west side is lined by an avenue of
stately lindens (Tilia platyphyllus) and
its north boundary by informal tree
groups. Entry is made into the ceme-
tery through the main gate located on
the north side of highway N-63. It is
set within plantings of black and
white pine (Pinus Nigra Austriace and
Pinus strobus); its wing walls are
backed by an evergreen hedge.
Inside the main gate, a straight
avenue bordered by horsechestnut
(Aesculus hippocastanum) trees leads
for 300 yards through woods to a
broad green mall flanked on each
side with parking spaces. At the far
right (east) side is the Visitors’ Build-
ing; on the left the Superintendent's
house; the memorial is on the axis.
From the parking area a flight of
steps leads down to the memorial;
this path divides to pass around the
building and leads to the burial area
beyond.

Beyond the woods to the west are
the wells, reservoirs, and service
building. Drinking water is treated
in a purification system.

THE MEMORIAL

The memorial of English Portland
Whitbed limestone is austerely rect-
angular in form. It projects on all
sides beyond its base which, in turn,
is set upon a Danube Gray granite
podium reached by seven steps;
these extend entirely around the
building except where they are inter-
rupted at the south end to permit
access to the main door. The podium
at the north end affords an impres-
sive view of the burial area and of the
countryside beyond.

Carved in high relief on the south
facade of the memorial is an Ameri-
can eagle 17 feet high. Beside it are
three figures symbolizing Justice,
Liberty, and Truth; the composition
is balanced by 13 stars representing
the United States. This sculpture is
from the design of C. Paul Jennewein

of New York City; the work was exe-
cuted by Jean Juge of Paris. The main
doors to the memorial are of stainless
steel and bear in relief the dates:
1941-1945.

The south, east, and west interior
walls of the memorial are decorated
with large maps composed of inlaid
marble embracing a range of colors
from white through cream and gray
to black. Much of the lettering is of
bronze; other topographical and mil-
itary details are rendered in mosaic,
or enameled or plated bronze. The
map above the door records both the
last great enemy offensive ARDEN-
NES, popularly known as “The Battle
of the Bulge,” which took place dur-
ing the winter of 1944-45, and also
the subsequent advance of the Allied
forces across the RHINELAND to the
Rhine River; it measures 1912 feet
high by 22% feet long. Elaborating
this map is an inscription in English,
French, and Flemish, of which this is
the English text:

ON 16 DECEMBER 1944 THE ENEMY MADE
HIS LAST CONCERTED EFFORT TO STAVE
OFF DEFEAT, UNLEASHING THREE
ARMIES ON A NARROW FRONT. PRE-
PARED IN GREATEST SECRECY AND
LAUNCHED UNDER COVER OF FOG AND
RAIN, HIS ATTACK IN THE ARDENNES
WAS INITIALLY SUCCESSFUL. BREAKING
THROUGH ON A 45-MILE FRONT, HIS
FORCES PENETRATED OVER 60 MILES,
BUT AMERICAN SOLDIERS, FIGHTING
VALIANTLY, HELD THE CRITICAL
SHOULDERS OF THE SALIENT.
REACTING PROMPTLY AND DECI-
SIVELY, THE ALLIES RUSHED ALL AVAIL-
ABLE RESERVES TO THE SCENE. A FURI-
OUS STRUGGLE DEVELOPED AT THE
ROAD CENTER OF ST. VITH WHERE THE
ENEMY ADVANCE WAS STUBBORNLY DE-
LAYED. AT BASTOGNE, ALTHOUGH SUR-
ROUNDED FOR FIVE DAYS, AMERICAN
TROOPS, WITH THE HELP OF SUPPLIES
DROPPED BY IX TROOP CARRIER COM-
MAND AIRCRAFT, MAINTAINED THEIR
DEFENSE. WHILE THE FIRST ARMY

Side Panels to Wall Maps

Combat Arms Combat Arms Supply Services Supply Services



18

HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY

A COMRADE IN ARMS
KNOWN BUT TO GOD

Decorated Gravesite of a World War IT “Unknown”

THE AMERICAN
BATTLE MONUMENTS
COMMISSION

ESTABLISHED BY CONGRESS MARCH 1923

UNITED STATES OFFICE

American Battle Monuments Commission
Court House Plaza II

Suite 500

2300 Clarendon Boulevard

Arlington, VA 22201

Telephone: (703) 696-6897

(703) 696-6896

FAX: (703) 696-6666

Web site: www.abmc.gov

EUROPEAN OFFICE

Street Address:

