Karen Pence, the wife of Vice President Mike Pence, along with her daughter Charlotte paid a visit to Flanders Field American Cemetery on February 20, 2017 to honor those who are buried or memorialized at these hallowed grounds. They received a special preview of the renovated visitor center that will open to the public on April 6, 2017. (Final work on the space is being completed this month.)

Superintendent Chris Arseneault led a tour of the entire site. He included background on the four American divisions that fought in Belgium in World War I, along with individual stories of some of the fallen, and he touched on the history of the Gold Star Mothers’ program. The visit also included laying a bouquet of flowers in the chapel, and visiting the gravesite of Cpl. Ray Stroman, a man from Indiana who lost his life in August 1918.

Moved by the visit, Karen Pence took to her Twitter account to share photos and reflections from her time at the cemetery. “Couldn’t leave Belgium without visiting Flanders Field Cemetery and paying our respects to the American servicemen killed in WWI,” she tweeted. “Charlotte and I were so pleased to see the new visitors center, recognizing the 100th anniversary of U.S. involvement in WWI.”