aouv4g ‘asnayy ‘ouSomoy ‘fuajauad uvouauy auuo8ay-osnayy

aouviy ‘10, ‘uvu8in8viq ‘puoway puv Asajaue. uvoiawy auoyy

27

26


View of Graves Area

memorials in Europe. Post-war
administration of the cemetery
passed to the American Battle
Monuments Commission in 1934.

The Commission, whose functions
are described in the latter pages of
this booklet, landscaped the grounds
and constructed the memorial chapel
and other permanent buildings in
the cemetery.

ARCHITECT

Architect for the memorial chapel
and other architectural features was
Thomas Harlan Ellett of New York
City, New York.

GENERAL LAYOUT

The formal entrance, with its orna-
mental grill gates and fencing and its
gem-like buildings, is of striking
beauty and offers an excellent view of
the cemetery. To the right of the en-
trance is the Superintendent's Office;
to the left is the Visitors’ Building.
Both are constructed of Euville lime-
stone. Directly behind these build-

ings is the cemetery proper. Here, in
a beautifully landscaped setting, are
the graves area and the memorial.
The pristine whiteness of the head-
stones is in striking contrast to the
immaculately maintained emerald
green lawn.

At the intersection of the central
mall and transverse axis in the center
of the cemetery is a large sundial of
attractive design consisting of a
carved stone eagle gnomon on a
round base. The shadow cast by the
eagle gnomon in relation to the lead
Roman numerals set in the flat sur-
face of the base indicates the time of
day. Around the circular base of the
sundial is carved the inscription:

TIME WILL NOT DIM
THE GLORY OF THEIR DEEDS

From this point one can view the
beautiful perspectives along the two
axes of the cemetery. At the west end
of the transverse axis is a sculptured
stone figure of a youthful American
officer, executed by Paul Manship of

New York City, New York, standing
in front of a stone cross in his field
uniform, with trench helmet in hand
and side arms and map case. Above
his head is engraved:
IL DORT
LOIN DES SIENS
DANS LA DOUCE
TERRE DE FRANCE

(Translation: He sleeps far from his
family in the gentle land of France.)
And on the pedestal below him:

BLESSED ARE THEY THAT
HAVE THE HOME LONGING
FOR THEY SHALL GO HOME

At the opposite end of the trans-
verse axis is an ornamental urn on a
semi-circular platform flanked by
two beautiful yews. From this plat-
form, facing the east, an excellent
view of the surrounding rural
countryside may be seen.

THE MEMORIAL

At the north end of the cemetery
stands the memorial, an open circu-

Sculpture of a Young American Officer
in Field Uniform

lar colonnade or peristyle flanked by
a chapel room on the left and a
museum room on the right. On the
left front facade of the memorial is
engraved a lamp representing an
eternal flame and under it the in-
scription:
1914
1918
TO THOSE
WHO DIED
FOR THEIR
COUNTRY

On the opposite facade appears the
same lamp symbol and the same in-
scription in French.

The memorial rests on a slightly
raised circular terrace and is enclosed
by astone-faced wall. On the lawn in
front of it are two large flagpoles with
stone and bronze bases. Large chest-
nut trees frame it on the sides and
rear and immediately behind the
memorial are two large weeping
willows.

The memorial is constructed of
Rocheret limestone. On the inside
surface of the lintel is carved in the
stone:

THIS CHAPEL HAS BEEN
ERECTED BY THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA IN
GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE OF
HER SONS WHO DIED IN
THE WORLD WAR

These words emphasize that the
memorial and, indeed, the entire
cemetery were erected not to com-
memorate the glory of battle won or
the triumph of victory achieved, but
to pay homage to those American
servicemen who made the supreme
sacrifice for their country.

The large rose-granite urn with its
carved drapery at the center of the
peristyle resembles an ancient fune-
real vase. One of its decorative fea-
tures is a winged horse, Pegasus,
symbolizing the flight of the immor-


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cemetery memorials at these burial
sites; controlling as to design and
materials, providing regulations for
and supervising erection of all mon-
uments, memorials, buildings and
other structures in permanent
United States cemetery memorials
on foreign soil; and controlling the
design of U.S. private monuments

18

and cooperating with American citi-
zens, states, municipalities, or asso-
ciations desiring to erect war memo-
rials outside the continental limits of
the United States. It is not responsi-
ble for construction, maintenance or
operation of cemeteries in the con-
tinental United States or its terri-
tories and possessions.

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After World War I, the American
Battle Monuments Commission
erected a memorial chapel in each of
the eight military cemeteries over-
seas already established by the War
Department, as well as twelve
monuments and two bronze tablets
on the battlefields and elsewhere, to
record the achievements of our

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Armed Forces. In 1934, the World
War I overseas cemeteries were
transferred to the Commission by Ex-
ecutive Order.