68, rue du 19 Janvier

92380 - Garches, France
Mailing Address:

American Battle Monuments Commission.
PSC 116

APO AE 09777

Telephone: (011-33) 1-4701-1976
(from U.S. & other countries)
33-0-1-4701-1976

(within France)

Fax: (011-33) 1-4741-1979

MEDITERRANEAN OFFICE

Street Address:

American Battle Monuments Commission
c/o US. Embassy

Via Sallustiana 49

00187 Rome, Italy

Mailing Address:

American Battle Monuments Commission
Unit 9500, Box 11

DPO AE 09624-0011

Telephone: (011-39) 06-4674-3084

Fax: (011-39) 06-487-1624

PHILIPPINE OFFICE

Street Address:

Manila American Cemetery
and Memorial

McKinley Road, Global City
Taguig, Philippines

Mailing Address:

Manila American Cemetery
PSC 513, Box 5

DPO AP 96515-1800
Telephone: (011-632) 844-0212
FAX: (011-632) 812-4717

19


CESSFUL ATTEMPT TO SEIZE THE CROSS-
INGS OF THE LOWER RHINE.

PROGRESS DURING THE NEXT THREE
MONTHS WAS SLOW, THE FIGHTING
BITTER AS OPPOSITION STIFFENED. THE
OPENING OF THE PORT OF ANTWERP ON
28 NOVEMBER MATERIALLY EASED THE
LOGISTICAL BURDEN. THE FIRST AND
NINTH ARMIES BROKE THROUGH THE
SIEGFRIED LINE AND CAPTURED
AACHEN. METZ FELL AS THE THIRD
ARMY PUSHED TO THE SAAR. ON ITS
RIGHT, THE SEVENTH ARMY AIDED BY
THE FIRST TACTICAL AIR FORCE DROVE
TO THE RHINE AT STRASBOURG, WHILE
FRENCH TROOPS FREED MULHOUSE.
THEN, IN THE ARDENNES, ON 16 DE-
CEMBER, THE ENEMY LAUNCHED HIS
FINAL MAJOR COUNTEROFFENSIVE.
PROMPT TACTICAL COUNTERMEASURES
AND THE SUPERB FIGHTING QUALITIES
OF AMERICAN SOLDIERS AND AIRMEN
FINALLY HALTED THIS DRIVE. A CON-
CURRENT OFFENSIVE LAUNCHED BE-
TWEEN SAARBRUCKEN AND COLMAR
MET THE SAME FATE.

DURING FEBRUARY AND MARCH THE
WEST BANK OF THE RHINE WAS CLEARED
IN A SERIES OF HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL
OPERATIONS. ON 7 MARCH AMERICAN
FORCES SEIZED THE ONE REMAINING
UNDEMOLISHED BRIDGE ATREMAGEN. A
SURPRISE CROSSING WAS EFFECTED AT
OPPENHEIM ON 22 MARCH, THEN, IN
THE NEXT TWO DAYS ALLIED TROOPS
SPEARHEADED BY A MASSIVE AIRBORNE
ATTACK, MADE THEIR MAJOR ASSAULT
CROSSING NEAR WESEL. PUSHING
RAPIDLY EASTWARD OUR ARMIES EN-
‘CIRCLED THE ENTIRE RUHR VALLEY IN A
GIGANTIC DOUBLE ENVELOPMENT.
WITH AIR AND GROUND FORCES
OPERATING AS A TEAM, THE ALLIES
SWEPT ACROSS GERMANY TO MEET THE
ADVANCING TROOPS OF THE U.S.S.R. AT
THE ELBE AND FORCE THE COMPLETE
SURRENDER OF THE ENEMY ON 8 MAY
1945, 337 DAYS AFTER THE INITIAL LAND-
INGS IN FRANCE.

