OVERSEAS CEMETERIES AND MEMORIALS 1 

WWW.ABMC.GOV 

Normandy American Cemetery 

and Memorial 

AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION 
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N 174

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PLANNING A VISIT 

HOURS 

The cemetery is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from April 15 to September 15, and 

from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. the rest of the year. There is no charge for admission. 

LOCATION 

GPS coordinates: N 49°20.910 W 0°51.285 

Normandy American Cemetery overlooks Omaha Beach and the English Channel in 

Colleville-sur-Mer, 170 miles west of Paris and 12 miles northwest of Bayeux. From 

Paris, the cemetery may be reached by car by traveling:

 1. 	 Via highway A-13 to Caen

 2. 	 Continuing on N-13 to Bayeux and Formigny

 3. 	 Continuing on D-517 towards St. Laurent-sur-Mer and 


D-514 to Colleville-sur-Mer


 4. 	 Signs mark the entrance to the cemetery 

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION/PARKING 

There is rail service between Paris (Gare St. Lazare) and Bayeux, where taxicab and 

tour bus service is available. Travel by rail takes three hours. Hotels are available at 

Bayeux and Port en-Bessin. There is ample parking at the cemetery. 

BAYEUX 

NORMANDY 

AMERICAN CEMETERY 

D 514

D 517 

D 572 

N 13 

Cover: ABMC photo/Warrick Page 
OVERSEAS CEMETERIES AND MEMORIALS 1 

 

 

 

 

Normandy American Cemetery 

and Memorial 

The memorial, with colonnade in the background. (ABMC photo/Warrick Page) 

YOU ARE ABOUT TO EMBARK UPON THE GREAT CRUSADE TOWARD WHICH 

WE HAVE STRIVEN THESE MANY MONTHS. THE EYES OF THE WORLD ARE 

UPON YOU...I HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE IN YOUR COURAGE, DEVOTION TO 

DUTY AND SKILL IN BATTLE. 

— GEN. DWIGHT EISENHOWER, 

Message to the troops sent just prior to the invasion of Normandy 

Established by Congress in 1923, the American Battle Monuments Commission 

(ABMC) commemorates the service, achievements, and sacrifice of U.S. armed 

forces where they have served overseas since 1917. ABMC manages 25 overseas 

military cemeteries, and 26 memorials, monuments, and markers. Nearly all of these 

cemeteries and memorials specifically honor those who served in World War I or 

World War II. 
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HISTORY 

Soon after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States’ entry into 

World War II, American military planners began to formally coordinate with their 

British counterparts. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill quickly affirmed a “Europe First” strategy—prioritizing 

the defeat of Germany and its ally Italy, which were seen as the more immediate and 

dangerous threats. The war against Japan received second priority. 

After occupying France in 1940, Hitler made plans to turn the continent into a 

“Fortress Europe.” Germany began the construction of an “Atlantic Wall,” designed 

to defend against an anticipated Allied invasion launched from Great Britain. This 

extensive system of mines, coastal fortifications, batteries, and gun emplacements 

extended from the Bay of Biscay through the shores of the English Channel to the 

coasts of Norway. 

On August 19, 1942, Canadian and English troops, along with a small number 

of U.S. Army rangers, attacked the German-occupied port of Dieppe, France. This 

limited operation—approximately 10,000 troops took part—was intended to temporarily seize and hold a major German port, both to prove that it was possible and 

to gather intelligence. The Allies intended to destroy coastal defenses and strategic 

buildings as they withdrew. If successful, the operation would boost morale, demonstrate a commitment to open a western front in Europe, and alleviate pressure on the 

U.S.S.R. in the midst of its brutal struggle with Germany on the Eastern Front. 

The Dieppe raid turned into a disaster. Suffering a lack of naval and aerial support, 

the invasion force was trapped on the beach under German artillery fire. Counterattacks by German units inflicted heavy losses. After less than ten hours the Allied 

The German Army installed formidable defenses on the beaches of Normandy, including 

teller mines attached to stakes. (National Archives) 
OVERSEAS CEMETERIES AND MEMORIALS 3 

The seven Allied commanders responsible for planning Operation Overlord. From left to 

right: U.S. General Omar Bradley, U.K. Fleet Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay, U.K. Air Chief 

Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder, Supreme Commander U.S. General Dwight Eisenhower, U.K. 

