Representatives from the United States and France joined local residents on 16 August 2026 to mark the 82nd anniversary of Operation Dragoon — the Allied landings in southern France in 1944 — at Rhone American Cemetery. The ceremony commemorated those who fell during the campaign and reaffirmed the continuing duty to preserve their stories.
Formal tributes and ceremonial observances
The morning event, which began at 09:45 a.m. CET, combined official speeches, a wreath-laying and musical honours. Attendees included municipal and national figures from France, US diplomatic representatives and members of the local community, reflecting the multi‑national character of the liberation campaign.
- Speakers at the ceremony included Richard Strambio, Mayor of Draguignan; Alice Rufo, Minister Delegate to the Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans; and Jeremy Berndt, Consul General of the United States in Marseille.
- The proceedings concluded with the laying of wreaths, the French commemorative hymn Aux Morts and the US bugle call Taps.
- Flag bearers and salutes lined the cemetery walkways as attendees observed a moment of reflection for the fallen.
The ceremony recognised the sacrifice of the force that helped liberate southern France, an operation often overshadowed in public memory by the Normandy landings yet crucial to the Allied advance across western Europe.
Remembering the local impact
Speakers drew attention not only to military deeds but also to the impact of liberation on towns such as Draguignan. A cemetery associate provided translation of the narration and conveyed how the local population experienced liberation.
“For us, the people of Draguignan, August 16, 1944, will forever remain etched in our memories,”
The comment was provided in English translation by Jenny Hofschneider, who served as cemetery associate for the event. She recalled how residents greeted liberation with tears and hope as their town was freed.
Custodianship of memory
The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) emphasised its continuing role in maintaining the graves and memorials of those who died in the campaign. Officials noted that Rhone American Cemetery honours and preserves the names and resting places of more than 1,150 American service members who were killed in operations across the region.
| Detail | Figure |
|---|---|
| Anniversary marked | 82nd (Operation Dragoon) |
| Date of ceremony | 16 August 2026 |
| Service members buried or commemorated | More than 1,150 |
Johnny Matherne, superintendent of Luxembourg American Cemetery and formerly superintendent at Rhone, participated in the ceremony and placed the ABMC wreath, then bowed his head in silence — a gesture that highlighted the personal custodianship that cemetery superintendents provide to these sites of memory.
As the number of surviving World War II veterans declines, those roles — and the public commemorations organised by bodies such as ABMC — take on added significance for maintaining historical knowledge and passing remembrance to new generations. The commission continues to balance ceremonial duties with the practical work of upkeep and record preservation across its cemeteries and memorials.
The Rhone American Cemetery sits among a network of Allied cemeteries and memorial sites in Europe that together document the human cost of the Second World War. Events such as the August commemoration serve both to honour the dead and to prompt reflection on the long-term impacts of 1944’s operations on communities and international relations.
Attendance by municipal leaders, national ministers and US diplomatic staff underlined the ceremony’s dual character as both a local act of remembrance and a diplomatic reaffirmation of the wartime partnership between France and the United States.