Ranged along each side of the map
are six panels illustrating the combat

12

arms; they are painted in black upon
white Carrara marble, the back-
ground of each picture being cut
back and gilded, recalling the golden
finish of the ceiling. The subjects of
these panels are (as one faces them)
see page 9:

1, Heavy Bombers 1. Battlefield

Communi-
cations
2. Naval Fire 2. Antiaircraft
Support Artillery
3. Paratroopers 3. Medium
Bombers
4. Battlefield First 4. Field
Aid Artillery
5. Armor in 5. Infantry in
Action Action

6. Infantry Sup- 6, Combat
port Weapons Engineer
Bridging
The map on the opposite (east)
wall portrays the Services of Supply
of the European Theater of Opera-
tions, The English version of its de-
scriptive text reads:

THE FIRST CONTINGENT OF AMERICAN
TROOPS REACHED THE BRITISH ISLES ON
26 JANUARY 1942. THE SERVICES OF
SUPPLY WAS PROMPTLY ORGANIZED TO
PROVIDE FOR THE TRANSPORTATION,
SHELTER, SUPPLY AND HOSPITALIZA-
TION OF THEIR CONSTANTLY INCREAS-
ING NUMBERS. BY JUNE 1942 IT WAS
ACTIVELY FUNCTIONING — PREPARING
AIRFIELDS, TRAINING CAMPS, PORTS
AND DEPOTS, AS WELL AS RECEIVING,
STORING AND DISTRIBUTING THE
16,000,000 TONS OF CARGO WHICH
REACHED THE UNITED KINGDOM FROM
THE UNITED STATES PRIOR TO THE
CROSS-CHANNEL ATTACK. IN NOVEM-
BER 1942 THE INVASION OF NORTH
AFRICA DEFERRED FOR MANY MONTHS
THE BUILD-UP FOR THE EUROPEAN
ASSAULT. NEVERTHELESS, ON 6 JUNE 1944
WHEN THE ALLIES LANDED IN NOR-
MANDY, THE SERVICES WERE READY FOR
THIS SUPREME TEST.

INITIALLY SUPPLIES WERE LANDED
OVER THE OPEN BEACHES, BUT NAVAL
PERSONNEL PROMPTLY ESTABLISHED
TEMPORARY ANCHORAGES AND TWO
ARTIFICIAL HARBORS (KNOWN AS “MUL-
BERRIES”) BY SINKING SHIPS AND PRE-
FABRICATED CONCRETE CAISSONS.
THESE WERE OF PRICELESS AID IN THE
UNLOADING OF TROOPS AND CARGO. IN
SPITE OF THE LACK OF A MAJOR PORT,
WHEN THE ADVANCE WAS RESUMED IN
JULY ADEQUATE SUPPLIES HAD BEEN
ASSEMBLED IN THE BEACHHEAD.

WHILE THE ALLIED ARMIES SWEPT
FORWARD FROM NORMANDY, U.S. AND
FRENCH TROOPS LANDED IN SOUTHERN
FRANCE. AS THE DISTANCES FROM THE
PORTS LENGTHENED, THE TRANS-
PORTATION PROBLEM BECAME ACUTE.
NEVERTHELESS, THE SUPPLY ORGANI-
ZATION FUNCTIONED MOST EFFEC-
TIVELY, REPAIRING AND BUILDING
ROADS AND RAILROADS, OPERATING
HIGH-SPEED TRUCK CONVOYS SUCH AS
THE “RED BALL EXPRESS,” EXTENDING
FUEL PIPELINES AND PROVIDING AIR
LIFT.

THE ALLIED NAVIES PLAYED A VITAL
ROLE BY SAFEGUARDING A CONTINU-
OUS FLOW OF TROOPS AND SUPPLIES
ACROSS THE SEAS. THE LINE OF SUPPLY
WAS DEVELOPED FIRST FROM THE
ASSAULT BEACHES, THEN THROUGH
CHERBOURG AND LE HAVRE. WHEN
ANTWERP WAS OPENED IN LATE
NOVEMBER THE MAIN LINES OF
COMMUNICATION FOR THE 12TH AND
21ST ARMY GROUPS WERE SHIFTED TO
THAT PORT. FROM THE SOUTH THE SUP-
PLY LINE FOR THE 6TH ARMY GROUP
CAME UP THE RHONE VALLEY FROM
MARSEILLE.

