Outside the small Dutch village of Margraten, near the border with Germany, there lies a cemetery. It's the final resting place of more than eight thousand American soldiers, and it’s one of more than a dozen World War II burial grounds for American troops in Europe. But what's different about the Margraten cemetery is that each of the graves there has been adopted by a Dutch citizen who cares for the gravesite. Ton Hermes is the president of the foundation behind this effort.

Picture: Dutch and US flags decorate the graves at the American Cemetery and Memorial in Margraten. Courtesy of Ton Hermes