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The U.S. Senate has approved a bipartisan bill sponsored by Kansas Republican Sen. Jerry Moran that would launch a decade-long program dedicated to identifying Jewish-American servicemembers buried overseas with grave markers that do not accurately represent their religious identity.
The legislation now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration.
Funding and Purpose of the Program
Under the proposal, $500,000 per year would be directed to the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC). This funding would support research to determine whether American troops were mistakenly memorialized with incorrect religious symbols.
The ABMC would also be responsible for locating and contacting surviving family members to verify any inaccuracies. If an error is confirmed, the next of kin would decide whether to replace the existing marker.
According to Operation Benjamin, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the identities of Jewish-American soldiers killed during World War II, an estimated 600 Jewish troops were mistakenly buried under a Latin cross instead of the Star of David.
Commitment to Honoring Religious Heritage
Sen. Moran emphasized the importance of dignity and accuracy in military remembrance:
“All veterans, especially Jewish-American veterans who served and sacrificed, deserve to have their faith correctly represented at their final resting place.”
He added that the bill ensures families gain comfort in knowing their loved one’s faith is honored “with dignity and truth.”
The measure, introduced in April, was co-sponsored by 18 senators from both parties, including Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nevada. Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall did not join as a cosponsor.
Rosen applauded the bill’s Senate passage, noting that every fallen servicemember deserves to be honored with “dignity and accuracy” at their gravesite.
How the Program Would Work
The Senate’s version of the Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act outlines clear protections for families. The ABMC cannot replace a marker or hold a rededication ceremony without explicit permission from the servicemember’s next of kin.
Historical Context
During World War II, American soldiers were allowed to indicate their religious preference on their dog tags—C for Catholic, P for Protestant, and H for Hebrew. However, some Jewish servicemembers either misrepresented their faith or altered their tags out of fear that German forces might treat Jewish prisoners more harshly.
Other wartime challenges also contributed to misidentification, including severe injuries that obscured religious background or loss of identification tags.
Recent Restoration Efforts
In 2022, the ABMC and Operation Benjamin performed corrective actions similar to those outlined in the bill. They replaced Latin crosses with Stars of David at the graves of seven Jewish-American soldiers at Epinal American Cemetery in France and at three additional American cemeteries throughout Europe.
Among these servicemembers was Army Private Marvin Ashkenas, a New Jersey native born to Russian-Jewish immigrants. After he was killed in action in 1944, his missing dog tags and temporary burial led to his religion being recorded as “unknown,” resulting in an incorrect Latin cross marking his permanent grave until the 2022 correction.