Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial

[David]

ARDENNES AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL

The approach drive at Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial in Belgium leads to the memorial, a stone structure bearing on its façade a massive American eagle and other sculptures. Within are the chapel, three large wall maps composed of inlaid marbles, marble panels depicting combat and supply activities and other ornamental features. Along the outside of the memorial, 462 names are inscribed on the granite Tablets of the Missing. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified. The façade on the far (north) end that overlooks the burial area bears the insignia, in mosaic, of the major U.S. units that operated in northwest Europe in World War II.

The 90-acre cemetery contains the graves of 5,329 of our military dead, many of whom died in the 1944 Ardennes winter offensive (Battle of the Bulge). The headstones are aligned in straight rows that form a Greek cross on the lawns and are framed by tree masses. The cemetery served as the location of the Central Identification Point for the American Graves Registration Service of the War Department during much of the life of the Service.

The cemetery is open daily to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except December 25 and January 1. It is open on host country holidays. When the cemetery is open to the public, a staff member is on duty in the Visitor Building to answer questions and escort relatives to grave and memorial sites.


Photos












How to Get There

GPS Coordinates: N50 32.513 E5 28.145

Ardennes American Cemetery is located near the southeast edge of Neupré (Neuville-en-Condroz), 12 miles southwest of Liège, Belgium. The main highway to Marche passes the entrance. Liège can be reached by express train from Paris (Gare du Nord) via Brussels in about 3½ hours and from Germany via Aachen. Taxicabs and limited bus service to Neupré are available from Liège. There are several hotels in the city.