David
Mon July 25, 2005 11:25am
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Meuse-Argonne American Ce
The World War I Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial is located east of the village of Romagne-sous-Montfaucon (Meuse), France and about twenty-six miles northwest of Verdun. It may be reached by automobile from Paris via toll Autoroute A-4 or Highway N-3 to Ste. Menehould, about one hundred and fifty-two miles. Follow Highway N-3 to Clermont-en-Argonne, then via Varennes-en-Argonne about nineteen miles to the cemetery. It may also be reached from Verdun via Consenvoye or Dun-sur-Meuse, a distance of about twenty-seven miles. Rail service from Paris (Gare de l'Est) to Verdun takes about three and a half hours. Hotels and taxis are available at Verdun.
Meuse-Argonne, covering one hundred and thirty acres, holds the largest number of American Dead in Europe, a total of 14,246. Most of those buried here gave their lives during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive of World War I. The immense array of headstones rises in rectangular rows upwards beyond a wide central pool to the chapel which crowns a ridge. A beautiful bronze screen separates the chapel foyer from the interior, which is decorated with stained glass windows portraying American unit insignia. Behind the altar are the flags of the Allied nations.
On either side of the chapel are memorial loggias. One panel of the west loggia contains a map of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Inscribed on the remaining panels are the names of the 954 American Missing whose remains were never recovered or identified to include those Missing during our expedition to northern Russia during 1918-1919.
The cemetery is open daily to the public from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm 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 Visitors? Building to answer questions and escort relatives to grave and memorial sites.
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David
Mon July 25, 2005 11:27am
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Mexico City National Ceme
The Mexico City National Cemetery is located at 31 Virginia Fabregas, Colonia San Rafael, Mexico City, Mexico. It is about two miles west of the Metropolitan Cathedral and about one mile north of the United States Embassy. The cemetery was established in 1851 by Congress to gather the American Dead of the Mexican War that lay in the nearby fields and to provide burial space for Americans that died in the vicinity. A total of 750 unknown American soldiers were gathered and buried in a common grave at the cemetery. A small monument was placed over them that carries the inscription:
TO THE HONORED MEMORY
OF 750 AMERICANS
KNOWN BUT TO GOD
WHOSE BONES COLLECTED
BY THEIR COUNTRY'S ORDER
ARE HERE BURIED
In this one acre area are also placed 813 remains of Americans and others in wall crypts on either side of the cemetery. The cemetery was closed for further burials in 1923.
The cemetery is open daily to the public from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm 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 Visitors? Building to answer questions and escort relatives to grave and memorial sites.
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David
Mon July 25, 2005 11:30am
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Netherlands American Ceme
The World War II Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial is the only cemetery in the Netherlands. It lies in the village of Margraten six miles east of Maastricht. Maastricht can be reached by train from Paris (Gare du Nord) via Liege, any city in Holland or from Germany via Aachen. Bus service to the cemetery runs from the Maastricht Railroad Station. The Maastricht Airport is five miles to the north. Taxicabs are available. The cemetery's site has a rich historical background, lying near the famous Cologne-Boulogne highway, originally built by the Romans and used by Caesar during his campaign in that area. The highway was also used by Charlemagne, Charles V, Napoleon, and Kaiser Wilhelm II. In May 1940, Hitler's legions advanced over the route of the old Roman highway, overwhelming the Low Countries. In September 1944, German troops once more used the highway for the withdrawal from the countries occupied for four years.
The tall memorial tower can be seen before reaching the cemetery which covers sixty-five acres. From the cemetery entrance the visitor approaches through the Court of Honor with its pool reflecting the chapel tower. The visitors' building is on the right and the museum with its three engraved operations maps describing the achievements of the American Armed Forces in the area during World War II is on the left. At the base of the tower facing the reflecting pool is a statue representing the grieving mother of her lost son.
The walls on either side of the Court of Honor contain the Tablets of the Missing on which are recorded the names of 1,723 American Missing who gave their lives in the service of their country and who rest in unknown graves.
Beyond the chapel and tower is the burial area which is divided into sixteen plots. Here rest 8,301 American Dead, most of whom lost their lives nearby. Their headstones are set in long curves. A wide tree-lined mall leads to the flag staff which crowns the crest.
The cemetery is open daily to the public from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm 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 Visitors? Building to answer questions and escort relatives to grave and memorial sites.