General Sir Bernard Montgomery, U.K. Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory, and U.S. 

General Walter Bedell Smith. (Imperial War Museum) 

forces withdrew back across the English Channel, leaving many casualties and 

prisoners behind. The Dieppe raid did provide lessons that proved useful in future 

amphibious operations. In particular, the raid proved that a successful invasion of 

the continent would require overwhelming strength at the point of entry, with heavy 

support from naval and aerial bombardment. Military planners realized that they 

could not immediately rely upon the seizure of a major port, as the harbor itself 

would likely be severely damaged during the battle. 

Planning for an invasion through Normandy—codenamed Operation Overlord— 

began in earnest in early 1943. Operation Overlord would be the largest amphibious 

campaign in military history. The Allies soon agreed that since the United States 

would supply the bulk of the manpower for the operation, it would be appropriate 

to name an American as Supreme Allied Commander. In January 1944, President 

Roosevelt selected Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower. 

Eisenhower and his staff knew that the success of the amphibious landings depended on quickly establishing a secure beachhead. The first hours of the invasion 

would be crucial, a race between the Allies and the Germans to rapidly build up 

forces. Early on, the amphibious landing troops would be extremely vulnerable to 

counterattacks by German tanks and artillery. To mitigate these counterattacks, 

Operation Overlord included an airborne component; paratroopers would seize key 

objectives, such as bridges and road crossings, on the eastern and western flanks of 

the landing areas. They would also cover the movement of amphibious forces off 

the beaches, disrupt enemy defenses, and in some cases neutralize German coastal 
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Soldiers from the 1st Infantry Division exiting a Coast Guard-manned landing craft onto 

Omaha Beach on D-Day. (National Archives) 

batteries. After securing the initial landing zones, the Allies intended to build up a 

well-supplied force capable of breaking out from the beachhead. 

Deception was crucial to the success of Operation Overlord. The Allies convinced 

German intelligence that the landings would occur to the north at Calais, along 

the narrowest part of the English Channel. Extensive but bogus Allied radio traffic 

reinforced the priority given to the false landing site by German intelligence analysts. Eisenhower’s staff created a fictitious 1st U.S. Army Group under Gen. George 

Patton, featuring fake tanks and trucks and apparently headquartered in Dover—just 

across the channel from Calais. 

The Normandy landings were planned for June 5, 1944. Poor weather conditions, including high winds and overcast skies that would have disrupted the 

amphibious landings and airborne operations, led Eisenhower to postpone the 

invasion for 24 hours. By the next day conditions had marginally improved, 

enough to meet the minimal requirements for getting troops and equipment 

swiftly ashore. Eisenhower gave the order for the invasion to commence. June 6 

would be D-Day. 

The airborne landings began shortly after midnight, with an assault by 22,000 

American, British, and Canadian paratroopers. The U.S. Army’s 82nd and 101st airborne divisions dropped west of Utah Beach, while the British 6th Airborne Division 

dropped on the eastern edge of Sword Beach. To confuse the Germans, airborne 

dummies dressed in paratrooper uniforms and equipped with recordings of gunfire 

were dropped in locations far from the actual landings. 
OVERSEAS CEMETERIES AND MEMORIALS 5 

 

Despite heavy casualties—in part due to many paratroopers being inadvertently 

dropped far from their assigned locations—scattered groups formed ad hoc units 

and continued their missions. By 4:30 a.m., soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division 

occupied the town of Sainte-Mère-Église, giving it the distinction of being the first 

town liberated in the invasion. 

At first light, five Allied infantry divisions began storming the beaches. The amphibious landings took place along a 50-mile stretch of the Normandy coast, in five 

sectors. From west to east these were: Utah (U.S.), Omaha (U.S.), Gold (U.K.), Juno 

(Canada), and Sword (U.K.). 

Of the five landing zones, Omaha Beach was the most heavily defended. German resistance was well-organized and resolute. The high bluffs were defended 

by the German 352nd Infantry Division, their positions bristling with machine 

guns, mortars, and artillery. The German Army had placed formidable anti-invasion obstacles on the beaches, including heavy obstructions made of angled iron. 

The aerial and naval bombardment of German positions prior to the landings 

proved only partially effective. The landings were further complicated by choppy 

seas, and by strong cross-currents that caused many of the landing craft to drift 

eastwards, away from their assigned sectors. 

