Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial
Encyclopedia
The Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial is located in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
. The cemetery can be found 2.5 kilometers southwest of Findel Airport
. It is administered by the American Battle Monuments Commission
. Under a US-Luxembourg treaty signed in 1951 the US government was granted free use in perpetuity of the land covered by the cemetery, without taxation.
The cemetery, which is 50.5 acres (204,366.4 m²) in extent contains the remains of 5,076 American service members. On 22 occasions two brothers rest side-by-side in adjacent graves. Most of the interred died during the Battle of the Bulge
which was fought nearby in winter 1944/spring 1945. The 5,076 headstones are set in 9 plots of fine grass, lettered A to I. Separating the plots are two malls radiating from the memorial and two transverse paths. Two flagpoles overlook the graves area. Situated between the two flagpoles lies the grave of General George S. Patton Jr.
Not far from the cemetery entrance stands the white stone chapel, set on a wide circular platform surrounded by woods. It is embellished with sculpture in bronze and stone, a stained-glass window with the insignia of the five major U.S. commands that operated in the region, and a mosaic ceiling.
German fallen from the same battle
are buried in the Sandweiler German war cemetery
, about 1.5 kilometres away. The design of the tombstones are dark stone crosses compared to white tombstones of the American cemetery.
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
. The cemetery can be found 2.5 kilometers southwest of Findel Airport
Luxembourg-Findel International Airport
Findel Airport is the main airport in Luxembourg.It is Luxembourg's only international airport and is the only airport in the country with a paved runway. It is located away from Luxembourg City....
. It is administered by the American Battle Monuments Commission
American Battle Monuments Commission
The American Battle Monuments Commission is a small independent agency of the United States government. Established by Congress in 1923, it is responsible for:...
. Under a US-Luxembourg treaty signed in 1951 the US government was granted free use in perpetuity of the land covered by the cemetery, without taxation.
The cemetery, which is 50.5 acres (204,366.4 m²) in extent contains the remains of 5,076 American service members. On 22 occasions two brothers rest side-by-side in adjacent graves. Most of the interred died during the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
which was fought nearby in winter 1944/spring 1945. The 5,076 headstones are set in 9 plots of fine grass, lettered A to I. Separating the plots are two malls radiating from the memorial and two transverse paths. Two flagpoles overlook the graves area. Situated between the two flagpoles lies the grave of General George S. Patton Jr.
Not far from the cemetery entrance stands the white stone chapel, set on a wide circular platform surrounded by woods. It is embellished with sculpture in bronze and stone, a stained-glass window with the insignia of the five major U.S. commands that operated in the region, and a mosaic ceiling.
German fallen from the same battle
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
are buried in the Sandweiler German war cemetery
Sandweiler German war cemetery
The Sandweiler German war cemetery is a World War II cemetery in Sandweiler, in southern Luxembourg. It contains the graves of 10,913 German servicemen from the Battle of the Bulge in winter 1944 and spring 1945...
, about 1.5 kilometres away. The design of the tombstones are dark stone crosses compared to white tombstones of the American cemetery.