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On May 8, 2008, Ambassador Wagner attended the WWII Armistice Day commemorations organized by the Association des Anciens Combattants de la Guerre 1939-1945, des Forces des Nations Unies et des Soldats de la Paix Luxembourgeois. Together with the members of the organizing committee and representatives of several commemorative societies, Ambassador Wagner laid a wreath at the American Military Cemetery in Hamm. She also attended a second ceremony at the Golden Lady memorial in the city of Luxembourg where she laid a wreath in the presence of Defense Minister Jean-Louis Schiltz, the Luxembourg Army, several members of the diplomatic corps, and representatives of the city council of Luxembourg.
On April 12-13, 2008, the Luxembourg Cancer Society staged its annual Relay for Life in support of cancer patients and their friends and families. During the event, the U.S. Embassy fielded a Master team and took turns walking or running laps over the full 24- hour program at Luxembourg City’s largest sports center, the "Coque". Ambassador Wagner participated in the opening ceremony as well as the VIP laps alongside of several Ministers of the Government of Luxembourg, members of the national Parliament, members of the diplomatic corps, and many other officials. The Relay for Life 2008 edition was a huge success: 313 teams totaling over 6,000 participants walked or ran in relays over the weekend and more than 2,000 people attended the opening ceremony on Saturday evening.
On Saturday, December 15th and Sunday, December 16th, 2007, several commemorative societies organized ceremonies to commemorate the 63rd anniversary of the Battle of Bulge, the bloodiest battle of WWII for American troops. On Saturday, Ambassador Wagner escorted by Sgt. Jeffrey Styles and Sgt. Jae Chae of the Embassy’s Marines Security Detachment attended three events which were held respectively at the American Military Cemetery in Hamm and in the towns of Beaufort and Wincrange up in the North of the Grand Duchy. The “Cercle des Anciens de la Garde Grande Ducale” (Circle of the former non-commissioned Officers of the Grand Ducal Guard) set up their 14th Nigh Vigil Ceremony in the town of Beaufort to honor the soldiers of the 60th Armored Infantry Battalion of the 9th Armored Division. After laying wreaths at three different memorials, the Ambassador, the mayor of Beaufort, Mr. Hoffmann and the president of the organizing society, Mr. Kayser joined the people of Beaufort in a reception at the town hall, preceded by a special mass held by Father Weiss.  |
The Luxembourg American Military Cemetery and Memorial at Hamm was the site of a 4 p.m. ceremony held by the commissioned officers of the Grand Ducal Guard of Luxembourg to honor American and Luxembourg World War II dead. Ambassador Wagner joined Lt. Colonel Leandre Mignon of the Grand Ducal Guard and United States Assistant Defense Attache Major Peter Scammel at the Memorial Chapel where she gave remarks after laying a commemorative wreath. Musicians from the Luxembourg Army provided an honor guard and musicians played “Last Post” and echo “Taps.”  |
And at the end of the day, the organization “Friends of Patton’s 26th Infantry Division” held their annual Night Vigil in the commune of Wincrange. The event was co-sponsored by more than 20 communes of the Bulge region. A Color Guard from the USAF base Spangdahlem,Germany, Defense Attaché Col. Daniel Fagundes, Col. Gaston Reinig, chief commander of the Luxembourg army, members of Parliament and about 200 people from the neighboring towns and villages also attended the event. After Ambassador Wagner’s remarks, children read poems and laid dozens of red roses on the memorial set up especially for this occasion.
United States Ambassador Ann L. Wagner and Luxembourg’s Consul-General in San Francisco, Georges Faber joined forces to bring a selection of songs from Irving Berlin’s famous Broadway musical, Call Me Madam, to Ambassador Wagner’s residence on November 27. Call Me Madam is based on America’s capable and colorful envoy to post-WWII Luxembourg, Perle Mesta. The evening was especially poignant because the songs were performed in the same home that Mesta lived in when she served in Luxembourg, beginning 1949. The musical opened at Broadway’s Imperial Theater in 1950 and played for two seasons, earning four Tony Awards, including best musical score for Irving Berlin. In 1953, Twentieth-Century Fox adapted the hit musical for film. Ambassador Wagner welcomed approximately 50 guests for the event, including Irving Berlin’s granddaughter, Caroline Emmet.
Americans and friends from in and around Luxembourg braved the cool, damp fall weather of November 11, 2007 to join U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg Ann Wagner in honoring U.S. veterans. The ceremony at the Luxembourg American Cemetery in Hamm, resting place of 5,076 WWII heroes and General George S. Patton, featured remarks by Ambassador Wagner.