The 1st and 29th infantry divisions landed on Omaha Beach beginning at 6:30 a.m. 

The first assault waves of engineers, tanks, and infantry took heavy casualties. Of 16 

tanks that initially landed on the beach, only two survived. The first wave succeeded in 

blowing only a few gaps in the beach obstacles, resulting in grave delays for successive 

landings. Heavily defended vehicular routes off the beach were initially impassable, 

leading to a snarled traffic backup. Two hours after the first assault the beach was 

closed for all but infantry landings. Allied commanders considered abandoning the 

beachhead, but small contingents of infantry pushed their way forward, often in ad hoc 

groups supported by surviving tanks and other equipment they could muster. Eventually these groups infiltrated through the coastal defenses and scaled the bluffs between 

strongpoints. Subsequent waves of infantry exploited these initial penetrations. By the 

end of D-Day, American troops had fought their way across 300 yards of open beach, 

scaled the heights overlooking the channel, and occupied the plateau where Normandy 

American Cemetery is now located. The Americans suffered more than 3,000 casualties on Omaha Beach, the highest for any Allied landing zone. 

On Utah Beach, the westernmost landing zone, the 4th Infantry Division found 

itself landing in the wrong place because of a current that pushed their landing craft 

off course. However, relatively sparse German opposition enabled the division to 

move quickly off the beach. By early afternoon, the 4th Infantry Division succeeded 

in linking up with elements of the 101st Airborne Division. This ahead-of-schedule 

inland advance made the Utah Beach landings a near-complete success. 

The D-Day landings surprised the Germans, in part due to the inclement weather. The 

German Army High Command believed that the Allies would only attempt an assault in 

perfect meteorological conditions. The comprehensive deception plans implemented in 

the months before had their effects as well. Even after receiving the initial reports of the 

landings, many German military leaders mistakenly believed that the Normandy operations were a diversionary attack, and that the main Allied force would land at Calais. 
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American troops move onto Omaha Beach. (National Archives) 

During the evening of June 6, gliders brought in additional supplies and reinforcements for the 82nd and 101st airborne divisions. Even 24 hours after the initial 

parachute drops, only about a third of the paratroopers were in contact with their 

divisions. The wide dispersal of airborne troops had the unintended effect of further 

confusing the Germans and fragmenting their response. Paratroopers roamed and 

fought behind enemy lines for days. Many consolidated into small groups from 

different companies, battalions, regiments, and even divisions. 

By the end of D-Day, approximately 156,000 Allied soldiers had landed in Normandy, including 73,000 Americans. The Allies expanded the tenuous beachheads 

over the following days. Within a week, benefitting from continuous naval gunfire 

and air support, the five separate landing sectors were linked together. Temporary 

anchorages and artificial “mulberry” harbors were constructed off the coast, facilitating the unloading of troops and supplies. 

Despite their increasing numbers, Allied troops remained wedged into a narrow 

strip of land along the coast, because of the difficult terrain, the logistical requirements of the buildup, and a resolute German defense. This would soon change. 

Most of the German armored reserves had been drawn into the battle for Caen, and 

the seizure of St. Lo brought the Americans to open ground. U.S. forces soon took 

advantage with a new offensive. 

Operation Cobra began on July 25. Preceded by an intense air bombardment, U.S. 

forces pressed south, breaking through German defenses and liberating the town of 

Coutances. They pushed on through Avranches, repelled a German counterattack at 
OVERSEAS CEMETERIES AND MEMORIALS 7 

Headstones in Normandy American Cemetery. (ABMC photo/Warrick Page) 

Mortain, and sped west into Brittany and east into the German rear. In Brittany, the 

advancing U.S. troops quickly drove scattered German units into fortified coastal enclaves. Moving east, the Americans, British, and Canadians, reinforced by Free French 

and Polish forces, encircled and destroyed German forces in the Falaise Pocket. They 

advanced on to Paris and, supported by an Allied invasion advancing up from the 

Mediterranean Coast, liberated the rest of France. Germany would be next. 

