The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial (french: Cimetière américain de Colleville-sur-Mer) is a

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a bu ...

and

memorial A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or works of ...

Colleville-sur-Mer Colleville-sur-Mer (, literally ''Colleville on Sea'') is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandie region in northwestern France. History It was originally a farm owned by a certain ''Koli'', a Scandinavian settler in the Middle Ag ...

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, that honors American

troops A troop is a military sub-subunit, originally a small formation of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron. In many armies a troop is the equivalent element to the infantry section or platoon. Exceptions are the US Cavalry and the King's Troo ...

who died in Europe during World War II. It is located on the site of the former temporary battlefield cemetery of Saint Laurent, covers 172.5 acres and contains 9,388 burials. A memorial in the cemetery includes maps and details of the

Normandy landings The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...

and military operations that followed. At the memorial's center is ''Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves'', a bronze statue. The cemetery also includes two flag poles where, at different times, people gather to watch the American flags being lowered and folded. The cemetery, which was dedicated in 1956, is the most visited cemetery of those maintained by the

American Battle Monuments Commission The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) is an independent agency of the United States government that administers, operates, and maintains permanent U.S. military cemeteries, memorials and monuments primarily outside the United States. ...

(ABMC), with one million visitors a year. In 2007, the ABMC opened a visitor center at the cemetery, relating the global significance and meaning of

Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the Norm ...

History

On June 8, 1944, the 607th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company of the

U.S. First Army First Army is the oldest and longest-established field army of the United States Army. It served as a theater army, having seen service in both World War I and World War II, and supplied the US army with soldiers and equipment during the Kor ...

established the temporary cemetery, the first American cemetery on French soil in World War II.Sourc
American Battle Monument Commission
After the war, the present-day cemetery was established a short distance to the east of the original site. It was dedicated on July 19, 1956, in the presence of American Admiral Kinkaid of the U.S. Navy, representing President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and French General Ganeval, representing President

René Coty Jules Gustave René Coty (; 20 March 188222 November 1962) was President of France from 1954 to 1959. He was the second and last president of the Fourth French Republic. Early life and politics René Coty was born in Le Havre and studied at t ...

. Like all other overseas American cemeteries in France for World War I and II, France has granted the United States a special, perpetual concession to the land occupied by the cemetery, free of any charge or any tax to honor the forces. It does not benefit from

extraterritoriality In international law, extraterritoriality is the state of being exempted from the jurisdiction of local law, usually as the result of diplomatic negotiations. Historically, this primarily applied to individuals, as jurisdiction was usually cl ...

, and is thus still French soil. This cemetery is managed by the

, a small

independent agency A regulatory agency (regulatory body, regulator) or independent agency (independent regulatory agency) is a government authority that is responsible for exercising autonomous dominion over some area of human activity in a licensing and regulati ...

of the

U.S. federal government The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a f ...

, under Congressional acts that provide yearly financial support for maintaining them, with most military and civil personnel employed abroad. The U.S. flag flies over these granted soils.

Description

The cemetery is located on a bluff overlooking

Omaha Beach Omaha Beach was one of five beach landing sectors designated for the amphibious assault component of operation Overlord during the Second World War. On June 6, 1944, the Allies invaded German-occupied France with the Normandy landings. "Omaha" r ...

(one of the landing beaches of the

Normandy Invasion Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the Norm ...

) and the

English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" ( Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), ( Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Ka ...

. It covers 172.5

acres The acre is a unit of land area used in the imperial and US customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one chain by one furlong (66 by 660 feet), which is exactly equal to 10 square chains, of a square mile, 4,840 square ...

, and contains the remains of 9,388 American military dead, most of whom were killed during the invasion of Normandy and ensuing military operations in World War II. Included are graves of Army Air Corps crews shot down over France as early as 1942 and four American women. Only some of the soldiers who died overseas are buried in the overseas American military cemeteries. When it came time for a permanent burial, the next of kin eligible to make decisions were asked if they wanted their loved ones repatriated for permanent burial in the U.S., or interred at the closest overseas cemetery.

