As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, the country is preparing to reflect on its founding ideals: equality, service, and freedom. In that reflection, some of the most important questions are not about what is celebrated, but what was never fully corrected in the historical record.
"The First World War was not merely tragic. It was civilizationally traumatic," Operation Benjamin Co-Founder and Chief Historian Shalom Lamm said. "Millions of men disappeared into mud, artillery fire, disease, and mass industrialized killing on a scale humanity had never before experienced. Entire generations were altered, or simply erased."
An American war hero killed in the final battle of World War I in the Meuse–Argonne Offensive was buried under an incorrect religious marker for more than a century. Now, as the United States moves toward this milestone, his identity, along with those of other fallen American Jewish servicemen, is being restored in a quiet but significant correction of the historical record.
The effort is unfolding far from American soil, in military cemeteries across Europe, where the United States continues to care for its war dead in perpetuity. For many families, it represents a momentary thought impossible to imagine: the chance to see their relatives remembered accurately.
Memorial Day in the United States is intended as a moment of remembrance, but for some families, remembrance without accuracy remains incomplete. In Israel, where remembrance is marked nationally on Yom HaZikaron, the country pauses in near-total silence to honor its fallen, reinforcing a culture in which memory is both collective and deeply personal. In both countries, remembrance carries a sense of obligation.
The leading nonprofit involved in reviewing these cases is Operation Benjamin, which identifies American Jewish service members buried under Latin crosses instead of Stars of David and works to correct the historical record at their gravesites.
The effort is led by Co-Founder and Chief Historian Shalom Lamm, now based in Israel, in coordination with the American Battle Monuments Commission, the federal agency that oversees U.S. military cemeteries overseas. Lamm estimates that between 250 and 900 Jewish soldiers from World War II are buried under incorrect markers.
Operation Benjamin's work typically begins in archives rather than at the gravesite. Researchers review military files, enlistment records, synagogue documentation, family archives, and historical correspondence. In many cases, Jewish soldiers were buried under Latin crosses due to clerical errors, incomplete records, or battlefield conditions in which their religious identity was not clearly recorded.
The verification process can take years. Once sufficient documentation is established, Operation Benjamin works with U.S. authorities to formally request a correction. Families are then located and brought into the process, often learning new details about relatives they have never met. The result is not only a change to a headstone, but a restoration of identity that had been lost for generations.
The issue dates back to the conditions of both World Wars. Approximately 4.7 million Americans served in World War I, with more than 116,000 killed. Many were buried quickly in newly established cemeteries across France, often far from family members.
In the Meuse–Argonne Offensive alone, more than 26,000 Americans were killed, making it the deadliest battle in U.S. military history. Today, more than 100,000 American war dead remain buried in U.S. military cemeteries overseas, maintained in perpetuity.
More than a century later, reviews of burial records continue to uncover discrepancies tied to wartime recordkeeping. A broader effort is now underway in the Meuse–Argonne region of France.
What is emerging is not only historical correction, but rediscovery. Families who lived for generations with uncertainty are now part of a process that aligns identity, faith, and service with documented truth. The effort involves replacing grave markers where necessary, often in ceremonies attended by descendants, historians, and military officials.
Just after Memorial Day, Pvt. Moris Akabas, an American soldier killed in the final phase of the Meuse–Argonne Offensive, will be honored in a graveside ceremony in France. His marker, long a Latin cross, will be replaced with a Star of David.
For families, these ceremonies often mark the first time they can stand at a gravesite that fully reflects who their relative was. In some cases, descendants arrive with limited information and leave with a more complete understanding of the soldier's life and service. The replacement of the headstone becomes both a personal moment and a historical correction.
"A century later, families are finally discovering the truth about who their loved ones were," Lamm said. "What happens at these graves is not symbolic; it is deeply personal. Families who lived for generations with unanswered questions finally stand at the correct grave, and in that moment, everything changes. It is identity restored, and it is long overdue."
The mission has drawn the attention of senior figures from both the United States and Israel. Former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren, who is expected to attend, emphasized the broader significance. "Correcting these graves is not only an act of historical accuracy, but an act of moral responsibility that restores identity, dignity, and truth to those courageous American Jewish soldiers who sacrificed their lives for their country," Oren said.
Political commentator Scott Jennings also pointed to the timing of the effort. "As we approach America's 250th anniversary, efforts like this remind us that patriotism isn't just about honoring the past, it's about getting the past right," Jennings said. "Correcting these records ensures that the story we pass on to the next generation is one grounded in truth, dignity, and the full measure of sacrifice made by those who served."
US Ambassador Charles Kushner is also expected to attend ceremonies at the Meuse–Argonne American Cemetery.
At a time when the United States and Israel remain closely aligned, including in ongoing security coordination and confronting shared regional threats such as Iran, the mission reflects a broader connection rooted not only in strategy but in shared values of service, sacrifice, and remembrance.
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, the effort underscores how historical records continue to evolve long after wars end. For the families involved, the changes are not symbolic. They are corrections to how their relatives are remembered and a restoration of truth.
