American War Memorial , Gibraltar The American War Memorial , more formally the Naval Monument at Gibraltar , is located along Line Wall Road in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar . The World War I memorial was built for the American Battle Monuments Commission in 1933 , and incorporated into the main city wall , the Line Wall Curtain . It commemorated the successful alliance of the United States and the United Kingdom in their naval exploits in the vicinity of Gibraltar during the Great War . The monument was inaugurated in 1937 . Sixty - one years later , in November 1998 , the monument was the site of another unveiling ceremony , that of a bronze plaque which commemorated the World War II Allied invasion of North Africa , Operation Torch . That unveiling ceremony was one of a number of events that weekend whose guests included dignitaries from the United Kingdom and the United States . Description . The American War Memorial " ( pictured at right ) " is a World War I naval monument located near the north end of Line Wall Road in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar , at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula . More formally known as the Naval Monument at Gibraltar , the memorial was incorporated into the Line Wall Curtain and American steps that give pedestrians access to the lower Reclamation Road , Fish Market Lane , and Queensway . The steps connect the town above with the British Royal Naval facilities below . The monument was designed by architect Paul Philippe Cret ( 1876 – 1945 ) , a native of France who was a professor at the University of Pennsylvania . Cret " ( pictured at right ) " designed the memorial on behalf of the American Battle Monuments Commission . It was constructed between 1932 and 1933 . The inscription " ( link below ) " over the arch of the memorial indicates that it was " erected by the United States of America to commemorate the achievements and comradeship of the American and British Navies in this vicinity during the World War . " On the other side of the masonry arch are two bronze medallions " ( pictured below ) " depicting the seals of the United States and of its Department of the Navy . The dolomitic limestone utilised in the construction of the monument came from the Rock of Gibraltar . The memorial is an example of the successful incorporation of a relatively recent work into older , existing architecture . Inauguration . The formal dedication took place in October 1937 , when an American contingent from the American Battle Monuments Commission arrived on the cruiser " Raleigh " . On the morning of 7 October , Rear Admiral Arthur Philip Fairfield ( 1877 – 1946 ) , of " Raleigh " , gave the inaugural address on behalf of General John Joseph " Black Jack " Pershing ( 1860 – 1948 ) . Other speakers included General Sir Charles Harrington ( 1872 – 1940 ) , the Governor of Gibraltar ; Rear Admiral Alfred Englefield Evans ( 1884 – 1944 ) , Rear Admiral in charge of Gibraltar ; and the American Consul H . O . Williams . The dedication was attended by other military officials , foreign consuls , and American and British soldiers . During the unveiling of the monument , the band of the Royal Norfolk Regiment gave renditions of the national anthems of the United States and the United Kingdom . Recent history . On 29 October 1960 , the Gibraltar Philatelic Bureau issued a stamp " ( link below ) " in tribute to the American War Memorial at Gibraltar . On 7 November 1998 , the Gibraltar - American Council and the Government of Gibraltar commemorated the anniversary of Operation Torch , the World War II Allied invasion of North Africa , with a bronze plaque " ( pictured at left ) " at the American War Memorial . General Dwight David " Ike " Eisenhower ( 1890 – 1969 ) , who was headquartered in Gibraltar , had led the invasion in November 1942 . The plaque was unveiled by the then Chief Minister of Gibraltar Peter Caruana on the steps of the memorial . Other events that weekend included tree - planting ceremonies at two sites , The Mount and The Convent . The Eisenhower Centre was inaugurated , with temporary housing in the Garrison Library . Caruana hosted a lunch at The Mount and a dinner at St . Michael ' s Cave . Gold commemorative coins were distributed to some of the guests . In addition , the Governor hosted a dinner at The Convent . Overseas guests included Anne Eisenhower Flottl , the granddaughter of President Eisenhower ; Winston S . Churchill ( 1940 – 2010 ) , the grandson of Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill ( 1874 – 1965 ) ; and Mrs . Franklin Roosevelt , the daughter - in - law of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt ( 1882 – 1945 ) . Senior officers of the United States Army and Navy also attended the events . The was at Gibraltar for the anniversary . Members of the Royal British Legion and veterans of the Gibraltar Defence Force who served during Operation Torch were also invited to the ceremony at the American War Memorial . The inscription on the plaque at the monument reads :