ON 21 MARCH 1945 ON THE EVE OF THE
MAIN CROSSING OF THE RHINE THE U.S.
COMMUNICATIONS ZONE, WHICH NOW
CONTROLLED THE SUPPLY OF U.S.
TROOPS, COMPRISED FIVE BASE SEC-
TIONS, ONE INTERMEDIATE SECTION
AND TWO ADVANCE SECTIONS. THESE
PREPARED AND OPERATED THE FACILI-
TIES AND INSTALLATIONS REQUIRED TO

MAINTAIN AND REINFORCE OUR
TROOPS ON THE CONTINENT ANDIN THE
UNITED KINGDOM. AFTER THE LAND-
INGS IN NORMANDY, THE BEACHES AND
PORTS OPERATED BY AMERICAN FORCES
IN FRANCE AND BELGIUM DISCHARGED
OVER 15,300,000 TONS OF CARGO
ORIGINATING IN THE UNITED STATES,
THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE
MEDITERRANEAN AREA.

‘THE ADVANCE SECTIONS OPERATED IN
DIRECT SUPPORT OF THE ARMIES, DRAW-
ING SUPPLIES FROM THE BASE AND
INTERMEDIATE SECTIONS. THESE SUP-
PLIES WERE FORWARDED TO THE COM-
BAT UNITS. AN EFFICIENT SYSTEM FOR
THE HOSPITALIZATION AND EVACUA-
TION OF THE SICK AND WOUNDED OP-
ERATED CONTINUOUSLY. IN WORLD
WAR II THE DECISIVE IMPORTANCE OF
THE SUPPLY AND TECHNICAL SERVICES
IN MODERN WARFARE WAS CLEARLY
MANIFESTED.

This map also is embellished by 12
panels (see page 9) representing
functions of the Services of Supply,
viz:

1. Atlantic Supply 1. Ordnance

Convoy Repair

2. Military 2. Supply
Railroad Depots
Operations

3. Rear Area Com- 3. Supply By
munications Air

4, Port Operation 4. Military

Chaplain

5. Military Police- 5. Airfield
Traffic Control Construction

6. Engineer 6. Medical
Heavy Bridge Corps

The maps were designed by Dean
Cornwell of New York City from data
prepared by The American Battle
Monuments Commission, They
were fabricated by the Pandolfini
Company of Pietrasanta, Italy. The
panels were both designed and exe-
cuted by Dean Cornwell.

13


BLOCKED THE ENEMY’S EFFORTS TO
BREAK THROUGH TOWARD LIEGE AND
CROSS THE MEUSE, THE THIRD ARMY BY
A MASTERFUL CHANGE OF FRONT
TURNED NORTH_AND ON 22 DECEMBER
COUNTERATTACKED THE SOUTHERN
FLANK OF THE PENETRATION. ON 23 DE-
EMBER THE SKIES CLEARED, ENABLING
OUR EIGHTH AND NINTH AIR FORCES TO
ENTER THE BATTLE AND STRIKE AT THE
ENEMY ARMOR AND SUPPLY COLUMNS.

THE THIRD ARMY CONTINUED ITS AD-
VANCE, RELIEVING BASTOGNE ON 26
DECEMBER. THE FIRST ARMY'S COUN-
TERATTACK FROM THE NORTH CAME ON
3 JANUARY 1945, STRUGGLING FORWARD
AGAINST DETERMINED OPPOSITION,
ACROSS SNOW-COVERED MINE FIELDS IN
BITTERLY COLD WEATHER, THE THIRD
AND FIRST ARMIES MET AT HOUFFALIZE
ON THE 16TH. THE SALIENT WAS COM-
PLETELY REDUCED BY 25 JANUARY.

WHILE MAINTAINING THEIR ADVANCE
IN THE ARDENNES, AMERICAN TROOPS
NOW PUSHED DOWN THE ROER VALLEY.
ON 23 FEBRUARY, THE FIRST AND NINTH
ARMIES LAUNCHED THEIR ASSAULT
ACROSS THIS RIVER, WITH FIGHTERS AND
MEDIUM BOMBERS OF THE NINTH AIR
FORCE CLOSELY SUPPORTING THE FOR-
WARD UNITS, AND SEIZED BRIDGEHEADS
AT JULICH AND DUREN. AS THE OFFEN-
SIVE GATHERED MOMENTUM, UNITS TO
THE SOUTH JOINED THE ADVANCE. THE
FIRST ARMY REACHED COLOGNE BY 5
MARCH AND WHEELED TO THE SOUTH-
EAST. THE NEXT DAY THE THIRD ARMY
ATTACKED NORTH OF THE MOSELLE.
PRECEDED BY AIRCRAFT STRIKES THAT
DISORGANIZED THE RETREATING
ENEMY, OUR GROUND FORCES AD-
VANCED RAPIDLY. ON 7 MARCH THE
FIRST ARMY SEIZED THE UNDEMOLISHED
BRIDGE AT REMAGEN, THEN PROMPTLY
ESTABLISHED AND EXPANDED A
BRIDGEHEAD ACROSS THE RIVER. THE
LINE OF THE RHINE, THE LAST BARRIER IN
THE WEST, HAD BEEN BREACHED.

