LEXINGTON, Va., April 14, 2023—The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) brings the celebration of its centennial anniversary to Virginia Military Institute on Thursday, April 20. Their 56-minute documentary, "Our Promise: 100 Years of the American Battle Monuments Commission," will be shown in Gillis Theater in Marshall Hall at 7:45 p.m. followed by a question-and-answer session with Robert J. Dalessandro ’80, deputy secretary of ABMC. This event is free and open to the public. No tickets or registrations are required.

The documentary highlights the unique mission of ABMC to preserve the legacy of those memorialized and honor the sacrifice of the fallen. It also expresses gratitude to those who have served with ABMC over the years. 

Dalessandro served with the U.S. Army for more than 30 years after earning a degree in history from VMI. He has been with ABMC since 2014, but his first history-related role was as a cadet assistant for the VMI Museum. Another connection to VMI and to the facility hosting the event is that Gen. George C. Marshall, Class of 1901, was ABMC’s second chairman.

About American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC):

The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) operates and maintains 26 cemeteries and 32 federal memorials, monuments, and commemorative plaques in 17 countries throughout the world, including the United States. The four memorials in the United States are: the World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C.; the Honolulu memorial located within the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii; the West Coast Memorial located within the Presidio National Park in San Francisco, Calif; and the East Coast Memorial located within Battery City Park in New York, N.Y. Since March 4, 1923, ABMC’s sacred mission remains to honor the service, achievements, and sacrifice of more than 200,000 U.S. service members buried and memorialized at our sites. For more information about ABMC, visit abmc.gov.

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