The names and locations of these
World War I cemetery memorials,
the number of burials and the
number of missing recorded at their
memorials are:

19


THE GRAVES AREA

The graves area consists of four
burial plots, lettered from A to D,
separated by the central mall and the
transverse axes. The 4,153 head-
stones are arranged in parallel rows
across the green lawns which carpet
the graves area. One hundred and
seventeen of these headstones mark
the graves of “Unknowns”. The cem-
etery contains no multiple burials.
Each of the Dead has his own head-
stone of white marble, a Star of David
for those of the Jewish faith and a
Latin Cross for all others. The precise
alignment of clean, polished marble
headstones on clipped green grass
assures the visitor that no feature of
the cemetery receives more respect-
ful care than does the graves area.

PLANTINGS

At the entrance gate to the cemetery
is a large bed of flowering annuals.
The main paths of the cemetery are

bordered by square-trimmed Euro-
pean linden trees, their low over-
hanging boughs furnishing a
canopy. Flower beds of polyantha
roses are planted along the transverse
axes. The base of the decorative sun-
dial at the intersection of the center
mall and transverse axes in the center
of the cemetery is surrounded by
beds of flowering annuals and bor-
dered with dwarf boxwood hedge.

VISITORS’ BUILDING

Located to the left of the entrance gate
is the Visitors’ Building. Here visi-
tors may obtain information, sign
the register and pause to refresh
themselves. Directly across from
the Visitors Building is the Ad-
ministration Building where (ex-
cept for the hours of 12:00 to
1:00pm) a member of the ceme-
tery staff is available to answer
questions and provide information
on burials and memorializations in
the Commission’s cemeteries,
accommodations in the vicinity,
travel, local history and other items
of interest.

View of the Sculptured Eagle and Graves Area

12

«
8
A
6
5
:
§
iy
6



Sculpture at the Center of the
Peristyle Representing an
Ancient Funereal Vase

tal soul to its resting place in the life
beyond.

To the left of the peristyle, bronze
doors, decorated with stars and two
miniature soldier heads, lead to the
impressive interior of the chapel
room. The carved white Italian
marble altar holds a lighted bronze
lamp symbolic of an eternal flame.
Above the altar is a richly-colored
mosaic depicting the ““Angel of Vic-
tory” sheathing a sword and “Doves
of Peace” bearing olive branches. At
the top of the wall, carved in white
marble with gold letters, is the
inscription:

I GIVE UNTO THEM
ETERNAL LIFE AND THEY
SHALL NEVER PERISH

The mosaics on the end walls have
as their main features large shields
displaying the national colors of the
United States and of France.

The coffered ceiling is decorated in
gold and blue, while the floor and
lower wall-paneling are of inlaid
marble with light and dark green

10

markings. Dispersed about the
chapel in appropriate places are
graceful candelabra, cushioned seats
and kneeling benches.

Crossing to the right side of the
memorial one enters the museum
through a similar set of bronze doors.
On the wall directly opposite the
doorway is a beautiful map of the St.
Mihiel region inlaid with various
colored marble. This map shows the
boundaries of the salient, the Ger-
man lines before the offensive, the
Allied lines after the battle and the
progress of the campaign.

On the side walls of the museum
are black marble panels, at the tops of
which are engraved:

IN MEMORY OF THOSE AMERICAN SOL-
DIERS WHO FOUGHT IN THIS REGION
AND WHO SLEEP IN UNKNOWN GRAVES.

Listed below the inscription in
gold letters are the names of the 284
American soldiers who gave their
lives in this area, but whose remains
were not recovered or identified.

A gold rosette marks the names of
six soldiers whose remains have been
recovered and identified.

Tablets of the Missing

11

The Memorial Peristyle


Moutsec Monument

On a high isolated hill, 12 miles/19
km from the St. Mihiel American
Cemetery, stands the Montsec
Monument. It commemorates the
capture of the St. Mihiel salient by
the American First Army, the opera-
tions of the American Second Army
on 9-16 November 1918, and other
combat services of American divi-
sions both in this region and in
Alsace and Lorraine.

The monument consists of a large
circular colonnade, at the center of
which, on a raised platform, is a
bronze relief map of the St. Mihiel
salient. Its size, its commanding site,
and the perfection of its proportions
combine to make it one of the most
impressive in Europe.

On the right side of a flight of steps
leading to the monument is
engraved:

THIS MONUMENT HAS BEEN
ERECTED BY THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA
TO COMMEMORATE THE

16

CAPTURE OF THE ST. MIHIEL
SALIENT BY THE TROOPS
OF HER FIRST ARMY AND

TO RECORD THE SERVICES
OF THE AMERICAN
EXPEDITIONARY FORCES ON
THE BATTLEFRONT IN THIS

REGION AND ELSEWHERE IN

LORRAINE AND IN ALSACE.
IT STANDS AS A LASTING

SYMBOL OF THE FRIENDSHIP

AND COOPERATION

BETWEEN THE FRENCH AND

AMERICAN ARMIES.