The map, 19/2 by 26% feet, on the
west wall records the military opera-
tions in western Europe from the

10

landings in Normandy and the
French Riveria up to the end of the
war. On this map also is depicted the
great air assault against the enemy’s
military and industrial systems. De-
scriptive texts in the three languages
accompany the map, this being the
English version:
ON 6 JUNE 1944, PRECEDED BY AIRBORNE
UNITS AND COVERED BY NAVAL AND AIR
BOMBARDMENT, UNITED STATES AND
BRITISH COMMONWEALTH FORCES
LANDED ON THE COAST OF NORMANDY.
PUSHING SOUTHWARD THEY ESTAB-
LISHED A BEACHHEAD SOME 20 MILES IN
DEPTH. ON 25 JULY, IN THE WAKE OF A
PARALYZING AIR BOMBARDMENT BY
THE U.S. EIGHTH AND NINTH AIR FORCES
AND THE ROYAL AIR FORCE, THE U.S.
FIRST ARMY BROKE OUT OF THE BEACH-
HEAD WEST OF ST. LO. ON 1 AUGUST IT
WAS JOINED BY THE U.S. THIRD ARMY.
TOGETHER THEY REPULSED A POWERFUL
COUNTERATTACK TOWARDS  AV-
RANCHES. CRUSHED BETWEEN THE
AMERICANS ON THE SOUTH AND WEST
AND THE BRITISH ON THE NORTH, AND
ATTACKED CONTINUOUSLY BY THE U.S.
AND BRITISH AIR FORCES, THE ENEMY
RETREATED ACROSS THE SEINE.
SUSTAINED BY THE HERCULEAN
ACHIEVEMENTS OF ARMY AND NAVY
SUPPLY PERSONNEL, THE ALLIED
GROUND AND AIR FORCES PURSUED
VIGOROUSLY. BY MID-SEPTEMBER THE
U.S. NINTH ARMY HAD LIBERATED BREST;
THE FIRST ARMY HAD SWEPT THROUGH
FRANCE, BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG
AND WAS STANDING ON THE THRESH-
OLD OF GERMANY; THE THIRD ARMY
HAD REACHED THE MOSELLE AND HAD
JOINED FORCES WITH THE U.S. SEVENTH
AND FRENCH FIRST ARMIES ADVANCING
NORTHWARD FROM THE MEDITERRA-
NEAN. ON THE LEFT FLANK, BRITISH AND
CANADIAN TROOPS HAD ENTERED THE
NETHERLANDS. ON 17 SEPTEMBER THE IX
TROOP CARRIER COMMAND AND THE
ROYAL AIR FORCE DROPPED THREE AIR-
BORNE DIVISIONS IN THE NIJMEGEN-
ARNHEM AREA IN A BOLD BUT UNSUC-

Jennewein Statue of “Youth,” East End of Transverse Pathway

11


16

Visitors’ Building

SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC

Upon request, and without cost, the

following information and services

are provided to family members

and friends of those interred or com-

memorated at ABMC’s cemeteries

and memorials:

¢ name, location and general infor-
mation about the cemetery, monu-
ment or memorial;

¢ plot, row and grave number and, if
applicable, memorialization site;

¢ authorization for issuance of fee-
free passports for members of the
immediate family traveling over-
seas specifically to visit an ABMC

grave or memorialization site;

¢a photograph of grave and/or
memorialization sites affixed to a
large color lithograph of the ap-
propriate cemetery and memorial;

¢ best route and modes of travel in-
country to cemetery or memorial
site;

¢ general information about accom-
modations in the vicinity of the
cemetery or memorial;

¢ arrangement for floral decoration
of a grave or memorialization
site. (Weather permitting, a color
photograph of the floral decora-
tion in place is provided to the
donor).