CEMETERY 

Normandy American Cemetery is located at the north end of a half mile access 

road on a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach. The 172.5-acre cemetery contains the 

graves of 9,387 United States military dead, most of whom lost their lives in the 

D-Day landings and ensuing operations. Burials here also include the graves of 

Army Air Force crews shot down over France as early as 1942. Another 1,557 names 

are inscribed on the Walls of the Missing. 

Normandy American Cemetery is one of 14 permanent American World War 

II military cemeteries maintained by the ABMC on foreign soil. The cemetery was 

dedicated on July 18, 1956. 

Architects for the cemetery’s memorial features were Harbeson, Hough, Livingston and Larson of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The landscape architect was Markley 

Stevenson, also of Philadelphia. Donald de Lue of New York City was the sculptor 

for the memorial statue and other statues in the cemetery. 
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Illustrated map of the cemetery with the burial sections labeled. 

Normandy American Cemetery was formed through the consolidation of ten 

temporary cemeteries in the region established during Operation Overlord and 

the campaign inland. The cross-shaped cemetery includes ten grave sections, 

five on each side of the main (east-west) mall. Within these sections there are 

307 unknown burials, three Medal of Honor recipients, and four women. Forty-five sets of brothers are commemorated or buried in the cemetery, including 

33 who are buried side-by-side. A father and son are also buried alongside each 

other. Every grave is marked with a white marble headstone: a Star of David for 

those of the Jewish faith, and a Latin cross for all others. The backs of the headstones are inscribed with the service numbers of the decedents. As in all ABMC 
OVERSEAS CEMETERIES AND MEMORIALS 9 

 

 

cemeteries, the burials are not separated by rank; officers and enlisted men are 

interred side-by-side. 

At the far end of the cemetery, granite statues stand at either end of a small hemicycle, framing a view of the church steeple in Vierville-sur-Mer in the distance. At 

one side the statue of Columbia, representing the United States, is holding an eagle. 

At the other side the statue of Marianne, representing France, is holding a rooster. 

Both allegorical figures of the two nations are holding olive branches of peace. 

The east, south, and west edges of the cemetery are lined with Austrian Pine, 

interspersed with other trees. Corsican Pine trees line the north edge, overlooking the 

English Channel. Throughout the cemetery, shrubs and roses highlight the grave plots. 
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Wooden crosses in the temporary St. Laurent cemetery, 1947. (National Archives) 

NOTABLE BURIALS 

★ Lesley J. McNair (Plot F, Row 28, Grave 42). U.S. Army general, one of the two 

highest-ranking Americans to be killed in action in World War II. 

★ Jimmie W. Monteith (Plot I, Row 20, Grave 12). Medal of Honor recipient. 

★ Preston (Plot F, Row 15, Grave 12) and Robert Niland (Plot F, Row 15, Grave 

11). Brothers who inspired the film Saving Private Ryan. 

★ Frank D. Peregory (Plot G, Row 21, Grave 7). Medal of Honor recipient. 

★ Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. (Plot D, Row 28, Grave 45). Medal of Honor recipient, 

son of President Theodore Roosevelt. 

★ Quentin Roosevelt (Plot D, Row 28, Grave 46). Son of President Theodore 

Roosevelt; World War I aviator killed in action in eastern France. After the 

construction of Normandy American Cemetery, Quentin was reburied next to 

his brother. 

MEMORIAL AND THE GARDEN OF THE MISSING 

The memorial area is organized around a 22-foot tall bronze statue, “The Spirit of 

American Youth Rising From the Waves,” facing west toward the headstones. The 

symbolic figure is a reminder of the youth of the D-Day troops and the heroism they 
OVERSEAS CEMETERIES AND MEMORIALS 11 

View of the reflecting pool and cemetery from the memorial. (ABMC photo/Warrick Page) 
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displayed. The red granite base of the monument is encircled with bronze lettering 

with the inscription: MINE EYES HAVE SEEN THE GLORY OF THE COMING 

OF THE LORD. The stones set in the memorial area floor are from Omaha Beach. 

The memorial is flanked by a semicircular limestone colonnade; carved on the 

lintel is the inscription THIS EMBATTLED SHORE, PORTAL OF FREEDOM, IS 

FOREVER HALLOWED BY THE IDEALS, THE VALOR AND THE SACRIFICES OF OUR FELLOW COUNTRYMEN. At each end of the colonnade is a 

loggia containing maps of operations and battle narratives in English and French. 

