. Ke War Vet Memorial, Washington, Di
Saipan Monument, Tanapag Harbor, Island of Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Pe Wa ates Herein gern ENC

26 27


Mosaic Ceiling in Chapel

and quiet reflection. Paralleling each
side of the sunken garden is one of
the cemetery’s four rectangular grave
plots. Flagstone paths lead from the
chapel to steps at the three other
corners of the sunken garden beyond
which small secluded recesses en-
closed with trees are located, each
containing a decorative urn on a
pedestal and stone benches on which
to rest. The insignia of the four
American divisions which fought in
Belgium (27th, 30th, 37th and 91st)
are shown on the urns in sculptured
form.

MEMORIAL CHAPEL

At the center of the cemetery is the
small memorial chapel of white

Pouillenay stone. Above its bronze
entrance door is engraved:

GREET THEM EVER WITH
GRATEFUL HEARTS

to remind the visitor that those
buried there died for their freedom.
On three of the outer walls, the
dedicatory inscription appears in
French, Flemish and English:

‘THIS CHAPEL HAS BEEN ERECTED BY THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN MEMORY
OF HER SOLDIERS WHO FOUGHT AND
DIED IN BELGIUM DURING THE WORLD
WAR. THESE GRAVES ARE THE PERMA-
NENT AND VISIBLE SYMBOL OF THE
HEROIC DEVOTION WITH WHICH THEY
GAVE THEIR LIVES TO THE COMMON
CAUSE OF HUMANITY.

Beneath the three versions of the in-
scription, sculptured bas-relief fig-



encoror© 5 ® wortp war il CEMETERIES
§B WORLD WAR | CEMETERIES
3 WORLD WAR | MONUMENTS
3 WORLD WAR I! MONUMENTS:

eee iss
G Ez R M A N ¥
cotoant
% WAREGEM in seas: Mananarin
Pare mgr wae srussers nd fet ss
{os Eucenanur A
=A yb aces nenmcrarecde ty
pouoane in BELGIUM Shure,
Ta, . eniens
e NEUPRE (NEUVILLE-EN-CONDRO2! ‘
enews poner
nun an,
“SoMare @8ONY
‘- ~.
Bu (LUREMBOURT Coren
lous iB “
* eorenoune
° anne
cawriony reneoecaene
“eMoMrOwIER ys Pes ie
onoune # ~ ‘
ava NS
wen sau + RR Stitancxen
: os DS waned Rn
ac ls vai YEROUN MET Mar AVOLD Sd

racine gro rote
sch

pase wo
é

sr wines

Narcan rane? —gonnons Sum

NorMaNoy Be
é asic
bed “STRASBOURG
eoncentan |
pete TOURS ye |
MESO apsrany i i
groves 0100 30 40 50 60 70 0) 90 100 —*FOMTANEELEAL,
wiLES wend
© 10 20 20 40 60 60 70.80.90 100 ital ernne ) 2
venmes LOMETERS
ants

cemetery memorials at these burial
sites; controlling as to design and
materials, providing regulations for
and supervising erection of all
monuments, 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.

After World War I, the American
Battle Monuments Commission
erected a memorial chapel in each of
the eight military cemeteries overseas
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

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


12

Visitors’ Building

13

Visitors’ Room


10

View of Graves Area

ures symbolizing Grief, Remem-
brance and History respectively

appear.
CHAPEL INTERIOR

Inside the chapel, one’s attention is
drawn to the altar of Grand Antique
(black and white) marble. On the
front of the altar is inscribed:

I WILL RANSOM THEM FROM THE POWER
OF THE GRAVE, I WILL REDEEM THEM
FROM DEATH (Hosea, XIII:14).

Above it carved on a rose-tinted
marble panel is a Crusader’s sword
outlined in gold. On either side of
the altar stands a bronze candela-
brum and flagstaffs supporting flags
of the United States, Belgium,
France, Great Britain and Italy. On
the side walls of the chapel, panels of
rose St. George marble enframed in
bronze molding carry the names of 43
American soldiers who lost their
lives in Belgium and sleep in un-
known graves. Above the names is
the Great Seal of the United States
and the inscription:

IN MEMORY OF THOSE AMERICAN
SOLDIERS WHO FOUGHT IN THIS REGION
AND WHO SLEEP IN UNKNOWN GRAVES.

The beauty of the interior is en-
hanced by the mosaic ceiling, which
depicts a lighted oil lamp under the
stars of Heaven with doves of peace
flying toward the light and, over the
door, a large ornamental window
through which comes a subdued
golden light.