Corozal American Cemetery, Corozal, Republic of Panama

17


Ardennes American Cemetery
and Memorial

The American Battle Monuments Commission


Suresnes American Cemetery and Memorial, Seine, France


At the far (north) end of the build-

ing is the chapel. The west wall bears
the dedication:
1941-1945 IN PROUD REMEMBRANCE OF
THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF HER SONS AND
IN HUMBLE TRIBUTE TO THEIR SACRI-
FICES THIS MEMORIAL HAS BEEN
ERECTED BY THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA.

Engraved on the opposite wall is
this prayer abridged from that as-
cribed to Cardinal Newman:

O LORD SUPPORT US ALL THE DAY LONG
UNTIL THE SHADOWS LENGTHEN AND
OUR WORK IS DONE ¥ THEN IN THY
MERCY GRANT US A SAFE LODGING AND
A HOLY REST AND PEACE AT THE LAST.

Outlined in gilt metal against the
white Carrara marble wall above the
altar, and illuminated through the
oculus in the ceiling is an angel, de-
signed by Dean Cornwell and exe-
cuted by Kersten-Leroy of Maas-
tricht, The Netherlands.

The altar also is of Carrara marble.
On each side of the chapel is a United
States flag and a bronze screen into

which have been cast the insignia of
the principal major units which op-
erated in Northwest Europe; viz,
Supreme Headquarters, Allied Ex-
peditionary Force; U.S. Strategic Air
Forces in Europe; European Theater
of Operations; 12th Army Group; 6th
Army Group; Eighth Air Force; First
Army; Ninth Air Force; Third Army;
Seventh Army; Ninth Army. The
chapel chairs and prie-dieu are of
ebonized birchwood, fabricated in
Rome, Italy by A. Patriarca.

To the right and left of the chapel
are stainless steel doors leading out-
side to the north end of the memorial
podium.

On the north facade of the memo-
rial the shoulder insignia of the major
military units again appear; here
they are of colored mosaic set in the
Portland Whitbed stone and grouped
around a classic helmet. Beneath
them is the inscription:

TOTHE SILENT HOST WHO ENDURED ALL
AND GAVE ALL THAT MANKIND MIGHT
LIVE IN FREEDOM AND IN PEACE.

Interior of Visitors’ Room

14

THE TABLETS OF THE MISSING
The names and particulars of 462 of
our Missing are engraved in 12 large
slabs of dark gray granite set slightly
above the podium, 6 on each of the
east and west sides of the memorial:

United States Army & Army
Air Forces* «+» 447
United States Navy 15

These men gave their lives in the ser-
vice of their country, but their re-
mains have not been recovered and
identified. Their names include men
from 45 different States as well as the
District of Columbia. Above these
names this inscription is engraved
upon the sides of the memorial:
HERE ARE RECORDED THE NAMES OF
AMERICANS WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN
THE SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRY AND
WHO SLEEP IN UNKNOWN GRAVES ¥¢
1941-1945

On the east side, this is added:
IN PROUD REMEMBRANCE OF THEIR
VALOR
On the west side, this is added:

IN HUMBLE TRIBUTE TO THEIR
SACRIFICE

Without confirmed information to
the contrary, a War Department Ad-
ministrative Review Board estab-
lished the official date of death of
those commemorated on the Tablets
of the Missing as one year and a day
from the date on which the individ-
ual was placed in Missing in action
status.

The memorial podium is flanked
by masses of rhododendrons bor-
dered by dwarf roses and boxwood
edging, and backed by clipped pur-
ple beech (Fagus sylvatica purpurea)
hedges.

* It will be recalled that during World War IL
the Air Forces still formed part of the United
States Army.

THE GRAVES AREA

From the base of the memorial pod-
ium a flight of broad steps leads
down to the graves area. Here are
buried 5,329 of our military Dead;
three-fifths of whom were airmen.