Ambassador Wagner's speech highlighted the ultimate sacrifices made by women and men in the service of their country. Notable at this year's ceremony was the extraordinary turnout by the USAF 52nd Fighter Wing (Spangdahlem, Germany) which provided the honor guard, piper, acapella singer for the U.S. and Luxembourg national anthems and nearly 50 airmen led by Colonel Thomas Lawhead. Boy Scout Troop SHAPE completed the audience alongside representatives from U.S. Veterans Friends organization and other Luxembourg commemorative societies supporting U.S. veterans.
On October 8th, 2007, Ambassador Wagner and Embassy Luxembourg hosted a pre-premier of a film called Luxemburg, USA. 500 invited guests attended the premier including The Grand Duke of Luxembourg, the Archbishop, the Secretary of State for Culture, Luxembourgish students and American interest groups resident in Luxembourg. We were able to reach out to our target group of Luxembourgish youth to share American culture with them and to show them that our countries’ shared history goes back much farther than our liberation of their country during WWII. The goodwill generated from such an outreach event has a multiplier effect within the government, schools, cultural and greater Luxembourgish community.  |
This film was funded by the Cultural Capital 2007 Committee in Luxembourg and was directed by a young, award winning Luxembourgish director. Between 1840 and 1910, 70,000 Luxembourgers (one-third of the total population) immigrated to America and other countries. Luxemburg, USA is a documentary which examines the Luxembourgish communities which still exist in the mid-west of the United States. It was filmed in Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota and looks at both Luxembourgish identity and America as a melting pot who welcomes immigrants.
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On September 21st, 2007 Ambassador Wagner, together with Rector Rolf Tarrach from the University of Luxembourg, launched the U.S. Embassy – U.S. Private Sector Scholarship Program in cooperation with the University of Luxembourg. This public-private partnership will foster greater cultural and educational understanding and even stronger links between Luxembourg and the United States, help students at the University fulfill their study abroad requirement, promote higher education in the United States and provide a vehicle where American Companies in Luxembourg can contribute to the greater Luxembourg community. This scholarship program which will be jointly administered by the Embassy and the University is wholly reliant on donations from U.S. enterprises in Luxembourg. The Ambassador praised the generosity of the American companies in Luxembourg and thanked the companies who have together already donated over $30,000 including Deloitte, J.P. Morgan, Brinks, IBM, Ocean Oil Construction, Pfizer, Air Tech Europe, EMC and John Deere Bank. Ambassador Wagner closed her remarks by saying: “Promoting education is an investment in our common future. There can be no finer education than that which is gained through the international exchange of people and ideas.” This event received significant press coverage in d’Wort (circulation 80,000), le Journal (circulation 8,000) 352, an English language magazine (circulation 5,000) and in the electronic media.
On September 11, 2007, Ambassador Wagner hosted a solemn commemoration for the victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States.
The U.S. Embassy invited the representatives from the Government of Luxembourg, the Grand Ducal police, the Luxembourg firefighter corporation and the American organizations in Luxembourg. Minister for Interior and Territorial Planning, Jean-Marie Halsdorf joined Ambassador Wagner in laying a wreath in front of the Embassy’s Great Seal of the United states. Ambassador Wagner took the opportunity to thank the people and Government of Luxembourg for their support in the aftermath of these tragic events. Furthermore she highlighted the heroic actions of those who risked their lives to save innocent victims as well as the ongoing efforts of American, coalition and NATO troops and the diplomatic corps to combat extremism in Afghanistan and Iraq and throughout the world.
Ambassador Wagner hosts 4 July - Independence Day ReceptionOn July 4, 2007, Ambassador Wagner and Ray Wagner hosted a reception at the Cultural Centre of the Abbey Neumunster to celebrate the 231st Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America. Officials from the Government of Luxembourg, the diplomatic corps, and the business, media, education, and arts communities attended. The celebration started with the national anthems of Luxembourg and the U.S. performed by choir members from the U.S. Air Force Base in Spangdahlem. In her welcome, Ambassador Wagner praised the enduring friendship and the common values shared by Luxembourg and the U.S. The jazz and blues duo ‘Accoutronic’ entertained the guests and American food and appetizers were served. This year’s American Birthday Party was an excellent opportunity for the Embassy to share American traditions and the spirit of Independence Day.
