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The tombstone for an unnamed U.S. Soldier at the North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial reads, “Here rests in honored glory a comrade in arms known only to God,” in Carthage, Tunisia, May 8, 2024. The cemetery is the final resting place for over 2,800 U.S. service members. African Lion 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of U.S. Africa Command’s premier joint exercise led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), running from April 19 to May 31 across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia, with over 8,100 participants from 27 nations and NATO contingents. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros)
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U.S. Army Brig. Gen. John LeBlanc, left, and Col. Chad Froehlich, the deputy commanding general and chief of staff, respectively, of U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), visit the North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial in Carthage, Tunisia on May 7, 2024. A tour guide shares the history of the site, the final resting place for over 2,800 U.S. service members. African Lion 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of U.S. Africa Command’s premier joint exercise led by SETAF-AF, running from April 19 to May 31 across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia, with over 8,100 participants from 27 nations and NATO contingents. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros)
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A mosaic map illustrates the movement of Allied forces across Northern Africa during World War II at the North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial in Carthage, Tunisia, May 7, 2024. The cemetery is the final resting place for over 2,800 U.S. service members. African Lion 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of U.S. Africa Command’s premier joint exercise led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), running from April 19 to May 31 across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia, with over 8,100 participants from 27 nations and NATO contingents. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros)
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Thousands of tombstones line the grounds of the North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial in Carthage, Tunisia, May 7, 2024. This is the final resting place for over 2,800 U.S. service members who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War II. African Lion 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of U.S. Africa Command’s premier joint exercise led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), running from April 19 to May 31 across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia, with over 8,100 participants from 27 nations and NATO contingents. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros)
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U.S. Army Brig. Gen. John LeBlanc (right) and Col. Chad Froehlich (left), the deputy commanding general and chief of staff, respectively, of U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), visit the North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial in Carthage, Tunisia on May 7, 2024. A tour guide shares the history of the site, the final resting place for over 2,800 U.S. service members. African Lion 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of U.S. Africa Command’s premier joint exercise led by SETAF-AF, running from April 19 to May 31 across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia, with over 8,100 participants from 27 nations and NATO contingents. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros)
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TUNIS, Tunisia — U.S. Army Brig. Gen. John LeBlanc visited the North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial in Tunis on May 7, 2024, reflecting on the incredible sacrifices made by U.S. troops in one of the pivotal theaters of World War II.
LeBlanc, the deputy commanding general of U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), was joined by several staff members and his personal detail as he walked through the cemetery, which is the final resting place for over 2,800 U.S. soldiers. He paused in front of the rows of white marble headstones, each marking the bravery and sacrifice of American soldiers who fought and died in North Africa.
"It’s one of the most beautiful cemeteries I think I've ever been to," LeBlanc said following the tour. "You have to be here to actually see it and understand the number of service members lost.”
The North Africa American Cemetery, located with a view of the Mediterranean Sea, also honors over 3,700 service members whose remains were never recovered. The chapel and the wall of the missing display the names of these individuals, making sure their contributions are remembered.
As LeBlanc departed, he expressed gratitude on behalf of SETAF-AF for the American Battle Monuments Commission and its ongoing efforts to maintain the grounds and educate visitors about the site's historical significance.
"It's a phenomenal cemetery and a great memorial, and I personally appreciate them taking us on the tour," he remarked.
LeBlanc's visit comes during the midpoint of African Lion 2024, which marks the 20th anniversary of U.S. Africa Command’s premier joint exercise led by SETAF-AF, running from April 19 to May 31 across Morocco, Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia, with over 8,100 participants from 27 nations and NATO contingents.
About African Lion
2024 marks the 20th anniversary ofU.S. Army Africa Command's premier and largest annual, combined, joint exercise African Lion. This year’s exercise will take place April 19 through May 31 and is hosted across Morocco, Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia with more than 8,100 participants from over 27 nations and contingents from NATO. African Lion 24 focuses on enhancing readiness between the U.S. and partner nation forces. This joint all-domain, multi-component, and multinational exercise, employs a full array of mission capabilities with the goal to strengthen interoperability among participants and set the theater for strategic access.
SETAF-AF providesU.S. Africa Command and U.S. Army Europe and Africa a dedicated headquarters to synchronize Army activities in Africa and scalable crisis-response options in Africa and Europe.
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