APRIL 4, 2025 – Seven French civilian leaders visited the Pentagon yesterday as part of an educational trip to the United States to learn more about how Americans remember World War II and commemorate veterans who fought in that war.
The visitors were part of the State Department’s long-standing International Visitor Leadership Program, which began in 1940 to advance U.S. national security strategy priorities and build long-term relationships between Americans and international leaders in government, business, academia and other fields.
During their three-week iteration of IVLP, participants will visit Washington, New Orleans, Denver, Honolulu and Buffalo, New York, to meet with federal, state and local officials. They will also visit schools and talk with community organizations to cultivate an international community dedicated to innovating World War II history education and preservation.
At the Pentagon, participants met with representatives from the National Cemetery Administration’s Office of Engagement and Memorial Affairs, which is part of the Department of Veterans Affairs. They learned how VA cemeteries operate and about their educational outreach programs, such as the Veterans Legacy Program, which allows students and teachers nationwide at the university and K-12 levels to immerse themselves in the rich historical resources within the VA’s national cemeteries and VA grant-funded cemeteries.
The French IVLP participants also toured Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia and met with the American Battle Monument Commission to learn about their mission and work preserving American cemeteries in France. Lastly, the group met with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency to learn about the ongoing mission to locate missing service members. As part of the Honolulu portion of their trip, the group will visit the DPAA forensics lab and the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor.
Emmanuel Carroz, one of the participants, is the deputy mayor in charge of remembrance and international cooperation for Grenoble, France, one of five cities recognized for its role in France’s liberation from Nazi occupation. He is also a teacher and school director at the Academy of Grenoble and an expert in World War II remembrance and commemoration.
Remembering World War II history is important for two reasons, Carroz said.
“The last survivors are going to die, and it’s also very important to teach young people [about the things] they can’t imagine, especially now when they talk about the Holocaust, and the Nazis, etc.,” he said. “In Europe, now there’s [also] a big problem with the increase in the nostalgia of Nazis ideas. So, it’s very important to teach again.”
In France, Carroz said, he’s focused on preparing a commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Grenoble, which he said was achieved by resistance fighters and the U.S. Army.
“It’s very important to be here today to exchange with American authorities about our common history,” he said.
So far on the trip, Carroz said he’s been surprised by the difference in the way Americans and the French commemorate World War II and veterans.
“The U.S. government spends a lot of money to preserve these memories,” he said. “It’s not the same thing in France. [Here,] you have a lot of organizations who will work with veterans, helping veterans, and about history, and how to work with young people, with students. And in France, it is very different. We don’t have all this culture of remembrance. It’s very impressive to be here because I see at the heart of your nation is this memory of veterans.”
Aissata Seck is the president and founder of the Association for the Memory and History of Senegalese Tirailleurs, which preserves the legacy of colonial troops who fought to defend France during the war.
“[World War II history] is very important for me because I think understanding history helps us better approach contemporary issues and things that are going on today,” Seck said. “Of course, these are tragic moments in our history, but it’s very important for people today to understand our history.”
As the granddaughter of a Senegalese Tirailleur, she believes it’s important to establish the facts of their history.
Like Carroz, Seck said she is impressed with how Americans remember World War II and how it differs in France.
“I’ve really learned a lot since I’ve been here,” she said. “The most important thing that I’ve learned is that our approaches are quite different, and I’ve been very impressed about how, in the United States, World War II history seems to be so well anchored into the conception of history as a whole and of American history. It’s really impressive to see how the war effort is respected and is seen as important.”
After learning how the United States works with students to create digital tools to better remember its World War II veterans, Seck said she’d like to see that happen at home.
“For the examples that we saw today that involve not only students and the youth but also the use of digital tools, I think those are things that we should put into place in France as well,” she said.
By C. Todd Lopez, DOD News