The same inscription is repeated in
French on the left side of the flight of
steps. Near the top of the monument
on the outside lintel are engraved the
names of villages and towns where
battles were fought in this region:

THIAUCOURT — VIGNEULLES — FRESNES.
— VIEVILLE — ST. BENOIT — NORROY —
BENEY — JAULNY — FRAPELLE — HAU-
MONT —ST. HILAIRE — XAMMES — NON-
SARD — VILCEY — ST. BAUSSANT — VAN-
DIERES.

Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-sur-Mer, France

AMERICAN MEMORIALS
and
OVERSEAS MILITARY
CEMETERIES

The AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS
CoMMISSION was created by act of
Congress in March 1923 to erect and
maintain memorials in the United
States and foreign countries where
the United States Armed Forces have
served since 6 April 1917, and to con-
trol as to design and provide regula-
tions for the erection of monuments,

markers and memorials in foreign
countries by other United States citi-
zens and organizations, public or

rivate. It was later given responsi-
Bitty for establishing or taking over
from the Armed Forces permanent
burial grounds in foreign countries
and designing, constructing, operat-
ing and maintaining permanent

17


St. Mihiel American Cemetery
and Memorial

The American Battle Monuments Commission


Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial, Cambridge, England

unfortunately had all too often been
found to be poorly designed, poorly
constructed and lacking provision
for maintenance) was expressly for-
bidden by the military services. The
permanent graphic record takes the
form of military maps, usually large
murals, amplified by descriptive
texts in English as well as in the lan-
guage of the country in which the
cemetery is located. The historical
data for these BAS were prepared
by the American Battle Monuments
Commission. The maps themselves
were rendered by experienced art-
ists in tasteful presentation using
various media: layered marbles,
fresco, bronze relief, mosaic con-
crete or ceramics. Another feature of
interest at each memorial is the two
sets of “key-maps”: “The War
Against Germany” and “The War
Against Japan.” Each set consists of
three maps, each covering about
one-third of the period of our par-
ticipation in the war. By these key-

22

maps any major battle may be re-
lated to the others in time and space.

With each architect, an American
landscape architect, an American
sculptor and an American muralist
or painter usually collaborated.
Their combined talents produced
the beauty and dignity of the memo-
rials, all of which are dedicated to
the memory of the achievements of
those who ‘served and of the sacri-
fices of those who died. The con-
struction of the cemeteries and me-
morials and the execution of most of
the works of art, were performed by
local contractors and artists under the
supervision of the Commission.

At each cemetery there is a visitors’
building or room, with comfortable
furnishings. Here visitors may learn
the rave locations (or inscriptions of
the Missing) at any of the overseas
cemeteries.

Each grave in the overseas ceme-
teries is marked by a headstone of
white marble — a Star of David for

Brittany American Cemetery, St. James, Manche, France

those of Jewish faith, a Latin cross
for others. Each headstone bears the
deceased’s name, rank, service, or-
ganization, date of death and state
or territory from which he entered
the military service.

In the World War I cemeteries,
headstones of the Unknowns, i.e.,
those remains which could not be
identified, bear the inscription:

HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY AN
AMERICAN SOLDIER KNOWN BUT TO
GOD.

In the World War II cemeteries, the
inscription reads:

HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY A COM-
RADE IN ARMS KNOWN BUT TO GOD.

Tablets of the Missing (which also
include the names of those whose
remains could not be identified and
those lost or buried at sea) give name,
rank, organization and state; the cir-
cumstances under which death
occurred often precluded the possibil-
ity of determining the exact date.

These cemeteries are open every
day of the year, except January 1 and
December 25. Photography is permit-
ted without special ethocizaton, ex-
cept when it is to be used for commer-

cial purposes — in such cases,
ermission must be obtained from the
ommission.

Unlike National cemeteries under
jurisdiction of the Department of Vet-
erans’ Affairs, there can be no further
burials in the American military ceme-
teries overseas except of those re-
mains which may, in the future, be
found on the battlefields. Essentially,
these graves with their memorials
constitute inviolable shrines.

In addition to the eight World War I
cemeteries, the fourteen World War II
cemeteries, eleven World War I monu-
ments and two tablets, and the two
World War II markers (Casablanca,
Morocco and Papua, New Guinea),
the American Battle Monuments
Commission’s program of commemo-
ration includes the follow-ing:

23


World War I

Aisne-Mame, Belleau, France
Brookwood, England
Flanders Field, Waregem, Belgium

Meuse-Argonne, Romagne, France . .
Oise-Aisne, Fere-en-Tardenois, France
St. Mihiel, Thiaucourt, France ...,

Somme, Bony, France ......
Suresnes (See WW IL also), France .

Totals .

World War I monuments erected
by the Commission are located at or
near: Audenarde and Kemmel, Bel-
gium; Bellicourt, Brest, Cantigny,
Chateau-Thierry, Montfaucon,
Montsec, Sommepy, and Tours,
France; Gibraltar and Washington,
DC. World War I tablets are at Chau-
mont and Souilly, France.

