BWI TSO Represents Family, Country at Memorial Day Ceremony in France
News & Happenings
June 20, 2007
For Memorial Day this year, BWI TSO Jan Grabowski celebrated a family member’s service to his country, much like many Americans. Rather than doing so at a traditional backyard barbecue, however, Jan honored his uncle’s memory in the south of France alongside the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe.
Jan’s overseas trip started last summer, as he researched where his uncle, PFC Edward S. Patrick, had been buried. He was killed August 15, 1944, during the Allied invasion to liberate France. His family knew that the grave was in France, but did not have particulars.
Jan contacted the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), which advised him that PFC Patrick had been interred at the Rhone American Cemetery in Draguignan, France. With Jan’s permission, the ABMC submitted his name to Souvenir Franco-Américain, an organization that honors the memory of the GIs who died on French soil by hosting the family of one soldier each year to participate in Memorial Day ceremonies in Draguignan.
As part of his trip, Jan was officially received by the mayors of Draguignan, Vallauris, Monaco and Nice, and was asked to deliver keynote remarks at a City Hall reception in Nice. He studied French for two months to surprise and thank the audience for honoring his uncle.
“Jan came to TSA in 2002, one of thousands of patriots who wanted to contribute to securing the United States. It is a measure of his dedication to the country that his personal patriotism extends beyond his work assignments to the rest of his life. We are honored to have such people with us,” said Admiral Jim Schear, BWI FSD.