The map on the south loggia depicts the Normandy landings and subsequent movement inland; the north loggia map shows the Allied movements through Western 

Europe from D-Day until the German surrender in May 1945. 

There are four large inscribed bronze urns in the memorial area. Two versions are 

set in each loggia, which mirror the urns in the opposite loggia. The first version depicts a dying warrior astride a charging horse, symbolic of war, as an Angel supports 

him and receives his spirit. On the opposite side, a woman kneels holding her child 

beside the decorated grave of a soldier as the star of eternal life shines above, symbolic of the wartime sacrifice by women and children. The laurel leaf garland around 

the top signifies victory and honor. 

The second version of the urn is inscribed with a figurative representation of God 

in Genesis, Chapter 1: “The spirit of the lord moved on the face of the waters.” On the 

water below, a spray of laurel recalls to memory those who lost their lives at sea; a rainbow emanates from each hand of the figure symbolizing hope and peace. The opposite 

side of the urn shows an angel pushing away a stone, symbolic of the resurrection. 

View of the Garden of the Missing. (ABMC photo/Warrick Page) 
OVERSEAS CEMETERIES AND MEMORIALS 13 

The memorial, “The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves.” (ABMC photo/Warrick Page) 
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Detail of the Walls of the Missing. (ABMC photo/Warrick Page) 

Facing west at the memorial, the reflecting pool is in the foreground; beyond are two 

flagpoles where the American flag flies daily, and the burial area with a circular chapel. 

Behind the memorial area, the semicircular Walls of the Missing are inscribed 

with the names of 1,557 Americans who lost their lives in the invasion of Normandy and associated operations, but whose remains could not be located or 

identified. Bronze rosettes mark the names of those recovered and identified since 

the walls were inscribed. There are no dates of death on the wall because this is 

unknown for many of those lost. Beds of polyanthus roses trim the garden, while a 

variety of trees grace the lawn areas. On the western side of the garden, the rear of 

the colonnade is inscribed with a quote from Eisenhower, taken from an address 

at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London honoring Americans who fell in the war: TO 

THESE WE OWE THE HIGH RESOLVE THAT THE CAUSE FOR WHICH 

THEY DIED SHALL LIVE. 

Among those memorialized on the Walls of the Missing are many soldiers from 

the 66th Infantry Division who were lost in the sinking of the Belgian troopship 

S.S. Leopoldville. On Christmas Eve, 1944, the Leopoldville was carrying American 

and British soldiers across the English Channel when it was torpedoed by a German submarine. As the ship sank, more than 750 Americans perished in the icy 

waters; many of their remains were lost to sea and could not be recovered. 

North of the memorial, set on a platform overlooking Omaha Beach, an orientation table with a map of the invasion area depicts the Normandy landings. The 

trail from this area down to the beach was used by American soldiers going in the 
OVERSEAS CEMETERIES AND MEMORIALS 15 

 

Chapel, with the English Channel in the background. (ABMC photo/Warrick Page) 

opposite direction during D-Day, to advance inland. 

South of the memorial, the path leading to the administration building—the 

former visitor center—is the Allée Coty, named after René Coty, President of France 

from 1954-1959. 

CHAPEL 

The circular cemetery chapel is constructed of limestone and granite. Directly 

above the chapel door is an engraved replica of the Medal of Honor, the United 

States’ highest military honor. It is awarded for personal acts of valor at the risk of 

life above and beyond the call of duty. Surmounting the chapel is a bronze finial with 

armillary sphere which serves as lightning protection. 

On entering the chapel, the black marble altar is immediately visible with the 

engraved inscription: I GIVE UNTO THEM ETERNAL LIFE AND THEY 

SHALL NEVER PERISH. Above, a translucent amber window illuminates the 

altar with soft yellow light. On the edges of the window, 48 stars—representing the 

48 states as of 1956, when the cemetery opened—are arranged above an alpha on 

one side, and an omega on the other. Immediately above the altar table is a Star of 

David with a dove in the center, representing peace. A thin teakwood Latin cross 

encased in gold leafed copper is affixed to the window. The altar sits on a twotiered limestone platform and is flanked by flags of the United States, France, Great 

Britain and Canada. 
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Chapel ceiling mosaic. (ABMC photo/Warrick Page) 

