Memorial Unveiled in Grave Honors 1st Lt. Hanford A. Files
A memorial honoring 1st Lt. Hanford A. Files, who was killed at the site on Sept. 17, 1944, during Operation Market Garden, was unveiled in Grave, Netherlands Sept. 16, 2025. The ceremony featured remarks by Mayor Marieke Moorman and retired Lt. Col. Jan van Thull, with honors rendered by the 82nd Airborne Division Color Guard, Choir, and a World War II 82nd Airborne reenactment team. Designed by Dutch artist Joshua Pennings, the statue stands as a lasting tribute to the paratroopers who fought for the freedom of Europe during World War II.