By the end of World War I], several
hundred temporary cemeteries had
been established by the American
Graves Registration Service of the
United States Army. During the
years 1947 to 1954 that Service, com-
plying with the expressed wishes of
the next of kin, and by authority of
law, repatriated the remains of some
172,000 recovered bodies. The re-
mainder were given final interment
in the permanent military cemeteries
on foreign soil, in private cemeteries
overseas and in the national cemeter-
ies in Honolulu, Sitka, Alaska and

Burials Missing
Known Unknown — Commemorated

2039 = 251 1,060

427 41 563

347 21 43

13,760 486 954

5A1S 597 241

4,036 117 284

1,706 138 333

1,535 6 974

mat y 29,265 4,452

Puerto Rico (which are now adminis-
tered by the National Cemetery Ad-
ministration, Department of Yao
ans’ Affairs). As was the case after
World War I, some remains were left
in isolated raves outside
of the cemeteries by request of the
families who then became responsi-
ble for their maintenance.

Fourteen sites in foreign countries
were selected as permanent ceme-
teries in 1947 by the Secretary of the
Army and the American Battle Mon-
uments Commission in concert.
Their locations reflect the progress
of the military operations and were
selected with consideration of their
accessibility, aspect, prospect,
drainage and other practical factors.
The World War II cemeteries with
number of burials, including Un-
knowns, and the numbers of Miss-
ing recorded at their memorials and
at three separate memorials on
United States soil are:

Burials Missing
World War I Known Unknown — Commemorated
Ardennes, Neupre (Neuyille-en-Condroz), Belgium... 4,536 792 462
Brittany, St. James, France . » 4,313 97 498
Cambridge, England 3,788 24 5,126
Epinal, France . . 5,186 69 424
Florence; Italy ..... 4,189 213 1,409
Henri-Chapelle, Belgium 7,895 94 450
Lorraine, St. Avold, France . 10,338 151 444
Luxembourg, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg - 4,975, 101 371
Manila, Republic of the Philippines 13,462 3,744 36,282
Netherlands, Margraten, Holland .. 8,195 106 1,723
Normandy, St. Laurent-sur-Mer, France 9,080 307 1,557
North Africa, Carthage, Tunisia. 2,601 240 3,724
Rhone, Draguignan, France . . 799. 62 204
Sicily-Rome, Nettuno, Italy ... 7,371 490 3,095
Suresnes (See WW Lalso), France _ 24 -

20

East Coast Memorial, New York City, New York .

Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii .

West Coast Memorial, San Francisco, California .

WotaBS Sooo asa s we siti deere we nlelite

4,609

World War If cemeteries maintained by the National Cemetery Administration,

Department of Veterans’ Affairs
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific .
Honolulu, Hawaii ........ beating

Puerto Rico
Sitka, Alaska .. -

Other Missing in Action Commemorated by ABMC

Korean War, Honolulu Memorial,

Honolulu, Hawaii... cic eeeee

Vietnam War, Honolulu Memorial,
Honolulu, Hawaii ..-....-

Use of the permanent cemetery
sites on foreign soil was granted in
perpetuity by the host government
to the United States free of cost, rent
and taxation. The temporary ceme-
tery sites not selected as permanent
cemeteries reverted to the land-
owners.

In 1947, an outstanding American
architect was selected to design each
of the World War II cemeteries, con-
ceiving its grave plots, a chapel and
a museum as complementary ele-
ments of an integral memorial to the
services and sacrifices of the Ameri-
can Armed Services who fought in
the particular region. Upon ap-
proval of their general schemes by
the Commission and by agreement
with the Secretary of the Army, the
architects’ plans of the grave plots
were followed by the American
Graves Registration Service in mak-
ing the permanent burials of those
remains which by decision of the
next of kin were to be interred over-
seas. The timely cooperation be-
tween these two agencies contrib-
uted appreciably to the coherence of
the development of the cemetery
designs.

Beginning in the latter half of 1949,
the permanent interments having
been virtually completed, the World
War II overseas cemeteries were pro-
gressively transferred for con-
struction and maintenance to the
American Battle Monuments Com-
mission by Presidential Executive

= = 18,096

= 412

86,728 6,514 78,976

(Gee
11597 2,079 Honolulu
Memorial)

69 = —

7 5 =

eats — — 8,200

— = 2,504

Order. Thereupon, the remaining,
portions of the architects’ designs
were carried out, step by step —
grading; installation of a system of
reinforced concrete beams on piles to
maintain the levels and alignments
of the headstones; fabrication and
installation of the headstones; con-
struction of water supply and distri-
bution systems, utilities buildings,
roads and paths; plantings; and erec-
tion of the memorials, visitors’ build-
ings and flagpoles.