Burials

Number of burials

On June 19, 2018, Julius H.O. Pieper was laid to rest next to his twin brother, Ludwig J.W. Pieper, and became the 9,388th servicemember buried at the Normandy American Cemetery. These burials are marked by white Lasa marble headstones, 9,238 of which are Latin crosses (for

Protestants Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

and

Catholics The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

) and 151 of which are stars of David (for

Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

). Since these were the only three religions recognized at the time by the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

, no other type of markers are present. The cemetery contains the graves of 45 pairs of brothers (30 of which buried side by side), a father and his son, an uncle and his nephew, 2 pairs of cousins, 3 generals, 4 chaplains, 4 civilians, 4 women, 147 African Americans and 20 Native Americans. 304 unknown soldiers are buried among the other servicemembers. Their headstones read ''“HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY A COMRADE IN ARMS KNOWN BUT TO GOD”''. East of the Memorial lies the Wall of the Missing, where are inscribed the names of 1,557 servicemembers declared

missing in action Missing in action (MIA) is a casualty classification assigned to combatants, military chaplains, combat medics, and prisoners of war who are reported missing during wartime or ceasefire. They may have been killed, wounded, captured, ex ...

during

. 19 of these names bear a bronze rosette, meaning that their body was found and identified since the cemetery's dedication.

Notable interments

Cimetiere Colleville Tombe General Roosevelt

Among the burials at the cemetery are three recipients of the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...

, including Theodore Roosevelt Jr., son of President

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

. After the creation of the cemetery, another son of President Roosevelt,

Quentin Quentin is a French male given name from the Latin first name ''Quintinus'', diminutive form of '' Quintus'', that means "the fifth".Albert Dauzat, ''Noms et prénoms de France'', Librairie Larousse 1980, édition revue et commentée par Marie-T ...

, who had been killed in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, was exhumed and reburied next to his brother Theodore Jr. Notable burials at the cemetery include: * Jimmie W. Monteith, Medal of Honor recipient * Frank D. Peregory, Medal of Honor recipient * Theodore Roosevelt Jr., son of President Theodore Roosevelt, Medal of Honor recipient * Quentin Roosevelt, son of President Theodore Roosevelt, aviator killed in action in World War I and reburied next to the grave of his brother, Theodore Roosevelt Jr. *

Lesley J. McNair Lesley James McNair (May 25, 1883 – July 25, 1944) was a senior United States Army officer who served during World War I and World War II. He attained the rank of lieutenant general during his life; he was killed in action during World War I ...

, U.S. Army general, one of the two highest-ranking Americans to be killed in action in World War II * Two of the

Niland brothers The Niland brothers were four American brothers of Irish descent from Tonawanda, New York, who served in the military during World War II. They were sons of Mr and Mrs Michael C. Niland. Two survived the war, but for a time, only one, Frederick ...

, Preston and Robert, whose story inspired Steven Spielberg's ''

Saving Private Ryan ''Saving Private Ryan'' is a 1998 American epic war film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Robert Rodat. Set during the Battle of Normandy in World War II, the film is known for its graphic portrayal of war, especially its depicti ...

Layout

Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, June 2012

The Cemetery is divided into ten plots. It forms a latin cross, with the Chapel in its middle, and the Memorial and Wall of the Missing at its base. It faces the United States, in the direction of a point between Eastport and

Lubec, Maine Lubec ( ) is a town in Washington County, Maine, United States. It is the easternmost municipality in the contiguous U.S. (see extreme points of the United States) and is the country's closest continental location to Africa. The town, with a ...

. This is accidental, as the Cemetery was built parallel to the beach on the lands granted by the French.

Memorial

The Memorial consists of a semicircular

colonnade In classical architecture, a colonnade is a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, or part of a building. Paired or multiple pairs of columns are normally employed in a colonnade which can be straight or cur ...

with a

loggia In architecture, a loggia ( , usually , ) is a covered exterior gallery or corridor, usually on an upper level, but sometimes on the ground level of a building. The outer wall is open to the elements, usually supported by a series of columns ...

at each end containing maps and narratives of the military operations. It is built in medium-hard limestone from upper

Burgundy Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. The ...

. Two of the maps, designed by Robert Foster, are 32 feet long and 20 feet high. At the center is a 22-foot bronze statue entitled ''The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves'' by

Donald De Lue Donald Harcourt De Lue (October 5, 1897, Boston, Massachusetts – August 26, 1988, Leonardo, New Jersey) was an American sculptor, best known for his public monuments. Life and career De Lue studied at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and la ...

