Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial

Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial is a World War II cemetery and memorial located in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France, honoring the United States soldiers who died in Europe during World War II. The cemetery is managed by the American Battle Monuments Commission and is the final resting place for over 9,000 American soldiers, including Medal of Honor recipients such as Theodore Roosevelt Jr., son of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States. The cemetery is situated on a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach, where the Allies launched a major assault on D-Day, June 6, 1944, involving forces from the United States Army, United States Navy, Royal Air Force, and Royal Navy. The cemetery is also near the Pointe du Hoc, a strategic location that was captured by the U.S. Rangers on D-Day.

● History

The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial was established on June 8, 1944, just two days after the D-Day invasion, and was originally a temporary cemetery for the American soldiers who died during the Normandy Campaign. The cemetery was later made permanent and expanded to include the remains of American soldiers who died in other parts of Europe during World War II, including those who fought in the Battle of the Bulge, the Battle of Aachen, and the Invasion of Germany. The cemetery was designed by Harbeson, Hough, Livingston & Larson, a Philadelphia-based architectural firm, in collaboration with the American Battle Monuments Commission, which is responsible for the construction and maintenance of American military cemeteries and memorials around the world, including the Arlington National Cemetery and the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery. The cemetery was dedicated on July 18, 1956, in a ceremony attended by Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force during World War II and the 34th President of the United States, as well as other dignitaries, including Charles de Gaulle, the President of France.

● Geography and Design

The cemetery is located on a 172-acre site in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France, overlooking Omaha Beach and the English Channel. The cemetery is designed in the form of a Latin cross, with the main entrance located at the base of the cross and the memorial located at the center. The cemetery features over 9,000 white marble headstones, arranged in neat rows, as well as a memorial wall inscribed with the names of over 1,500 American soldiers who are missing in action or whose remains were never recovered, including those who died in the Battle of Saint-Lô and the Battle of Cherbourg. The cemetery also features a chapel, a visitors' center, and a museum, which provides information about the Normandy Campaign and the American soldiers who fought and died in Europe during World War II, including George S. Patton, the commander of the Third Army, and Omar Bradley, the commander of the Twelfth Army Group.

● Notable Interments

The cemetery is the final resting place for over 9,000 American soldiers, including several Medal of Honor recipients, such as Theodore Roosevelt Jr., son of Theodore Roosevelt, and Richard D. Winters, a paratrooper who fought in the Battle of Normandy and was portrayed in the HBO series Band of Brothers. Other notable interments include Leslie Allen, a Medal of Honor recipient who died in the Battle of Normandy, and Frank D. Peregory, a Medal of Honor recipient who died in the Battle of Grandmont, as well as John Ford, a film director who served in the United States Navy during World War II and was involved in the D-Day invasion. The cemetery also contains the remains of several American soldiers who were killed in action during the Normandy Campaign, including those who fought in the Battle of Carentan and the Battle of Saint-Malo.

● Visitor Information

The cemetery is open to visitors every day of the year, except for December 25 and January 1, and is free of charge. Visitors can explore the cemetery and memorial on their own or take a guided tour, which provides information about the Normandy Campaign and the American soldiers who fought and died in Europe during World War II, including the Battle of the Rhineland and the Invasion of Germany. The cemetery also offers a visitors' center and a museum, which provides information about the American Battle Monuments Commission and the construction of the cemetery, as well as the history of World War II and the role of the United States in the war. Visitors can also attend a ceremony at the cemetery, which includes the playing of Taps and the laying of a wreath at the memorial, and can visit other nearby World War II sites, such as the Omaha Beach Memorial and the Pointe du Hoc Memorial.

● Memorial Features

The memorial features a wall of remembrance inscribed with the names of over 1,500 American soldiers who are missing in action or whose remains were never recovered, including those who died in the Battle of the Atlantic and the Battle of the Mediterranean. The memorial also features a chapel, a visitors' center, and a museum, which provides information about the Normandy Campaign and the American soldiers who fought and died in Europe during World War II, including Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, and George C. Marshall, the Chief of Staff of the United States Army. The memorial is surrounded by beautiful gardens and offers stunning views of Omaha Beach and the English Channel, and is a popular destination for visitors to Normandy, including those who come to pay their respects to the American soldiers who died in Europe during World War II, such as Charles de Gaulle, the President of France, and Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.