The furniture of the chapel is of
carved oak, stained black with vein-
ing in white to harmonize with the
black and white marble altar.

GRAVES AREA

The graves area consists of four rec-
tangular plots. Each plot contains 92
graves marked with white marble
headstones set in stately rows on a
carpet of green grass. Stars of David
mark the graves of those of Jewish
faith and Latin Crosses mark all
others. Each grave plot is enframed
by an English yew hedge and dense
massifs of colorful trees and shrubs.
Twenty-one of the 368 graves in the
cemetery are of Unknowns.

VISITORS’ ROOM

Near the cemetery entrance a com-
fortably furnished room is provided
where visitors may pause to refresh
themselves or obtain information
from the cemetery staff. A register is
maintained there, and all visitors are
encouraged to sign it before leaving
the cemetery. Burial locations and
sites of memorialization in all of the
overseas American military ceme-
teries of both World War! and World
War II, plus other information of
interest concerning the overseas
cemeteries or local history, may be
obtained from the Superintendent or
the cemetery staff.

PLANTINGS

Behind the linden trees bordering
the lane, a currant hedge sets off
dense massifs of trees and colorful
shrubs of rhododendron, lilac,
azalea, birch, ash, oak, elm, holly,
maple, osmanthus, hydrangea,
magnolia, spirea and Japanese
prune.

1


Kemmel Monument

In 1929, the American Battle
Monuments Commission erected a
small monument commemorating
the achievements of the 27th and
30th Divisions which fought in the
Ypres-Lys offensive with the British
Army from 18 August to 4 Septem-
ber 1918. The monument of clear
Rocheret stone is located near the
hamlet of Vierstraat on the road to
Kemmelberg (Mont Kemmel) about 4
miles/6.5 km south of leper (Ypres). It
was designed by George Howe of
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Engraved on the front of the
monument is the inscription:

27TH DIVISION — 30TH DIVISION.
ERECTED BY THE UNITED STATES OF

16

AMERICA TO COMMEMORATE THE SER-
VICES OF AMERICAN TROOPS WHO
FOUGHT IN THIS VICINITY AUGUST 18-
SEPTEMBER 4, 1918.

The inscription is flanked on either
side by a sculptured American bayo-
net. Below the inscription is a sculp-
tured American helmet resting upon
a wreath. A French version of the
inscription is engraved on the left
side of the monument and a Flemish
version on the right. The insignia of
the 27th and 30th Divisions are
engraved on the back side of the
monument with their respective
numerical designations beneath
them.

——

St. Mihiel American Cemetery, Thiaucourt, 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
private. It was later given responsi-
bility for establishing or taking over
from the Armed Forces permanent
burial grounds in foreign countries
and designing, constructing, operat-
ing and maintaining permanent

17


Flanders Field American Cemetery
and Memorial

The American Battle Monuments Commission


Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial, Nettuno, Italy

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 maps 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 grave 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

i ha

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. Photography is
permitted without special authori-
zation, except when it is to be used
for commercial purposes — in such
cases, permission must be obtained
from the Commission.

Unlike National cemeteries under
jurisdiction of the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs, there can be no further
burials in the American military
cemeteries overseas except of those
remains 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 WarI
cemeteries, the fourteen World War II
cemeteries, eleven World War I
monuments and two tablets, and the
two World War II markers (Casa-
blanca, Morocco and Papua, New
Guinea), the American Battle Monu-
ments Commission’s program of
commemoration 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 II also), France . .

Totals ....... wees

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,
D.C. World War I tablets are at
Chaumont and Souilly, France.

By the end of World War Il, 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
2,039, 250 1,060
427 41 563
» 347 21 43
13,760 486 954
5,415 597 241
4,036 17 284
1,706 138 333,
1535 6 974
29,265 1,656 4,452

Puerto Rico (which are now admin-
istered by the National Cemetery
System, Department of Veterans
Affairs). As was the case after World
War I, some remains were left in iso-
lated graves outside of the cemeteries
by request of the families who then
became responsible for their main-
tenance.