For design of the various memo-
rials, no specific limitations were
imposed upon the architects other
than budgeted cost and a require-
ment that each was to embody these
features:

Asmall devotional chapel;

inscription of the names and
particulars of the Missing in the
region;

a graphic record, in permanent
form, of the services of our troops
(WW II only; however, Oise-Aisne,
Meuse-Argonne and St. Mihiel
WWI American Cemeteries also
have battle maps).

These requirements have been in-
terpreted in a wide and interesting
variety of forms.

An important motive for the con-
struction of the memorials is the im-
plied undertaking by our Govern-
ment to record by monuments the
achievements of our Armed Ser-
vices, since the erection of memo-
rials by the troops (which in the past

21


Supping suopsia Jo souazuy

Supying s10j1s1,,

15

14


ganized, trained and equipped them
into effective fighting units. When
the French Army found itself in des-
perate need of assistance during the
third and fifth German drives, Gen-
eral Pershing quickly offered Ameri-
can troop units to halt the advancing
enemy.

The outstanding achievements of
these U.S. troop units are recorded at
the Aisne-Marne American Ceme-
tery and Memorial and at the Cha-
teau-Thierry Monument. When the
last great German offensive com-
menced on 15 July east of Chateau-
Thierry, it was promptly repulsed in
a severe struggle in which American
troop units played a leading part.
Quickly, a U.S.-French counter-
offensive was launched on 18 July at
Soissons. The highly successful
three-week battle that followed,
known officially as the ““Aisne-
Marne Offensive” but called the
“Second Battle of the Marne’ by
Marshal Ferdinand Foch, Allied
Commander-in-Chief, marked the
turning point of the war.

Determined to keep the enemy on
the defensive, the Allied Com-
manders-in-Chief, at aconference on
24 July, planned a series of strong
offensive operations to maintain the
initiative and give the enemy no
respite or opportunity to reorganize.
Following completion of the
Aisne-Marne Offensive, the British,
assisted by the French, were given
the mission of conducting an offen-
sive in the Amiens sector where the
enemy had made such great gains in
March and April.

At this conference, General Persh-
ing chose the St. Mihiel sector for an
American offensive. The objective of
the offensive was a salient projecting
16 miles into the Allied line. Roughly
shaped like a triangle, the salient ran
from Verdun on the north, south to
St. Mihiel and then east to Pont-a-
Mousson on the Moselle River. It was

bordered by a line of hills known as
the Heights of the Meuse and a suc-
cession of marshes and lakes situated
across deep ravines and dense
forests. In addition to its natural
defensive advantages, the salient
protected the strategic rail center of
Metz and the Briey iron basin so vital
to the Germans as a source of raw
material for munitions. Offensively,
it interrupted French rail communi-
cations and constituted a constant
threat against Verdun and Nancy.
Reduction of the salient was impera-
tive before any large Allied offensive
could be launched against Briey and
Metz or northward between the
Meuse River and Argonne Forest. At
the conference, General Pershing
insisted that the attack be a United
States Army operation with its own
sector, under the separate and inde-
pendent control of the American
Commander-in-Chief. When the
decision was made, there were over
1,200,000 American soldiers in U.S.
troop units widely scattered
throughout France, either serving
with French or British Armies or
training in rear areas. In view of the
splendid record that so many of the
U.S. units had already achieved in
combat, the Allies were forced to
agree that a separate U.S. Army
should be formed, although they re-
quested that U.S. divisions continue
to be permitted to fight with their
armies.

The order creating the United
States First Army became effective
on 10 August 1918; on 30 August, the
U.S. First Army took over the St.
Mihiel sector. After a series of con-
ferences, the Allies agreed that the St.
Mihiel attack should be limited to a
reduction of the salient, following
which the U.S. First Army would
undertake a larger scale offensive on
the front between the Meuse River
and the Argonne Forest. With the
attack at St. Mihiel scheduled for 12

The Sundial and Surrounding Gardens at the Center of the Cemetery

September, this would require win-
ning an extraordinarily swift victory
there, then concentrating an enor-
mous force to launch a still greater
operation 40 miles away, within just
two weeks. Never before on the
western front had a single army
attempted such a colossal task.

At 0500 hours, 12 September 1918,
following a four-hour bombardment
by heavy artillery, the U.S. Land IV
Corps composed of nine U.S. divi-
sions, began the main assault against
the southern face of the salient, while
the French II Colonial Corps made a
holding attack to the south and
around the tip of the salient. A sec-
ondary assault by the U.S. V Corps
was made three hours later against
the western face of the salient. Re-
ports were soon received that the
enemy was retreating. That evening,
the order was issued for U.S. troops
to press forward with all possible
speed. By the dawn of 13 September,
units of the U.S. IV and V Corps met
in the center of the salient, cutting off
the retreating enemy. By 16 Sep-
tember, the entire salient had been

eliminated. Throughout these opera-
tions, the attacking forces were sup-
ported by the largest concentration of
Allied aircraft ever assembled. The
entire reduction of the salient was
completed in just four days by which
time some of the divisions involved
had already been withdrawn to pre-
pare for the Meuse-Argonne battle.

