What You Need to Know to Explore American Military Cemeteries in Europe Posted on January 15, 2024November 22, 2024 Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... How to Visit American Cemeteries in Europe Have you ever visited a place that truly makes history come alive? Europe is full of stunning landmarks, from ancient ruins to modern cities. But some places leave a lasting impact, like the American Cemeteries in Europe. These peaceful sites honor the service members who gave their lives and are filled with stories of sacrifice and pride. Many are just a short drive from bases in Germany, making them easy to visit and impossible to forget. Table of Contents How to Visit American Cemeteries in Europe American Cemeteries in Europe Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery The Layout The Chapel Montfaucon Operating Hours Programs What to Expect Burial in the Meuse-Argonne For More Information Cemetery Locations Like it. Pin it. American Cemeteries in Europe However, strolling through American Cemeteries, you get a chance to honor the dead. Thereby offering a glimpse into the lives of the interned from the headstones, epithets, and flowers left by loved ones. Above all, precision and a clear focus on military order and pride lay out military cemeteries. And an overwhelming sense of awe. Therefore, twenty American cemeteries and over 103,000 U.S. war dead interred in them from both world wars. And chances are you’re close to at least a few of them. Privates and Generals lay side-by-side. They lay in eternal formation in cemeteries all around France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Italy. Road Trip: Driving the Fairytale Road in Germany Type your email… Subscribe Join 5,100 other subscribers Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery The largest American Cemetery in Europe is just a 3-4 hour drive from the Kaiserslautern and Wiesbaden areas. Located in the Lorraine area of France, the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery is not only the largest American military cemetery in Europe. It’s also one of the prettiest. It’s the final resting place for over 14,000 Service Members. They fought and died during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive of World War I. Their leader, General John J. Pershing. The Insider Guide to Surviving Military PCS Moves The Layout The cemetery is located on 130 acres of lush greens and foliage just east of the village of Romagne-Gesnes. So it’s approximately 26 miles/42 kilometers northwest of Verdun. You get a sense of pride and sorrow walking down the formation of row after row of American soldiers. Each marker contains the same information. The decedent’s full name, rank, date of death, unit, and hometown mark them. The immense array of headstones rises in a long upward T. It’s adjacent to a circular reflecting pool and fountain. Both sit in front of the hedge-lined entrance to the chapel. The Chapel The chapel sits on a gently sloping ridge adorned with a beautiful bronze screen. The stained-glass windows feature the etching of the American unit insignia. Consequently, one of the most beautiful American Cemeteries in Europe. Flags of the principal Allied nations fly behind the altar and on either side of the chapel are memorial loggias. One panel on the covered loggia contains a map of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. And there are 954 names on the Tablet of the Missing located on the remaining panel walls. Rosettes denote the names of soldiers who have been recovered and identified since then. Montfaucon The American monument at Montfaucon, standing more than 200 feet above the war ruins of the former village, is 7 miles/ 11 kilometers south of the cemetery. “Lady Liberty” symbolizing the valor of the soldiers who forced the enemy to retreat from the village in 1918, stands atop the column. A special tribute to the American soldiers who served and died here is engraved on the foyer walls. By climbing 234 steps, visitors can reach the observation platform at the top of the memorial, which offers magnificent views of the now silent battlefield below. Check out the Blooms and Tradition: 83rd Tulip Festival in Orange City. Operating Hours The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) cemeteries are open daily to the public from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except on December 25 and January 1. They remain accessible on local public holidays. Admission is free, and a staff member is present during visiting hours to assist with questions and guide relatives to grave and memorial sites. Each cemetery hosts an annual Memorial Day program to honor the sacrifices of American military personnel, and these events are open to the public. More Than the FRA: Gateway Airport to and From Frankfurt Programs American and Korean flags decorate all the gravesites. Programs usually include participation by the respective U.S. Ambassador. It also includes a President’s Memorial Day Proclamation, speakers. And concludes with the presentation of the National Colors, wreath-laying ceremonies, military bands. D-Day commemorative events are planned annually on June 6th by the French Comite du Debarquement (D-Day Landing Committee). Check this out: Black Female Travelers: Enriching the Global Travel Narrative What to Expect Each year millions of American and foreign citizens visit ABMC cemeteries and memorials. The commission receives thousands of inquiries yearly, many seeking to facilitate visits or locate individual gravesites. The Commission provides the following services to the requestor: Name, location, and information on cemeteries and memorials. Plot, row, and grave number or memorialization location of Honored War Dead. Best in-country routes, modes of travel, and accommodations. Escort service for relatives to grave and memorial sites within the cemeteries. Letters authorizing fee-free passports for members of the immediate family traveling overseas to visit a grave or memorialization site. Burial in the Meuse-Argonne Black and white photographs of headstones and Tablets of the Missing on which the names of dead or missing are engraved. Arrangements for floral decorations placed at graves and memorialization sites. The Meuse-Argonne was established on October 14, 1918, by the American Graves Registration Service on land captured by the 32nd Infantry Division. The use of the land has been granted by the French government free of charge or taxation in perpetuity. It’s as an expression of its gratitude to the United States. In 1943, the administration of the cemetery passed to the ABMC. They administer, operate, and maintain 24 permanent American burial grounds on foreign soil. Type your email… Subscribe Join 5,100 other subscribers For More Information The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) oversees 26 permanent American military cemeteries and 31 federal memorials, monuments, and markers in 17 countries, primarily honoring those who served in World War I and World War II. Eligibility for Burial in ABMC Cemeteries: Burial in ABMC cemeteries is generally reserved for U.S. armed forces members who died overseas during World War I or World War II. Additionally, certain civilians, such as Red Cross workers and entertainers who served the military and died overseas during these conflicts, are also eligible for burial. These eligibility criteria are influenced by agreements with host countries and are specific to each cemetery. Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery: Located in Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, France, the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery is the largest American military cemetery in Europe, covering 130.5 acres. It contains the graves of 14,246 military dead, most of whom lost their lives during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive of World War I. The cemetery also features a memorial chapel and a visitor center that provides historical context about the offensive and the individuals commemorated there. For more detailed information about the Meuse-Argonne Cemetery or other ABMC sites, please visit the ABMC’s official website. Cemetery Locations Belgium Ardennes Cemetery Neupré Cemetery Waregem Cemetery Henri-Chapelle Cemetery France Aisne-Marne Cemetery Epinal Cemetery Brittany Cemetery Lorraine Cemetery Meuse-Argonne Cemetery Normandy Cemetery Oise-Aisne Cemetery Rhone Cemetery Somme Cemetery St. Mihiel Cemetery Suresnes Cemetery Italy Florence Cemetery Sicily-Rome Cemetery Luxembourg Luxembourg Cemetery Netherlands Margraten Cemetery United Kingdom Brookwood Cemetery Cambridge Cemetery Like it. Pin it. 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Thank you for the excellent article. My father’s job as head of the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) began in 1947 when the U.S. dead of the European Theater were in 37 temporary cemeteries scattered throughout the Continent. Under him, more than 80,000 were returned home and about 60,000 others were buried in ten permanent cemeteries in Europe, graded and built by the AGRC. (More information about this subject is in Dad’s biography,“A Salute to Patriotism: The Life and Work of Major General Howard L. Peckham” ( on Amazon). Reply
Thank you. And thank you for sharing. Its nice to know that stories I find interesting are interesting to other people as well. I hope you come back again soon. Reply