Fourteen sites in foreign countries
were selected as permanent ceme-
teries in 1947 by the Secretary of the
Army and the American Battle
Monuments Commission in con-
cert. Their locations reflect the prog-
ress 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 ID Known Unknown Commemorated
Ardennes, Neupre (Neuville-en-Condroz), Belgium 4,536 792 462
Brittany, St. James, France .. . é «4,313 97 498
Cambridge, England 3,788 24 5,126
Epinal, France . 5,186 69 424
Florence, Italy... 4189213, 1,409
Henri-Chapelle, Belgium . 7,895 94 450
Lorraine, St. Avold, France. A 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 ........ 8,196 106 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 62 294
Sicily-Rome, Nettuno, Italy 7311 490 3,095
Suresnes (See WW I also), France 24

20

East Coast Memorial, New York City, New York... .—

Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii. .

West Coast Memorial, San Francisco, California.... | — oe!

Totals .....

World War Il cemeteries maintained by the National Cemetery System,

Deparment of Veterans: Affais
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
Honolulu, Hawaii .... 6... 0.e.00e00s

Puerto Rico
Sitka, Alaska . ..

Other Missing in Action Commemorated by ABMC
Korean War, Honolulu Memorial,
Honolulu, Hawaii . ..- g
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 Worl
War II overseas cemeteries were pro-
gressively transferred for con-
struction and maintenance to the
American Battle Monuments Com-
mission by Presidential Executive

4,609
—= 18,096
412
86,729 6,514 78,976
(See
11,597 2,079 Honolulu
Memorial)
69 —
67 5 =
— 8,200
aarp a 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.

‘or 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:

A small 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 IL only; however, Oise-
Aisne, Meuse-Argonne and St.
Mihiel WW I American Cemeter-
ies 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


14

HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY

AN: AMERICAN 5

OLDIER

oe KNOWN: BOT TO GOD
-+

Unknown Soldier of World War I

Audenarde Monument

In 1936, the American Battle
Monuments Commission erected a
small monument in Oudenaarde
(Audenarde), Belgium, to the 40,000
American troops who participated
in operations in that area during
World War I. The monument of
yellow Cruchaud stone is located in
a small park at Tacambaro Place in
the center of the city. It was designed
by Harry Sternfeld of Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania.

On the front of the monument
above a sculptured shield of the
United States is engraved the in-
scription:

37TH DIVISION — 91ST DIVISION — 53RD
FIELD ARTILLERY BRIGADE.

Below the shield and flanked by two
sculptured American eagles is the
inscription:

ERECTED BY THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA TO COMMEMORATE THE SER-
VICES OF AMERICAN TROOPS WHO
FOUGHT IN THIS VICINITY, OCT 30 —
NOV 11, 1918.

A French version of the inscription
is repeated on the right side of the
monument anda Flemish version on
the left.

15


Memorial Chapel

SITE

Smallest of the permanent American
military cemeteries on the European
continent, the Flanders Field Ameri-
can Cemetery occupies 6 acres. It was
dedicated on 8 August 1937, and is
the only American World War I cem-
etery in Belgium. The use of the land
on which it rests has been granted by
the Belgian Government free of
charge or taxation in perpetuity, as an

expression of its gratitude to the

United States.
On 30 May 1927,Charles A. Lind-

bergh flew over the cemetery in the
Spirit of St. Louis to salute his fallen
countrymen and drop poppies on the
Memorial Day ceremonies being
held below. He did this just 9 days
after he completed his historic solo
trans-Atlantic flight.

For many Americans, the cemetery
has special significance because of

John McCrae’s poem, “In Flanders
Field.” The poem, however, was not
written about the fighting which
occurred there. Lt. Col. John McCrae,
M.D., a Canadian physician, wrote it
while serving at a medical station in
Ypres. On 8 December 1915, the
poem was published anonymously
in Punch magazine. Colonel McCrae
died of pneumonia on 28 January
1918, nine months prior to large-scale
fighting in the Flanders area. In 1919,
his verses were collected and pub-
lished under the title In Flanders Field
and Other Poems.

IN FLANDERS FIELD

In Flanders fields, the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly.
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
‘The torch; Be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Tt was due to the poem “In Flan-
ders Field’ that Miss Moina Michael
originated the Flanders Field Memo-
rial Poppy which has raised millions
of dollars for veterans and their fami-
lies. Miss Michael became known to
millions of World War I veterans as
the “Poppy Lady” and on 9 Novem-
ber 1918 she wrote the poem, We Shall
Keep the Faith in answer to the In
Flanders Field poem.

WE SHALL KEEP THE FAITH

Oh! You who sleep in “Flanders Fields,”
Sleep sweet — to rise anew!
We caught the Torch you threw
And, holding high we keep the Faith.
With all who died,

We cherish, too, the poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.
But lends a lustre to the red
Of the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders Fields.