SITE

The cemetery, 4072 acres in extent, is
located almost at the center of the
salient where the majority of the
4,153 military Dead buried there
gave their lives. The cemetery was
first established as a temporary cem-
etery by the American Graves Regis-
tration Service following the offen-
sive in 1918. After the war, the other
temporary cemeteries in the area
were discontinued and the military
Dead of the region whose next-of-kin
requested burial overseas were
moved to the St. Mihiel cemetery for
permanent interment. It is the third
largest of the eight permanent World
War I American military cemetery


ALORRIA
TUNISIA

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Beach, overlooking the English
Channel _honorin; the elements of
the 2nd Ranger Battalion under the
command of LTC James Rudder who
scaled the cliff, seized the position,
and defended it against German
counterattacks at a high cost of lives.
The monument consists of a simple
pylon on top of a concrete bunker at
the edge of the cliff and appropriate
inscriptions at its base in French and
English. It was officially turned over
to the American government for

28

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operation and maintenance in per-
petuity on 11 January 1979.

UTAH BEACH MONUMENT

The Utah Beach Monument is located
at the termination of Highway
N-13D, approximately 3 kilometers
northeast of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont
(Manche), France. This monument
commemorates the achivements of
the American Forces of the VII Corps
who fought in the liberation of the

Cotentin Peninsula from 6 June to 1
July 1944. It consists of a red granite
obelisk surrounded by a small, de-
veloped park overlooking the historic
sand dunes of Utah Beach, one of the
two American landing beaches during
the Normandy Invasion of 6 June 1944.

MEXICO CITY
NATIONAL CEMETERY

The Mexico City National Cemetery is
at 31 Virginia Fabregas, Colonia San
Rafael, about 2 miles west of the Met-
ropolitan Cathedral and about one
mile north of the U.S. Embassy. This
cemetery was established in 1851 and
contains a small monument over the
grave of 750 of our unidentified Dead
of the War of 1847. In this one acre area
there are 813 remains of Americans
and others in wall crypts. Care of the
cemetery was transferred from the De-
partment of the Army to this Commis-
sion on 16 July 1947. This cemetery
was closed to burials in 1923.

COROZAL AMERICAN
CEMETERY, COROZAL,
REPUBLIC OF PANAMA

The Corozal American Cemetery is
located approximately three miles
north of Panama City, Republic of
Panama, just off Avenue Omar Torri-
jos Herrera between the Panama
Canal Railway Company Train Sta-
tion and the Cuidad Del Saber (for-
mer Fort Clayton). To reach the ceme-
tery, turn right on Calle Rufina Alfaro
at the Crossroads Bible Church and
proceed about one-half mile to the
cemetery. Taxi and bus service to the
cemetery are available from Panama
City. There are 5,319 identified
“Known” Dead interred here. In
agreement with the Republic of
Panama, care and maintenance of the
cemetery in perpetuity was assumed
by the Commission on 1 October 1979.

KOREAN WAR
VETERANS MEMORIAL
The Korean War Veterans Memorial,

located on the National Mall in
Washington, DC, was dedicated on
27 July 1995. The Memorial com-
memorates the sacrifices of the 5.8
million Americans who served dur-
ing the three-year period of the Ko-
rean War. The war was one of the
most hard fought in our history.
During its relatively short duration,
25 June 1950-27 July 1953, 33,686
Americans were battle dead; 8,200 of
those killed in action were classified
as missing in action (and presumed
dead), or lost or buried at sea. An
additional 92,134 Americans were
wounded during the conflict. An in-
tegral part of the Memorial is the
Korean War Honor Roll, an interac-
tive automated database, containing
the names of those U.S. military per-
sonnel who died world-wide during
the war.

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;

* 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
polaroid photograph of the floral
decoration in place is provided to
the donor).

29


2004. >

Suresnes American Cemetery and Memorial, Seine, France


Location of Cemetery Features

HOURS

The cemetery is open daily to the pub-
lic 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 hol-
idays.)

When the cemetery is open to the
public, a staff member is on duty in
the Administration Building to an-
swer questions and escort aeatives to
grave and memorialization sites.

HISTORY

Toward the end of 1916, French and
British commanders on the western
front were optimistic concerning a
successful conclusion of the war in
1917. Except for the loss of Rumania,
events during 1916 had appeared to
be working in favor of the Allies,

who had numerical superiority on all
fronts.

As if to reinforce Allied optimism,
the Germans on the western front
began withdrawing some of their
forces north of Paris to prepared posi-
tions approximately 20 miles to the
rear that could be held by fewer divi-
sions. These defensive positions
were later to be known as the Hin-
denburg Line. The Russian Revolu-
tion broke out while the German
withdrawal north of Paris was still in
progress. The revolution delivered a
serious blow to Allied plans, as the
Russian Army had been counted
upon heavily to keep German troops
occupied on the eastern front.
Although the Russian Army did not
collapse immediately, it was appar-
ent that it soon would do so.