The interior walls of the chapel are constructed of limestone. Inscribed on the south 

interior wall is the inscription: THROUGH THE GATE OF DEATH MAY THEY 

PASS TO THEIR JOYFUL RESURRECTION. Above the inscription are three small 

stars carved in relief, and a Latin cross set inside a circle. Directly opposite, the north 

interior wall bears the inscription: THINK NOT ONLY UPON THEIR PASSING 

REMEMBER THE GLORY OF THEIR SPIRIT. Over the inscription are three small 

stars carved in relief, along with the Tablets of Moses and the Star of David set inside a 

circle. On the ceiling, a colorful mosaic depicts America blessing her sons as they depart by sea and air to fight for freedom, and a grateful France bestowing a laurel wreath 

upon American dead who gave their lives to liberate Europe’s oppressed peoples. The 

return of peace is recalled by the angel, dove and the homeward bound ship. 

ADMINISTRATION BUILDING AND TIME CAPSULE 

The administration building is located west of the parking area, at the head of the 

Allée Coty, the path that connects it with the memorial. This building contains the 

superintendent’s office, and is closed to the public. 

Embedded in the lawn directly opposite the entrance to the administration building 

is a sealed time capsule containing news reports of the Normandy landings. The capsule is covered by a pink granite slab and is dedicated to Eisenhower. It will be opened 

on June 6, 2044, on the hundredth anniversary of the Normandy landings. 
OVERSEAS CEMETERIES AND MEMORIALS 17 

Exterior of the Visitor Center. (ABMC photo/Warrick Page) 

VISITOR CENTER 

On June 6, 2007, 63 years to the day after Allied troops stormed the beaches of 

Normandy, ABMC officially dedicated a new visitor center to tell the story of the 

10,944 Americans buried or memorialized here, and their brothers-in-arms. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was among the more than 3,000 people in attendance. 

The visitor center puts the D-Day landings and subsequent campaigns in Europe 

in perspective, and underscores Operation Overlord as one of the greatest military 

achievements of all time. 

One-third of the building’s 30,000 square feet is dedicated exhibit space. Using 

personal stories of participants and a mix of narrative text, photos, films, interactive 

displays and artifacts, exhibits portray the competence, courage and sacrifice of the 

American armed forces, and their Allies. Tours of the cemetery are available daily 

beginning near the cemetery overlook. Cemetery guides are available inside the 

visitor center to answer questions regarding the site and tour times. 

Directly outside of the visitor center, overlooking Omaha Beach, a reflecting pool 

includes an engraved map of the D-Day landing beaches. 
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Pointe du Hoc Monument. (ABMC photo/Warrick Page) 

POINTE DU HOC MONUMENT 

The Pointe du Hoc Monument is located on a cliff of the same name eight miles 

west of Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. On D-Day, troops of the U.S. 

Army 2nd Ranger Battalion, under the command of Lt. Col. James Rudder, scaled 

the 100-foot cliffs and seized the artillery positions located there, which could have 

been used to fire on American troops landing on both Omaha and Utah beaches. 

The guns mounted on the cliffs proved to be wooden dummies, but more than a mile 

inland the rangers found the gun batteries ready to be fired, and destroyed them. 

Despite heavy casualties, the rangers successfully defended Pointe du Hoc against 

determined German counterattacks. Of the initial assault force of 225 rangers, only 

90 were still able to bear arms when relieved on June 8. 

The Pointe du Hoc Monument consists of a granite obelisk flanked with tablets 

inscribed in English and French, positioned atop a concrete German observation 

bunker. Erected by France to honor the U.S. Army rangers who fought here, the 

monument was formally transferred to ABMC for perpetual care and maintenance 

in 1979. Today, this battle-scarred area on the left flank of Omaha Beach remains 

much as the rangers left it, with craters from Allied bombings and German bunkers, 

casemates, and gun emplacements. Many of the rangers who fell in the assault on 

Pointe du Hoc are buried in Normandy American Cemetery. 

The visitor center at the Pointe du Hoc Monument is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 

p.m. from April 15 to September 15, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. the rest of the year. 