And now the Torch and Poppy red
We wear in honor of our dead.
Fear not that ye have died for naught;
We've learned the lesson that ye taught
In Flanders Fields.

ARCHITECT

Dr. Paul P. Cret of Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania was the architect of the
cemetery and the memorial. The
landscape architect was J. Greber of
Paris, France.

GENERAL LAYOUT

From the wrought-iron entrance
gates on the Waregem/Oudenaarde
road, a short gravelled lane bordered
by linden trees on a carpet of grass
leads past the Visitors’ Building on
the left and the flagpole terrace on the
right to the memorial chapel and
graves area beyond. The American
flag flies daily from the 50-foot flag-
pole on the terrace near the entrance
gate. The pole’s cast bronze base is
ornamented with Acanthus leaves,
butterflies, seashells, oak leaves and
acorns with a circle of poppies at the
point where the staff is inserted in
the base. The flagpole was designed
by Egerton Swartwout, New York
City, New York and cast by Susse
Freres, Paris, France. Other architec-
tural ornaments in the cemetery were
created by L. Bottiau of Paris, France.

Steps lead down from the end of
the gravelled lane directly to the
corner of a square-shaped sunken
garden in the center of which is a
nondemoninational chapel where
visitors may pause for meditation


S
f

ALGERIA
PUNISTA

Beach, overlooking the English
Channel honoring 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

j wowcare

YUGOSLAVIA

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 achievements of
the American Forces of the VII Co:

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 his-
toric el 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
Metropolitan 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 unidenti-
fied 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 Department of the Army to
this Commission 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, just off Gail-
lard Highway between the Corozal
Railroad Station and Fort Clayton. To
reach the cemetery, follow Gaillard
Highway north from Panama City,
turn right on Rybicki Road, and pro-
ceed about one-half mile to the ceme-
tery. Taxi and bus service to the cem-
etery are available from Panama City.
There are 5,044 identified “Known”
Dead interred here. In agreement
with the Republic of Panama, care
and maintenance of the cemetery in
ecpeny was assumed by the

‘ommission 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
Korean War. The war was one of the
most hard fought in our history.
During its relatively short duration,
25 June 1950-27 July 1953, 33,700
Americans were killed in action;
8,200 of those killed in action were
classified as missing in action (and
presumed dead), ot lost or buried at
sea. An additional 103,000 Ameri-
cans were wounded during the con-
flict. An integral part of the
Memorial is the Korean War Honor
Roll, an interactive automated data-
base, containing the names of those
U.S. military personnel 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
commemorated at ABMC’s ceme-
teries and memorials:

* name, location and general infor-
mation about the cemetery, mon-
ument or memorial;

* plot, row and grave number and, if
applicable, memorialization sites;

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

‘ave 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


MCMXCVITT

Suresnes American Cemetery and Memorial, Seine, France


Adequate hotel accommodations
may be found in Waregem and in
most of the surrounding cities and
towns.

HOURS

The cemetery is open daily to the
public as shown below:

SUMMER (16 April-30 September)

8:00 a.m.—6:00 p.m. — weekdays
9:00 a.m.—6:00 p.m. — Saturdays,
Sundays and holidays

WINTER (1 October-15 April)
8:00 a.m.—5:00 p.m, — weekdays
9:00 a.m.—5:00 p.m. — Saturdays,
Sundays and holidays

When the cemetery is open to the
public, a staff member is on duty in
the Visitors’ Building to answer
questions and to escort relatives to
grave and memorialization sites.

HISTORY

The Flanders Field American Ceme-
tery is situated on a battlefield where
the U.S. 91st Division suffered many
casualties in securing the wooded
area called ‘‘Spitaals Bosschen” a few
hundreds yards to its east.

Before advancing into Belgium,
the U.S. 91st and U.S. 37th Divisions
had been engaged in heavy fighting
in the Meuse-Argonne region. Both
divisions received orders in October
1918 to join the French Army in Bel-
gium and assist in the operations
launched there on 28 September 1918
by the Group of Armies of Flanders
under the command of Albert I, King
of Belgium.

The two divisions joined the
Ypres-Lys offensive on 30 October;
the U.S. 37th along the railroad at
Olsene, and the U.S. 91st just south
of Waregem. A French division sep-
arated them in the lines when the

Garden with Chapel in Background

—WaReGEM

Location of Cemetery Features

general attack eastward toward the
Escaut River (also known as the
Schelde River) began at 5:30 a.m. on
31 October 1918.