Aerial View of Cemetery

On 6 April 1917, the United States
entered World WarI with no modern
equipment and less than 200,000
men under arms scattered from the
Mexican border to China and the
Philippines. It would take longer for
the United States to mobilize, train,
ship troops to France and equip and
prepare them for combat than for the
Russian Army to disintegrate.
Despite this realization, the French
and British Armies began the offen-
sives that had been planned on the
western front prior to the Russian
Revolution in March. The initial Brit-
ish assault began on 9 April. It was
followed by a French offensive on 16
April. Quickly, the French offensive
turned into a disaster leaving the
British Army to shoulder the main
burden of the war on the western
front, until French forces could reor-
ganize and recuperate. On the east-
ern front, the Russians started to
attack but were promptly driven
back. Shortly thereafter, an assault
by the Germans in the north caused
the Russians to seek an armistice.

Although the treaty between Ger-
many and Russia was not signed
until March 1918, the Germans began
moving divisions from Russia to
France as early as November 1917, in
an attempt to end the war before
sufficient American troops could be
brought into action to affect the out-
come of the war.

As a consequence, the beginning
of 1918 looked far worse for the Allies
than the beginning of 1917. To take
advantage of the troops that had
been moved to France from the east-
ern front, the Germans launched a
series of five powerful offensives on
21 March 1918. The first two offen-
sives caused considerable concern
among the Allies who vehemently
contended that if American soldiers
were not sent immediately as re-
placements to fill the depleted ranks
of their units, the war would be lost.
General John J. Pershing, Com-
mander-in-Chief of the American
Expeditionary Forces, refused to
allow his men to be used piecemeal
and in a surprisingly short time or-


Chapel Interior

St. Mibiel

American

Cemetery
and

Memorial

LOCATION

The St. Mihiel American Cemetery
and Memorial is located at the west
edge of Thiaucourt, Meurthe-et-
Moselle, France. The road from Ver-
dun (29 miles/47 km), through Fres-
nesen-Woevre, passes the entrance to
the cemetary and continues on to
Pont-a-Mousson to Nancy (29
miles/47 km). The cemetery may be
reached from Paris by automobile via

toll Autoroute A-4 (190 miles/305
km), to Exit 32, Fresnes-en-Woevre.
From the village of Fresnes-en-Wo-
evre, follow directions to Pont-a-
Mousson (14 miles /22 km) to the
cemetary. The cemetery may also be
reached by train (Gare de l'Est) to
Toul where taxi services are avail-
able. Hotels are available at Pont-a-
Mousson, Metz, Nancy and Verdun.

ST MIMIEL
CEMETERY

——

Entrance Gate


SURESNES

At the Suresnes Cemetery Memorial,
senior representatives of the French
and United States governments pay
homage to our military Dead on
ceremonial occasions. Accordingly, 24
Unknown Dead of World War II were
buried in this World War I cemetery,
and two lopgias were added to its
chapel by the Commission, thereby
converting it into a shrine commemo-
rating our Dead of both wars.

EAST COAST MEMORIAL

To commemorate those 4,609 Ameri-
can servicemen, 6,185 seamen of the
United States Merchant Marines and
the 529 seamen of the U.S. Army
Transport Service who, in or above
the waters off the coast of North and
South America, but outside the terri-
torial limits of the United States, gave
their lives in the service of their coun-
try, the Commission erected a memo-
rial in Battery Park, New York City,
upon which their names and particu-
lars are inscribed.

WEST COAST MEMORIAL

Similarly, the names and particulars
of those 412 Americans who gave
their lives in the service of their coun-
try off the west coast of the Americas
but outside the territorial limits of
the United States, are recorded at the
memorial erected by the Commis-
sion at the Presidio of San Francisco.

HONOLULU MEMORIAL

Although the National Memorial
Cemetery of the Pacific at Honolulu
is administered by the Department
of Veterans’ Affairs, the American
Battle Monuments Commission con-
structed a memorial therein, incor-
porating the features of the memo-
rials in its overseas cemeteries. The
names of 18,096 Missing of World
War II who gave their lives in the Pa-
cific areas (except the Southwest and
the Palua Islands which are com-
memorated at the Manila Ceme-

24

tery Memorial) are recorded here as
well as 8,200 Missing of the Korean
War and 2,504 Missing from the
Vietnam War.

The AMERICAN EXPEDITION-
ARY FORCES MEMORIAL, lo-
cated on Penn. Ave. between 14th
and 15th Streets, NW in Wash. DC,
commemorates the two million
American_military personnel and
their CinC, Gen. John J. Pershing,
who made up the AEF of WWI.