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David
Mon July 25, 2005 11:34am
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Normandy American Cemeter
The World War II Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial is situated on a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach and the English Channel in Colleville-sur Mer, France. It is just east of St. Laurent-sur-Mer and northwest of Bayeux about one hundred and seventy miles west of Paris. The cemetery may be reached from Paris by automobile via Highway A-13 to Caen, then Highway N-13 through Bayeux to Formigny, then following D-517 to St. Laurent-sur-Mer and D-514 to Colleville-sur-Mer. A large stone directional sign designates the cemetery entrance. There is regular rail service between Paris (Gare St. Lazare) and Bayeux, where taxicabs and tour bus service are available. Travel by rail takes three hours. Hotels are available in Bayeux and Port-en-Bessin. The cemetery is located on the site of the temporary American St. Laurent Cemetery, established by the U.S. First Army on June 8, 1944, the first American cemetery on European soil in World War II.
The cemetery is at the north end of its one half mile access road and covers one hundred and seventy-two acres. It contains the graves of 9,387 American military Dead, most of whom gave their lives during the landings and ensuing operations of World War II.
On the walls of the semicircular garden on the east side of the memorial are inscribed the names of 1,557 American Missing who gave their lives in the service of their country, but whose remains were not located or identified. The memorial consists of a semicircular colonnade with a loggia at each end containing maps and narratives of the military operations. At the center is a bronze statue titled, "Spirit of American Youth." An orientation table overlooks the beach and depicts the landings at Normandy. Facing west at the memorial, one sees in the foreground the reflecting pool, the mall with burial areas to either side and the circular chapel beyond. Behind the chapel are statues representing the United States and France.
The cemetery is open daily to the public from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm 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 Visitors? Building to answer questions and escort relatives to grave and memorial sites.
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David
Mon July 25, 2005 11:36am
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North Africa American Cem
The World War II North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial is located in close proximity to the site of the ancient city of Carthage, Tunisia which was destroyed by the Romans in 146 B.C. and lies over part of the site of Roman Carthage. It is near the present town of Carthage and ten miles from Tunis and five miles from the airport. The La Marsa Railroad runs from the center of Tunis to the Amilcar Station, a five minute walk to the cemetery. Taxicabs are available in Tunis and at the airport. There are good hotel accommodations in Tunis as well as in the vicinity of the cemetery at Carthage, Amilcar and Gammarth.
At this cemetery, twenty-seven acres in extent, rest 2,841 American military Dead. Their headstones are set in straight lines and subdivided into nine rectangular plots by wide paths with decorative pools at their intersections. Along the southeast edge of the burial area is a long Wall of the Missing with its sculptured figures and bordering tree lined terrace leading to the memorial. On this wall are engraved the names of 3,724 American Missing who gave their lives in the service of their country in military activities ranging from North Africa to the Persian Gulf during World War II.
The chapel and the memorial court, which contains large maps in mosaic and ceramic depicting the operations and supply activities of American Armed Forces across Africa to the Persian Gulf, were designed to harmonize with the local architecture. The chapel interior is decorated with polished marble, flags and sculpture.
The cemetery is open daily to the public from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm 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 Visitors? Building to answer questions and escort relatives to grave and memorial sites.
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David
Mon July 25, 2005 11:37am
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Oise-Aisne American Cemet
The World War I Oise-Aisne American Cemetery and Memorial lies one and a half miles east of Fere-en-Tardenois (Aisne), France and about fourteen miles northeast of Chateau-Thierry. It may be reached from Paris by automobile by taking toll Autoroute A-4 forty-nine miles to the Chateau-Thierry Exit, turn left onto Highway D-1 to Fere-en-Tardenois about twelve miles. Hotels are available in Chateau-Thierry, Reims (27 miles) and Soissons (18 miles). There is railroad service to each of these cities, where taxicabs may be hired.
At this cemetery site of thirty-six acres, beneath the broad lawn surrounded by stately trees and shrubbery, rest 6,012 Americans who died while fighting in this vicinity during World War I. Their headstones are aligned in long rows and rise in a gentle slope from the entrance at the far end. The burial area is divided into four plots by wide paths lined by trees and beds or roses. At the intersection of the paths is a circular plaza and flagpole.
The memorial is a curving colonnade, flanked at the ends by a chapel and a map room. It is built of rose colored sandstone with white trim bearing the sculptured details of wartime equipment. The chapel contains an altar of carved stone. Engraved upon its walls are the names of 241 Americans who gave their lives in the service of their country and whose remains were never recovered.
The cemetery is open daily to the public from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm 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 Visitors? Building to answer questions and escort relatives to grave and memorial sites.