On Wednesday, June 20, 2007, Ambassador WAGNER and U.S. Veterans Friends Luxembourg hosted the commemorative ceremony at the Luxembourg American Cemetery & Memorial honoring ten U.S. World War II veterans from the 80th, the 106th , the 35th Infantry Divisions and the 3rd Cavalry. Besides many family members and friends, the group of veterans was accompanied by Major General David Evans - 80th Division Commanding General as well as six members of the Honor Guard and the bugler from the 80th Infantry Division. This ceremony was part of the U.S. Veterans Friendship Week program hosted annually the third week of June by U.S. Veterans Friends Luxembourg. During their one-week stay in Luxembourg, the group attended several commemorations and visit various towns and sites related to the Battle of the Bulge and Luxembourg national history.  |
The following day, Ambassador Wagner attended the wreath-laying ceremony at General George C. Patton’s 3rd Army liberation memorial, followed by the reception hosted by the city of Dudelange. Deputy Mayor Alex Bodry emphasized that it was the first time that American WWII soldiers had returned to Dudelange since the liberation of the city in September 1944 by the troops of the 20th Corps, 3rd Cavalry Group, 43rd Calvalry Reconnaissance Squadron. Ambassador Wagner expressed the American people’s gratefulness for the service accomplished by the veterans during the Second World War.
Ambassador Wagner commemorates Armistice Day of May 8, 1945
On May 8, 2007 Ambassador Wagner attended the WWII Armistice Day commemorations organized by the Association des Anciens Combattants de la Guerre 1939-1945, des Forces des Nations Unies et des Soldats de la Paix Luxembourgeois. Together with the members of the organizing committee and the Embassy Marine Security Guard detachment, Ambassador Wagner laid a wreath at the American Military Cemetery in Hamm. She also attended a second ceremony at the Golden Lady monument in the city of Luxembourg where she laid a wreath in the presence of Defense Minister Jean-Louis Schiltz, the Luxembourg Army, several members of the diplomatic corps, and representatives of the city council of Luxembourg.
Ambassador attends commemorative ceremony in Vianden On 11 February 2007, Ambassador Wagner attended a commemorative ceremony organized by the commune of Vianden, honoring the 11 GI’s of the 1255th Engineer Combat Battalion, who lost their lives on 12 February 1945 while fighting for the liberation of the town. The Ambassador laid wreath at the “Plank” Monument together with mayor, Mrs. Gaby Frantzen-Heger and the commune council representatives and also attended a mass held at Vianden’s Trinitarian Church. Members of the Friends of History-Vianden, the Circle of the Studies on the Battle of the Bulge [CEBA] as well as a special honor guard detachment from Spangdahlem airforce base were also represented at the ceremony.
Ambassador Wagner and the Luxembourg Liberty Road Committee commemorate General Patton On December 21, 2006, Ambassador Wagner participated in two wreath laying ceremonies dedicated to the 61st anniversary of General Patton’s death and the 62nd anniversary of the arrival of General Patton’s Third Army in Luxembourg during the Battle of the Bulge. Both ceremonies were organized by the Luxembourg Liberty Road Committee. The mayor of Luxembourg City, Mr. Paul Helminger, hosted a reception for all participants.
Ambassador commemorates 62nd anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge On Saturday December 16th 2006, Ambassador Wagner visited Clervaux in the North of the country, where she laid a wreath at the “G.I. Monument” near the town square. The monument commemorates the American G.I.s who liberated Clervaux during the ferocious Battle of the Bulge which began December 16, 1944. Ambassador Wagner was joined in laying the wreath by Clervaux Mayor Willy Oetreischer, and Mr. Camille Kohn, president of the Circle of the Studies on the Battle of the Bulge (CEBA) that organized the ceremony. Defense Attache Colonel John Gagnon and a United States Army color guard also participated. Following the ceremony at the monument, Ambassador Wagner gave remarks and was the guest of honor at a community reception held in the town hall.  |
The Luxembourg American Military Cemetery and Memorial at Hamm was the site of a 4 p.m. ceremony held by the commissioned officers of the Grand Ducal Guard of Luxembourg to honor American and Luxembourg World War II dead. Ambassador Wagner joined Lt. Colonel Leandre Mignon of the Grand Ducal Guard and United States Assistant Defense Attache Major Peter Scammel at the Memorial Chapel where she gave remarks after laying a commemorative wreath. Musicians from the Luxembourg Army provided an honor guard and musicians played “Last Post” and echo “Taps.”
Ambassador Wagner hosts Christmas Reception On December 19th 2006, Ambassador Wagner hosted a Christmas reception for a wide range of key Embassy contacts, ranging from members of the Government of Luxembourg, the diplomatic corps, media, business, and the arts community. The reception also featured the Voices International choir, directed by an American. This choir includes singers of 15 different nationalities and they donate all their proceeds to charity.This event constituted an excellent opportunity for the Embassy’s best contacts to share and experience the American traditions and spirit of Christmas celebrations.
U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg Ann L. Wagner and Minister for Justice, the Treasury and the Budget Mr. Luc Frieden signed a drug assets sharing agreement between the Government of Luxembourg and United States of America on Tuesday 17 October 2006. This agreement allows both governments to share over 11 million euros from the seized accounts of Darnell Garcia and John Knock, two drug traffickers who were arrested and prosecuted through the joint efforts of law enforcement authorities in Luxembourg and the United States.
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