The view to the central memorial at the Meuse-Argonne American Military Cemetery in France
Within the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial in France, which covers acres, rest the largest number of American military dead in Europe, a total of 14,246. Most of those buried there lost their lives during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive of World War I. The immense array of headstones rise in long regular rows upward beyond a wide central pool to the chapel that crowns the ridge. A beautiful bronze screen separates the chapel foyer from the interior, which is decorated with stained-glass windows portraying American unit insignia; behind the altar are flags of the principal Allied nations. On either side of the chapel are memorial loggias. One panel of the west loggia contains a map of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Inscribed on the remaining panels of both loggias are Tablets of the Missing with 954 names, including those from the expedition to northern Russia in 1918-1919. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified. The cemetery is open daily to the public from 9 to 5 , except December 25 and January 1. It is open on host country holidays. When the cemetery is open to the public, a staff member is on duty in the visitor building to answer questions and escort relatives to grave and memorial sites.
Size: 3000px × 3751px
Location: Meuse-Argonne American Military Cemetery, Romagne-sous-Montfaucon (Meuse), France
Photo credit: © Niall Ferguson / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 1, american, cemetery, dead, france, great, memorial, meuse, meuse-argonne, military, park, remembrance, sacrifice, usa, war, world