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David
Mon July 25, 2005 11:38am
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Rhone American Cemetery a
The World War II Rhone American Cemetery and Memorial is located in the city of Draguignan (Var), France about twenty miles west of Cannes and sixteen miles inland from the Mediterranean Sea. It can be reached from Paris by toll Autoroutes A6/A7/A8 and taking the Le Muy exit onto Highway N-555 to Draguignan. Railroad trains from Cannes, Marseille and Paris stop at St. Raphael, where taxicab and bus services are available to the cemetery twenty miles away. Hotel accommodations in Draguignan are limited, but there are many hotels in St. Raphael, Cannes and other Riviera cities.
Draguignan was selected for the cemetery site for its historic location along the route of the U.S. Seventh Army's drive up the Rhone Valley. It was established on August 19, 1944 after the Seventh Army's surprise landing in southern France. Within this cemetery, twelve acres in extent and located at the foot of a hill clad with characteristic cypresses, olive trees and oleanders of southern France, rest 861 American military Dead. Their headstones are arranged in straight lines and divided into four plots grouped about an oval pool. At the end of the crosswalks is a small garden.
On the hillside overlooking the burial area is the chapel with its large sculptured figure and decorative mosaic within. Between the chapel and the burial area is a great bronze relief map recalling the military operations in the region. On the retaining wall of the terrace are inscribed the names of 294 American Missing who gave their lives in the service of their country and who rest in unknown graves.
The cemetery is open daily to the public from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm 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 Visitors? Building to answer questions and escort relatives to grave and memorial sites.
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David
Mon July 25, 2005 11:39am
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Sicily-Rome American Ceme
The World War II Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial is situated at the north edge of the town of Nettuno, Italy. It is just east of Anzio and thirty miles south of Rome. The cemetery can be reached by automobile from Rome along Via Cristoforo Colombo, which runs into Via Pontina (Highway 148). Drive south approximately thirty-seven miles and exit at Campoverde/Nettuno. Turn right to Nettuno and go five and a half miles to the cemetery. There is hourly train service from Rome to Nettuno, where taxicabs can be hired. There are numerous hotels in Anzio and Nettuno.
The cemetery site covers seventy-seven acres, rising in a gentle slope from a large pool with an island and cenotaph flanked by groups of cypress trees. Beyond the pool is an immense field of headstones of 7,861 American military Dead arranged in gentle arcs which sweep across the broad green lawns beneath rows of Roman pines. Many of the Dead interred or commemorated here lost their lives in the liberation of Sicily ( July 10 to August 17, 1943); in the landings in the Sabeno Area (September 9, 1943) and in the heavy fighting northward; in the landings at Anzio Beach and expansion of the beachhead (January 22, 1944 to May 1944) and in air and naval support in the regions.
At the head of the wide central mall stands the memorial, a building rich in works of art and architecture, expressing America's remembrance of its Dead. It consists of a chapel to the south and a peristyle and a museum to the north. On the white marble walls of the chapel are engraved the names of 3,095 American Missing who gave their lives in the service of their country and whose remains were never recovered or identified. The museum room contains a bronze relief map and four fresco maps depicting the military operations in Sicily and Italy. At the north end of the memorial is an ornamental garden.
The cemetery is open daily to the public from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm 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 Visitors? Building to answer questions and escort relatives to grave and memorial sites.
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David
Mon July 25, 2005 11:40am
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Somme American Cemetery
The World War I Somme American Cemetery is located one-half mile southwest of the village of Bony (Aisne), France, which is one and one-half miles west of Highway N-44, thirteen miles north of St. Quentin and fourteen miles southwest of Cambrai. The road leading to Bony leaves Highway N-44 ten miles north of St. Quentin, a short distance north of the Bellicourt American Monument. The cemetery, ninety-eight miles northeast of Paris, can also be reached by automobile via the Paris-Brussels toll Autoroute A-1 to Peronne, then via Vermand and Bellenglise, or Brussels-Reims toll Autoroute A-26 exit 9, via Highway N-44 south for seven and one-half miles to Bony. Hotel accommodations are available at Peronne, St. Quentin and Cambrai, which may be reached by train from Paris (Gare du Nord).
This fourteen-acre cemetery, sited on a gentle slope typical of the open, rolling Picardy countryside contains the graves of 1,844 American military Dead. Most lost their lives while serving in American units attached to British Armies or in the operations near Cantigny during World War I. The headstones, set in regular rows, are separated into four plots by paths which intersect at the flagpole near the top of the slope. The longer axis leads to the chapel at the eastern end of the cemetery.
