of-kin families they not only come away with a deeper understanding of who we are as an agency, but most importantly they develop a deeper appreciation and personal connection to the timeless mission of honoring our fallen.”

The ABMC International Fellowship was established in 2022 to provide participants the opportunity to contribute and bring awareness to the ABMC mission of preserving America’s military cemeteries and monuments throughout the world while also fostering leadership and management skills. Funding for the fellowship program is provided by the American Battle Monuments Foundation, the non-profit partner of the American Battle Monuments Commission. Following the fellowship, the cadets will become ABMC Mission Ambassadors, helping connect peers and other college students to the agency’s objectives and century-long history.

Sources:

American Battle Monuments Commission