. Over the arches of the Memorial is engraved ''“THIS EMBATTLED SHORE, PORTAL OF FREEDOM, IS FOREVER HALLOWED BY THE IDEALS, THE VALOR AND THE SACRIFICES OF OUR FELLOW COUNTRYMEN”''. At the feet of the Memorial is engraved both in English and French ''“IN PROUD REMEMBRANCE OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF HER SONS AND IN HUMBLE TRIBUTE TO THEIR SACRIFICES THIS MEMORIAL HAS BEEN ERECTED BY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”''. American cemetery - Omaha.jpg, The Memorial from the other side of the reflecting pool France-000831 - Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves (14880620948).jpg, "Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves" Mémorial Cimetière Colleville-sur-Mer - Statue Centrale.jpg, "Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves" Mémorial Cimetière Colleville-sur-Mer - Carte du Débarquement en Normandie.jpg, Map of the landings on the Normandy beaches Mémorial Cimetière Colleville-sur-Mer - Carte des Opérations Aériennes Mars-Août 1944.jpg, Map of the air operations over Normandy Mémorial Cimetière Colleville-sur-Mer - Carte des Opérations Navales.jpg, Map of the amphibious assault landings Mémorial Cimetière Colleville-sur-Mer - Carte Opérations Alliées en Europe 6-6-44 au 8-5-45.jpg, Map of the military operations in Western Europe

Wall of the Missing

The semi-circular gardens bear the 1,557 engraved names of service members declared missing in action in Normandy. Most of them were lost at sea, including over 489 in the sinking of the SS ''Léopoldville''. 19 of these names bear a bronze rosette next to their name, meaning that their body was recovered and identified after the cemetery's dedication. Above the walls is engraved, both in English and French,
''“★ COMRADES IN ARMS WHOSE RESTING PLACE IS KNOWN ONLY TO GOD ★
★ HERE ARE RECORDED THE NAMES OF AMERICANS WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRY AND WHO SLEEP IN UNKNOWN GRAVES ★ THIS IS THEIR MEMORIAL ♦ THE WHOLE EARTH THEIR SEPULCHER ★”''. At its center is engraved ''“TO THESE WE OWE THE HIGH RESOLVE THAT THE CAUSE FOR WHICH THEY DIED SHALL LIVE”'', an abbreviation of General Dwight D. Eisenhower's dedication of the Golden Book in

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglicanism, Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London ...

, London.

Chapel

At the center of the cemetery lies a multi-confessional chapel. Its altar, in black and gold Pyrenean marble, reads ''“I GIVE UNTO THEM ETERNAL LIFE AND THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH”''. The stained glass behind it bears a Latin cross and present a star of David, as well as an alpha and an omega symbol, meant to represent all other religions. On its ceiling lies a spectacular mosaic by

Leon Kroll Leon Kroll (December 6, 1884 – October 25, 1974) was an American painter and lithographer. A figurative artist described by ''Life'' magazine as "the dean of U.S. nude painters", he was also a landscape painter and also produced an exceptional ...

. Completed in 1953, it comprises 500,000 tiles and tells a full round story “of war and peace.” One side depicts

Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region i ...

( Goddess of Liberty) allegorically representing America blessing “her rifle-bearing son before he departs to fight overseas. Above him, a warship and a bomber push through sea and air toward land on the opposite side of the dome. There, a red-capped

Marianne Marianne () has been the national personification of the French Republic since the French Revolution, as a personification of liberty, equality, fraternity and reason, as well as a portrayal of the Goddess of Liberty. Marianne is displayed in ...

figure personifying France bestows a laurel wreath upon the same young man. His now lifeless body leans against her as she cradles his head in her lap. Above them, the return of peace is illustrated with an angel, a dove and a homeward-bound troop ship.” These two figures can be seen again as statues, guarding the end of the cemetery. Outside is engraved on its wall, both in English and French, ''“THIS CHAPEL HAS BEEN ERECTED BY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF HER SONS WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE LANDINGS ON THE NORMANDY BEACHES AND THE LIBERATION OF NORTHERN FRANCE ★ THEIR GRAVES ARE THE PERMANENT AND VISIBLE SYMBOL OF THEIR HEROIC DEVOTION AND THEIR SACRIFICE IN THE COMMON CAUSE OF HUMANITY”''. On its roof is engraved ''“THESE ENDURED ALL AND GAVE ALL THAT JUSTICE AMONG NATIONS MIGHT PREVAIL AND THAT MANKIND MIGHT ENJOY FREEDOM AND INHERIT PEACE”''. Normandy-american-cemetery-and-memorial-chapel.JPG, The Chapel at the cemetery 2015-05-22 0740 WWII Memorial.png, View from the memorial in 1989 Mémorial Cimetière Colleville-sur-Mer - Intérieur de la Chapelle.jpg, Altar inside the Chapel NOAC-Plafond-Chapelle.jpg, Ceiling of the Chapel