These Dead, who gave their lives ~
in our country’s service, came from
almost every State in the Union as
wellas from the District of Columbia,
Canada, Denmark, England, France,
Germany, Ireland, Philippine Islands,
and the British West Indies. Seven
hundred seventy-seven of the head-
stones mark the graves of 792
“Unknowns.” Among the headstones
also are those of 11 instances in which
2 brothers are buried side by side.
There are also three cases in which
two identified airmen are buried in
single graves; the headstones in these
cases are inscribed: HERE REST IN
HONORED GLORY TWO COMRADES IN
ARMS. Bronze plaques bearing their
names and particulars are set in the
ground before the headstones.

The reentrants of the huge cross
formed by the headstone pattern are
planted with groups of oak, beech,
hornbeam and tulip trees, intended
to extend the natural woodland en-
framement, and the entire burial area
is surrounded on four sides by wide
borders of shrub roses (Rosa rugosa).

At the east end of the central trans-
verse path is a bronze figure symbol-
izing American youth, designed by
C. Paul Jennewein and cast by Bruno
Bearzi of Florence, Italy.

The burial area and its axial path
gently slope down to the flagstaff and
its platform at the north end of the
cemetery. Groups of spruce (Ticea
excelia) and caucasian fir (Abies Nord-
manniana) form the background for
this feature. A transverse path leads
westward to the linden avenue
which intersects the path at the head
of the burial area.

Construction of the cemetery and
memorial was completed in 1962.

15


the discharge valves during the pre-
vious night. The resultant heavy flow
of water from the dams halted the
U.S. Ninth Army on the north for
two weeks.

On 23 February, the U.S. Ninth
Army began its crossing of the Roer
and the U.S. First Army renewed its
advance to the Rhine. As the offen-
sive gained momentum, it became a
pursuit to destroy as many enemy
units as possible before they could
cross the Rhine. The U.S. First Army
reached Cologne on 5 March; two
days later it seized the only unde-
molished bridge across the Rhine
which was located at Remagen. By 10
March, the entire west bank of the
Rhine was in Allied hands.

This unanticipated good fortune
was exploited immediately. Addi-
tional troops were rushed to the area.
By 21 March the bridgehead was ex-
panded to a width of 20 miles and a
depth of eight miles. The next day, 22
March, the U.S. Third Army made a
surprise amphibious crossing of the
Rhine at Oppenheim. On 23 and 24
March, the long-planned major am-
phibious and airborne assault cross-

ing of the Rhine by the British
Second, the Canadian First, and the
U.S. Ninth Armies was carried out.
Then in rapid succession, the U.S.
First and the Third Armies broke out
of their bridgeheads on 25 March, the
U.S. Seventh Army crossed the
Rhine near Worms on 26 March and
the French First Army crossed it on
31 March, thus achieving the first
two planned objectives. Four days
later the encirclement of the Ruhr
Valley was completed as all Allied
Armies continued to advance into
Germany on a broad front.

THE SITE

The Ardennes American Cemetery,
90%2 acres in extent, is one of four-
teen permanent American World
War II military cemeteries con-
structed on foreign soil by the
American Battle Monuments Com-
mission. The site was liberated on 8
September 1944 by the 1st Infantry
Division. A temporary cemetery was
established on the site on 8 February
1945. After the war, when the tempo-
rary cemeteries were disestablished

Graves Area and North Facade of Chapel

Ardennes and Rhineland Operations Map, South End of Chapel

by the Army, the remains of Ameri-
can military Dead whose next of kin
requested permanent interment
overseas were moved to one of the
fourteen permanent cemetery sites
on foreign soil, usually the one
which was closest to the temporary
cemetery. There they were interred
by the Graves Registration Service in
the distinctive grave patterns pro-
posed by the cemetery’s architect
and approved by the Commission.
The design and construction of all
facilities at the permanent sites were
the responsibility of the Commis-
sion, i.e., the chapel, museum, visi-
tors’ building, superintendent’s
quarters, service facilities, utilities
and paths, roads and walls. The
Commission was also responsible for
the sculpture, landscaping and other
improvements. Many of those in-
terred here died during the enemy’s
final major counteroffensive in the
Ardennes in December 1944 and

January 1945; they include some ser-
vice troops who were fighting as in-
fantry. Others gave their lives in the
advance to the Rhine and across
Germany, and in the strategic bom-
bardment of Europe.

ARCHITECTS

Architects for the cemetery and me-
morial were Reinhard, Hofmeister &
Walquist of New York City. The land-
scape architect was Richard K. Webel
of Roslyn, Long Island.

