To mark the 233rd anniversary of the Independence of the United States, the U.S. Embassy Montevideo paid tribute to Uruguay's founding father General Jose Artigas at a ceremony held July 2, 2009. Accompanied by U.S. Embassy officials and military attachés from several allied nations, CDA Robin Matthewman placed a wreath at the monument of General Jose Artigas, located in Montevideo's Plaza Independencia. "We are here to honor and pay homage to Uruguay’s great leader as we pause to reflect on the ideals that our two nations share," Matthewman said.