The U.S. 91st Division quickly
drove forward despite intense artil-
lery and machine gun fire and cap-
tured the ‘‘Spitaals Bosschen’’ a short
distance in front of its line of depar-
ture. The division was then delayed
by severe enfilade fire from its right,
as the French Division on that flank
had been unable to make a corre-
sponding advance. Meanwhile under
heavy enemy fire the U.S. 37th Divi-
sion advanced about 24/2 miles to the
western outskirts of Cruyshautem
(Kruishoutem) where it dug in for
the night. The following day, it being

evident that the Germans were
retreating, both divisions advanced
rapidly to the Escaut River. The U.S.
91st occupied part of Audenarde on 2
November and the remainder of it
the next day. Early on 2 November
under heavy fire, the U.S. 37th Divi-
sion forced a crossing of the Escaut
southeast of Heurne. On 4 Novem-
ber, a German counterattack against
the bridgehead was repulsed. Both
divisions were relieved during the
night of 4 November to prepare for
another general offensive and re-
turned to the front lines on 10 No-
vember. The following day, with
little opposition, both divisions were
able to advance. The Armistice
became effective at 11:00 a.m. on that
date (11 November 1918).


Chapel Interior

Flanders Field
American
Cemetery

and

Memorial

LOCATION

Flanders Field American Cemetery
and Memorial is located on the
southeastern edge of the industrial
commune of Waregem, Belgium,
about 1.5 miles/2.5 kms from the
center of town, on the road to Oude-
naarde (Audenarde).!

Waregem may be reached by train
from Brussels via Gent (Gand) in
approximately one hour; from Paris,
Gare du Nord in about five hours via
Rysel (Lille) and Kortrijk (Courtrai),

'Parenthetical references show French spell-
ing.

and five and one-half hours via
Brussels and Gent. Taxi service is
available from the train station in
Waregem. Road distances to Ware-
gem from various cities are: Brussels
— 55 miles/88 kms, Mons — 50
miles/80 kms, Gent — 21 miles/34
kms, Brugge (Bruges) — 29 miles/47
kms, Kortrijk — 10 miles/16 kms,
Oudenaarde (Audenarde) — 8
miles/13 kms, Ieper (Ypres) — 28
miles/45 kms, Rysel (Lille) — 29
miles/47 kms, and Paris — 175
miles/280 kms.

Entrance Gates


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 loggias 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 coast of North
and South America, but outside the
territorial limits of the United States,
gave their lives in the service of their
country, the Commission erected a
memorial in Battery Park, New York
City, upow which their names and
particulars 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
Pacific areas (except the Southwest
and the Palua Islands which are
commemorated at the Manila Ceme-

24

fery 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 Gen. Pershin
on a stone pedestal, a stone bench
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 Cemetery of the Pacific,
Honolulu, 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, Guadaleanab Solomon
Islands. It honors those American and
Allied servicemen who lost their lives
during the Guadalcanal Campaign of
World War II (7 August 1942-9
February 1943). The Memorial con-
sists of a suitably inscribed central
Bylot four feet square rising 24 feet
above its base. Four radiating direc-
tional 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
located 85 miles north of Manila,
within the city of Cabanatuan, Luzon,
Republic of the Philippines. It marks
the site of the Japanese Cabanatuan
Prisoner of War Camp where approx-
imately 20,000 American servicemen
and civilians were held captive from
1942 to 1945, after the fall of the

Philippine Islands during World War
IL The Memorial also honors the hero-
ic sacrifices made by Filipino service-
men 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
upon which are inscribed the names
of the approximately 3,000 Americans
who lost their lives while being held
captive.

‘o-located on the site are the West
Point Monument, which pays
homage to the 170 American and 6
Filipino 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
Corregidor (a Filipino veterans orga-
nization) memorial which salutes
their American fallen comrades.

POINT DU HOC MONUMENT
Following World War II, the French
erected a monument at Pointe du
Hoe on the right flank of Omaha

25


30

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 de 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.)
0-1-4701-1976 (within France)

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

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) 6-4824-157

6-4890-3685 (from U.S.)

06-4824-157 (within Italy)

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

PHILIPPINE OFFICE

Street Address:

Manila American Cemetery

and Memorial

McKinley Road

Fort Bonifacio, Metro-Manila

Republic of the Philippines

Mailing Address:

American Battle Monument Commission

FPO AP 96515

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