There is no charge for admission. 
OVERSEAS CEMETERIES AND MEMORIALS 19 

Utah Beach Monument. (ABMC photo/Warrick Page) 

UTAH BEACH MONUMENT 

The Utah Beach Monument is located at the termination of highway N-13D, 

approximately 30 miles west of Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. It is a 

mile and a half northeast of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont (in the Manche Department). This 

memorial commemorates the achievements of the U.S. Army VII Corps that landed 

on the beach on D-Day, and in the subsequent weeks liberated the Cotentin Peninsula. 

The memorial consists of a red granite obelisk surrounded by a small developed 

park overlooking the historic sand dunes. 
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The American Battle 

Monuments Commission 

The American Battle Monuments Commission—guardian of America’s overseas 

commemorative cemeteries and memorials—honors the service, achievements 

and sacrifice of the United States armed forces. Since 1923, ABMC has executed 

this mission by (1) the erection and maintenance of suitable memorial shrines, in 

the U.S. when authorized by Congress and where U.S. forces have served overseas since April 6, 1917; (2) designing, constructing, operating, and maintaining permanent American military burial grounds in foreign countries; and (3) 

supervising the design and construction on foreign soil of U.S. military memorials, 

monuments, and markers by other U.S. citizens and organizations, both public and 

private, and encouraging their maintenance. 

In performance of its mission, ABMC administers, operates, and maintains 25 

permanent American military cemeteries; 26 federal memorials, monuments, and 

markers, and eight nonfederal memorials. Three memorials are located in the U.S.; 

the remaining memorials and all of ABMC’s cemeteries are located in 15 foreign 

countries, the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the British 

dependency of Gibraltar. 

In addition to grave sites, the World War I and II cemeteries and three memorials 

on U.S. soil commemorate, on Walls of the Missing, U.S. service members who went 

missing in action or were lost or buried at sea during World War I and II, and the 

Korean and Vietnam Wars. 
OVERSEAS CEMETERIES AND MEMORIALS 21 

AMERICAN MILITARY CEMETERIES AROUND THE WORLD 

BELGIUM 

Ardennes American Cemetery 

Neupré †† 12 mi SW of Liege 

Flanders Field American Cemetery 

Waregem † 55 mi W of Brussels 

Henri-Chapelle 


American Cemetery
 

Henri-Chapelle †† 18 mi E of Liege 

NETHERLANDS 

Netherlands American Cemetery 

Margraten †† 6 mi E of Maastricht 

LUXEMBOURG 

Luxembourg American Cemetery 

Luxembourg City †† In city 

ITALY 

Florence American Cemetery 

Florence †† 7 mi S of Florence 

Sicily-Rome American Cemetery 

Nettuno †† 38 mi S of Rome 

TUNISIA 

North Africa American Cemetery 

Tunis †† 10 mi NE of Tunis 

MEXICO 

Mexico City National Cemetery 

Mexican-American War | In city 

PANAMA 

Corozal American Cemetery 

Panama Canal creation | 3 mi N 

of Panama City 

PHILIPPINES 

Clark Veterans Cemetery 

Angeles City | 52 mi NW of Manila 

Manila American Cemetery 

Manila †† 6 mi SE of Manila 

FRANCE 

Aisne-Marne American Cemetery 

Belleau † 40 mi SW of Reims 

Brittany American Cemetery 

St. James †† 15 mi SE 

of Mont St. Michel 

Epinal American Cemetery 

Epinal †† 45 mi SE of Nancy 

Lorraine American Cemetery 

Avold †† 28 mi E of Metz 

Meuse-Argonne American 


Cemetery
 

Romagne-sous-Montfaucon 

† 26 mi NW of Verdun 

Normandy American Cemetery 

Colleville-sur-Mer 

†† 11 mi NW of Bayeux 

Oise-Aisne American Cemetery 

Fere-en-Tardenois 

† 27 mi SW of Reims 

Rhône American Cemetery 

Draguignan †† 28 mi W of Cannes 

Somme American Cemetery 

Bony † 120 mi NE of Paris 

St. Mihiel American Cemetery 

Thiaucourt † 23 mi SW of Metz 

Suresnes American Cemetery 

Suresnes † †† 4 mi W of Paris 

ENGLAND 

Brookwood American Cemetery 

Brookwood † 25 mi SW of London 

Cambridge American Cemetery 

Cambridge †† 28 mi W of Cambridge 

† WWI Cemetery 

†† WWII Cemetery 
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WASHINGTON, D.C.

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Arlington, VA 22201

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