AMERICAN CEMETERY

This piece of American territory in the Vosges is one of five American cemeteries in France dedicated to World War II servicemen. The 5,255 combatants buried here were killed in action in central France, the Vosges, the Rhine Valley and Germany. The main courtyard is surrounded by limestone walls from the Jura region, engraved with the names of the 424 soldiers who went missing in the region. The memorial includes a chapel and a museum. Inside the museum, you'll find a map showing American and Allied operations from the Provence landings on August 15, 1944, to the junction with forces from Normandy near Dijon on September 11. Architects Delano and Aldrich designed the cemetery and memorial alongside landscape architect Homer L. Fry. Malvina Hoffman created all the bas-reliefs and decoration for the chapel. Construction of the cemetery was completed in 1956. This historic site is deeply moving. The graves are now sponsored by families, who put flowers on them and finance the upkeep of the site.