GENERAL LAYOUT

The Ardennes American Cemetery is
generally rectangular in shape. Its
grave plots are arranged in the form
of a Greek cross separated by two
broad intersecting paths. The ceme-
tery itself rests on a slope descending
gently northward toward Neupre. To
the south and east, it is enframed in
woodland in which red and white
oak, beech and ash predominate; its


Aerial View of Cemetery and Memorial

During these hours, a staff
member is always on duty at the Vis-
itors’ Building to answer questions,
and to escort relatives to gravesites
and to the Tablets of the Missing.

HISTORY

Three months after the successful 6
June 1944 landings on the beaches of
Normandy, Allied Forces were ad-
vancing much more rapidly than had
been planned or expected. In the
center, the U.S. First Army was
sweeping through France with the
U.S. Third Army on its right. By 8
September they had liberated Lux-
embourg, eastern Belgium, and
Liege and were driving toward the
German city of Aachen. On the left,
the British Second Army had entered
Brussels on 3 September and Ant-
werp the following day, as the Cana-
dian First Army kept pace along the

coast liberating Ostend and Bruges
on successive days.

Patrols of the U.S. First Army
crossed the German frontier in the
Ardennes area on 11 September and
the next day crossed the German
frontier near Aachen. Moving east-
ward toward the Siegfried Line, they
quickly encountered strong resist-
ance. Almost simultaneously prog-
ress slowed all along the advancing
Allied line as opposition stiffened.
The retreating enemy finally had
achieved a stabilized defensive line.

After the bold, but unsuccessful,
airborne effort to establish crossings
of the lower Rhine in late September,
the main effort of the Allies was
shifted to the center where the U.S.
First Army, with strong air support
from the U.S. Ninth Air Force, encir-
cled Aachen which surrendered on
21 October. The U.S. Ninth Army,
organized at Brest in Brittany, was

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Location of Cemetery Features

shifted early in November from the
right of the U.S. First Army to its left.
Together they continued the attack to
the Roer River against bitter opposi-
tion, especially in the dense Hurtgen
Forest.

The Allied attacks were suddenly
interrupted in the Ardennes on 16
December, when the enemy
launched against the U.S. First and
Third Armies its final major counter-
offensive of the war. Popularly
known as the “Battle of the Bulge,”
it was officially designated the
Ardennes-Alsace Campaign which
included the second half of the
enemy’s planned counteroffensive
that was launched on New Year's Eve
in Alsace to the south against the
U.S. Seventh Army and the French
First Army. After furious struggles in
bitterly cold weather, all of the at-
tacks were halted.

As the enemy onslaughts in the
Ardennes and Alsace were being
brought to a halt, plans were being
prepared and approved by the Allies
establishing three major successive
objectives: the destruction of enemy
forces west of the Rhine, the seizure
of bridgeheads across the river, then
coordinated drives into the heart of
Germany. The first phase com-
menced with an advance on 2 Feb-
ruary 1945 by the U.S. First Army in
the center to seize control of the up-
stream dams on the Roer River. In the
north, the advance to the Rhine was
to begin on 8 February with the
Canadian First Army advancing to
the southeast, to be followed two
days later with a converging attack to
the northeast by the U.S. Ninth
Army. But on 10 February when the
U.S. First Army reached the last and
most important dam, it was dis-
covered that the enemy had wrecked



Memorial Chapel

Ardennes
American
Cemetery
and
marital

LOCATION

Ardennes Cemetery is situated near
the southeast edge of the village of
Neupre (formerly Neuville-en-Con-
droz), 12 miles southwest of Liége,
Belgium. Highway N-63 from Liége
to Marche or Dinant and Paris passes
the main entrance. Excellent auto-
routes lead to Liége from major cities
in Belgium, the Netherlands and
West Germany. Liége can be reached
by train from Paris (Gare du Nord) in
about 542 hours, from Brussels in a
little more than 1 hour, and from

Germany via Aachen. Taxicabs are
available from Liége station. Hotel
accommodations are available in
Liége.

HOURS

The cemetery is open daily to the
public between the hours of 9:00 a.m.
and 5:00 p.m. (The cemetery is closed
on January 1 and December 25.
It is open on all other U.S. and host
country holidays.)

Entrance Gate