Amy Houbé

While my master’s thesis, focused on the management of bodies and the memorialization of American soldiers during World War II, has been submitted, my research continues. The temporary cemetery of St. Avold, open from March 15 to April 3, 1945, to receive the remains of soldiers fallen during the Rhineland campaign, remains at the heart of my investigations. Among the approximately 1,200 graves dug in just a few weeks, I have sought to trace the postmortem journeys of these men through the Individual Deceased Personal Files (IDPF), mortuary records that document their path from the battlefield to their final resting place. Although my thesis has been completed, my first article, to be published in 2027, marks a new phase: that of an in-depth and ongoing research effort to fill the gaps and give a voice to these soldiers.

My master’s thesis examines the management of bodies and the memorialization of American soldiers during World War II, with a specific case study of the American cemetery in St. Avold, France. The first chapter focuses on how the war shaped the handling of corpses, including the establishment of temporary cemeteries. One such consequence was the opening of the St. Avold temporary cemetery from March 15 to April 3, 1945, to bury the deceased during the Rhineland campaign. Approximately 1,200 American soldiers were interred there during this period.

I aimed to place the cadaver at the center of my analysis, using Individual Deceased Personal Files (IDPFs) to trace the postmortem journey of soldiers. These files, compiled by the Graves Registration Service (GRS) and the War Department, contain medico-legal and administrative documents for each deceased individual. However, a gap in my research was the absence of an IDPF for a soldier buried in St. Avold during its wartime operation. While I obtained several IDPFs from ABMC historians, cemetery guides, and researchers, including files for soldiers buried in the temporary cemetery in the summer of 1945, none pertained to the March–April 1945 period.

The challenges were significant: time and financial constraints prevented me from obtaining records from the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) before completing my thesis. Additionally, the 1973 fire at the NPRC, which destroyed 80% of their records, further reduced the likelihood of finding such a file. As a result, for my thesis, I relied on an IDPF from a soldier who died in St. Avold but was buried in a different temporary cemetery. While the techniques and procedures remained consistent, the personnel involved and the locations where the bodies were taken differed.

I am now working on translating my first chapter into French for publication in an article. As part of this process, I decided to renew my efforts to locate an IDPF for a soldier buried in St. Avold during the wartime period. To maximize my chances, I created a database of names and Army Serial Numbers of deceased soldiers. 

I began with the names I could read on Weekly Burial Report n°134, which I found in NARA RG 92, as I knew for certain that these men had been buried in St. Avold. Report n°134 is particularly significant because it documents the first burials in St. Avold. If my attempt is successful, I will obtain the IDPFs of some of the first individuals buried there.

Additionally, I searched the ABMC’s “Burial Search” database, which compiles records of the deceased interred permanently in overseas cemeteries, as well as those memorialized on the Walls of the Missing. I focused on soldiers who died between March 15 and April 3 and are now buried in the Lorraine American Cemetery. While it is highly probable that these soldiers were initially buried in St. Avold, this is not certain, as some may have been moved there later for permanent interment.

After compiling the database, I submitted requests to the Military Personnel Records section of the NPRC. This process required identity verification, and I am now able to request records on a case-by-case basis. Each request includes as much information as possible: names, dates of birth and death, ranks, decorations, and Army Serial Numbers. 

So far, I have submitted requests for approximately 30 soldiers: those buried on March 15, 1945, as listed in Weekly Burial Report 134, and those who died on March 15, according to the ABMC database. To date, I have received five unsuccessful responses, but I am awaiting further replies. If all 30 attempts fail, I will continue requesting IDPFs for other soldiers in the hope of finding one in time to include in my article. 

My goal is to incorporate this material into the French translation of my chapter, which is scheduled for publication in 2027 in Le Cahier du Pays Naborien.