A massive bronze door, surmounted by an American eagle, leads the way into the chapel whose outer walls contain sculptured pieces of military equipment. Once inside, light from a cross-shaped crystal window above the marble altar bathes the subdued interior with luminous radiance. The walls bear the names of 333 heroic American Missing in Action who gave their lives in the service of their Country, but whose remains were never recovered or identified. There are three Medal of Honor recipients interred at the cemetery.
The cemetery is open daily to the public from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm 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 Visitors? Building to answer questions and escort relatives to grave and memorial sites.
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David
Mon July 25, 2005 11:41am
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St. Mihiel American Cemet
The World War I St. Mihiel American Cemetery and Memorial is located at the west edge of Thiaucourt, France. The cemetery can be reached by automobile from Paris by toll Autoroute A-4. Take the Fresnes-en-Woevre Exit following Route D-904 south to Beney-en-Woevre then D-67 to the cemetery. There is direct rail service from Paris (Gare de l'Est) to Onville. At Metz, Nancy and Verdun, hotel accommodations are available and taxicabs may be hired.
This cemetery, forty acres in extent, contains the graves of 4,153 American military Dead from World War I. Most of these gave their lives in the great offensive which resulted in the reduction of the St. Mihiel salient that threatened Paris. The headstones are aligned in long rows and divided into four plots by tree lined walks. At the center of these walks is a large sundial surmounted by an American eagle. To the right (west) end of the walk is a small monument and to the left is a semicircular overlook.
Beyond the burial area to the south is a white stone memorial consisting of a small chapel, a peristyle with a large rose granite urn in the center and a museum. The chapel contains a beautiful mosaic portraying an angel sheathing a sword. On the end walls of the museum are recorded the names of 284 American Missing who gave their lives in the service of their country and whose remains were never recovered or identified. On the wall opposite the door is a large inlaid marble map describing the St. Mihiel Offensive.
The cemetery is open daily to the public from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm 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 Visitors? Building to answer questions and escort relatives to grave and memorial sites.
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David
Mon July 25, 2005 11:43am
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Suresnes American Cemeter
The World War I Suresnes American Cemetery and Memorial is located in the suburb of Suresnes five miles west of the center of Paris. It can be reached by automobile, taxicab or suburban trains which depart from Gare St. Lazare to the Suresnes Mont Valerien Station every twenty minutes. From the Suresnes Station it is a ten minute walk to the cemetery. Located high on the slopes of Mont Valerien, the cemetery affords a fine panorama of a large part of Paris.
This cemetery, seven and a half acres in extent, contains the graves of 1,541 American military Dead from World War I and twenty-four graves of American Unknown Dead from World War II. Bronze tablets on the walls of the chapel record the names of 974 American Missing or buried or lost at sea in 1917 and 1918.
Originally a World War I cemetery, Suresnes now shelters American Dead from both wars. The World War I memorial chapel was enlarged by the addition of two loggias dedicated to the Dead of both wars. In the rooms at the ends of the loggias are white marble figures in memory of those who gave their lives in these two wars. Inscribed on the walls of the loggias is a summary of the loss of life suffered by our Armed Forces during these great conflicts listing the location of all overseas military cemeteries where American Dead are buried. Senior representatives of the American and French Governments assemble at Suresnes Cemetery on ceremonial occasions to honor the memory of the American Dead.
The cemetery is open daily to the public from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm 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 Visitors? Building to answer questions and escort relatives to grave and memorial sites.
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David
Mon July 25, 2005 12:14pm
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Naval Monument at Gibralt
The World War I Naval Monument at Gibraltar is located at the Straits of Gibraltar, the gateway to the Mediterranean Sea. It is a masonry archway which leads to a British Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery. Over the arch are two bronze seals of the United States and the Department of the Navy. This monument, constructed of the stone from the neighboring "Rock," commemorates the achievements of the United States Navy in the nearby waters and its comradeship with the British Royal Navy during World War I.
From this monument, located in the midst of its historic surroundings, there is a flight of steps which connects the British naval establishments below with the cemetery and the picturesque town above. Gibraltar is a port of call for many ships. A visit to the monument requires about half an hour from your arrival at Gibraltar.
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David
Wed August 3, 2005 12:47pm
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Horse bones
Horse bones still littered the field when Company I returned. The wooden stakes mark the graves of the slain.
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David
Wed August 3, 2005 12:51pm
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Bvt. Maj. Gen. George Arm
On October 10, 1877, the remains of Bvt. Maj. Gen. George Armstrong Custer, lieutenant colonel of the 7th Cavalry, were buried with full military honors in the cemetery near the Old Cadet Chapel at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y. Today, a large granite monument marks the grave.
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David
Mon February 9, 2009 12:18pm
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Gravel Gertie
Gravel Gertie
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