Tt consists of a stone plaza 52 ft. by
75 ft., an 8 ft. statue of Een. Pershin;
on a stone pedestal, a stone ben
facing the statue and two 10 ft. high
walls, one along the south side of the
memorial area and one along the
east. The south wall contains two
battle maps with appropriate inscrip-
tions. Inscribed upon the reverse face
of the east wall is Gen. Pershing’s
tribute to the officers and men of the
AEF: “IN THEIR DEVOTION, THEIR
VALOR, AND IN THE LOYAL FULFILL-
MENT OF THEIR OBLIGATIONS, THE
OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE AMERICAN
EXPEDITIONARY FORCES HAVE LEFT A
HERITAGE OF WHICH THOSE WHO FOL-
LOW MAY EVER BE PROUD.”

SAIPAN MONUMENT is situated
near the beach overlooking Tanapag
Harbor on the Island of Saipan,
Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands. It is part of an
American memorial park commem-
orating the American and Marianas
Dead in the Marianas Campaign of
World War II. The monument honors
specifically the 24,000 American
marines and soldiers who died re-
capturing the volcanic islands of Sai-
pan, Tinian and Guam during the
period of 15 June 1944-11 August
‘1944.

It is a twelve-foot rectangular obe-
lisk of rose granite in a landscaped
area of local flora. Inscribed upon the
monument are these words: “THIS
MEMORIAL HAS BEEN ERECTED BY THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN HUMBLE
TRIBUTE TO THE SONS WHO PAID THE

Honolulu Memorial (WW II, Korea and Vietnam), National Memorial Cemetary of the Pacific, Hon-
olulu, Hawaii

ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR LIBERATION
OF THE MARIANAS 1941-1945.”

The GUADALCANAL AMERI-
CAN MEMORIAL is located on
Skyline Drive overlooking the town
of Honiara, Guadalcanal, Solomon
Islands. It honors those American
and Allied servicemen who lost their
lives during the Guadalcanal Cam-
paign of World War II (7 August
1942-9 February 1943). The Memo-
rial consists of a suitably inscribed
central pylon four feet square rising
24 feet above its base. Four radiating
directional walls point toward major
battle sites. Descriptions of the battles
are inscribed on the walls. Both the
walls and the pylon are constructed
of Red Calca granite.

CABANATUAN MEMORIAL is lo-
cated 85 miles north of Manila, approxi-
mately 5 miles south of the city of
Cabanatuan, Luzon, Republic of the
Philippines. It marks the site of the
Japanese Cabanatuan Prisoner of War
Camp where approximately 20,000
American servicemen and _ civilians
were held captive from 1942 to 1945,
after the fall of the Philippine Islands

during World War II. The Memorial
also honors the heroic sacrifices made
by Filipino servicemen and civilians
in a mutual quest for honor, freedom
and peace.

The memorial consists of a 90-foot
concrete base in the center of which
rests a marble altar. It is surrounded
on three sides by a fence of steel rods
and on the fourth by a Wall of Honor
apen which are inscribed the names
of the approximately 3,000 Ameri-
cans who lost their lives while being
held captive.

Co-located on the site are the West
Point Monument, which pays hom-
age to the 170 American and 6 Fili-
pino graduates of the U.S. Military
Academy who lost their lives during
the defense of the Philippines or
while prisoner of war at Cabanatuan
and the Defenders of Bataan and Cor-
regidor (a Filipino veterans organiza-
tion) memorial which salutes their
American fallen comrades.

POINTE DU HOC MONUMENT

Following World War II, the French
erected a monument at Pointe du
Hoc on the right flank of Omaha

25


30

HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY

A COMRADE IN ARMS
KNOWN BUT TO GOD

Decorated Gravesite of a World War II “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

EUROPEAN OFFICE

Street Address:

68, rue du 19 Janvier

92380 - Garches, France

Mailing Address:

American Battle Monuments Commission
American Embassy - Paris

PSC 116

APO AE 09777

Telephone: (011-33) 1-4701-1976 (from U.S.)
33-0-1-4701-1976 (within France)

(00-33) 1-4701-1976 (from other

European Countries)

UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA

MEDITERRANEAN OFFICE

Street Address:

Via Cavour, 275

00184 Rome, Italy

Mailing Address:

American Battle Monuments Commission

American Embassy

PSC 59, Box 11

APO AE 09624

Telephone: (011-39) 06-4824-157
06-4890-3685 (from U.S.)
06-4824-157 (within Italy)

FAX: (011-39) 6-487-1624

PHILIPPINE OFFICE

Street Address:

Manila American Cemetery

and Memorial

Fort Bonifacio, McKinley Road

Makati City, The Philippines

Mailing Address:

Manila American Cemetery

PSC 513, Box 5

FPO AP 96515-1800

Telephone: (011-632) 844-0212 (from U.S.)
844-0212 (from Metro-Manila)

FAX: (011-632) 812-4717

31