Orientation Table

An orientation table overlooks the beach and depicts the landings at Normandy. Designed by Robert Foster, it is of Swedish black granite. Cimetierre Colleville diaporama 6.jpg, Orientation Table OmahaBeachFromNormandyCemetery.jpg, Now closed access to Omaha Beach from the cemetery

Time capsule

Embedded in the lawn directly opposite the entrance to the old Visitors' Building is a

time capsule A time capsule is a historic cache of goods or information, usually intended as a deliberate method of communication with future people, and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists, or historians. The preservation of holy relics dates ...

which has been sealed and contains news reports of the June 6, 1944 Normandy landings. The capsule is covered by a pink

granite Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies un ...

slab upon which is engraved: ''To be opened June 6, 2044''. Affixed in the center of the slab is a bronze plaque adorned with the five stars of a General of the Army and engraved with the following inscription: In memory of General Dwight D. Eisenhower and the forces under his command. This sealed capsule containing news reports of the June 6, 1944 Normandy landings is placed here by the newsmen who were here, June 6, 1969.'' Date of publication is inferred from citation of Fiscal Year 2002 visitor numbers. Capsula del tempo.jpg, Time capsule

Landscaping

The cemetery is planted with Austrian Black Pines, Holly Oaks, and Turkey Oaks. Its undergrowth is composed of Austrian Pines, Alders, Common Oak Trees, American Red Oaks, Holly Oaks, Ash Trees, Sycamore Trees, Maple Trees, and a few Maritime Pines and Pine Trees. It is decorated by Polyantha Rose Trees, Callunas Heaths and Ericas Heaths.

Sights

L'église Notre-Dame de l'Assomption de Colleville

* Notre-Dame de l'Assomption de Colleville in

: dated to the 12th or 13th century, a historical monument since 1840. *

Overlord Museum The Overlord Museum is a museum which focuses on the Allied landings in Normandy with Operation Overlord and the subsequent development of the Second World War. It is located in Colleville-sur-Mer in the Calvados department of the Normandy regio ...

is located in Colleville-sur-Mer on the road to Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial.

In popular culture

* In ''

'' (1998), the cemetery is featured at the beginning and end, showing World War II veteran Private James Francis Ryan accompanied by his family. In the beginning of the film, he makes his way to the grave of Captain John Miller (played by

Tom Hanks Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...

). At the end, after he asks confirmation from his wife if he lived a good life and was a good man, Ryan salutes the grave (Both the grave and Captain John Miller are fictional; the headstone for Miller was only brought to the cemetery for the movie). The Private Ryan story is based upon the story of the

Niland Brothers The Niland brothers were four American brothers of Irish descent from Tonawanda, New York, who served in the military during World War II. They were sons of Mr and Mrs Michael C. Niland. Two survived the war, but for a time, only one, Frederick ...

, two of whom are buried in the cemetery; references are also made to the five

Sullivan brothers The five Sullivan brothers were World War II sailor brothers of Irish American descent who, serving together on the light cruiser , were all killed in action during and shortly after its sinking around November 13, 1942. The five brothers, ...

, who were all killed in the "''Juneau'' incident". * ''Symphonic Prelude (The Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer)'', by Mark Camphouse, portrays the battle in a way that battles are commonly depicted for bands: a slow introduction followed by a moderate tempo body and a majestic ending. The cemetery is featured on the album cover of the 1977 Scorpions album Taken by Force.

References

External links

''Complete List of Memorial Events for 65th Anniversary of D-Day''

''American D-Day: Omaha Beach, Utah Beach & Pointe du Hoc''

World War II Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial
American Battle Monuments Commission
Organization ''Les Fleurs de la Mémoire''

World War I cemeteries.com a comprehensive guide to the military cemeteries and memorials around the world

"Overview by name, American Cemetery and Memorial "

of the people buried in the cemetery"

"Overview of the graves on the American Cemetery and Memorial Normandy by State

"Numbers by unit (example first row: 463 graves of the 262 Infantry Regiment of the 66 Division). "
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Normandy American Battle Monuments Commission Military history of Normandy Operation Overlord cemeteries World War II memorials in France 1944 establishments in France de:Gedenken an die Operation Overlord#Soldatenfriedhof in Colleville-sur-Mer