Rhone American Cemetery and Memorial
Encyclopedia
The Rhone American Cemetery and Memorial is an American war cemetery in Southern France, memorializing American soldiers and mariners who died in Second World War operations in that area. The cemetery covers 12 acres (48,562.3 m²) within the city of Draguignan
. The cemetery is named for the Rhone
river and its watershed, where most of those interred fought and died. The cemetery adjoins the civilian cemetery of the city of Draguignan. It was started during WWII combat operations in 1944, with the memorials, landscaping, and improvements added after the war. The cemetery was built and is operated by the US government, with support from the host country of France.
Those interred died mostly in the summer of 1944 during Operation Dragoon
, the Allied invasion of Southern France from the Mediterranean, which followed the Allied invasion of Normandy. This operation was designed to open a second beachhead and Allied combat zone in France, threatening the Axis units confronting the Normandy combat zone, and thus to accelerate the Allied drive into Western Europe. Those interred were mainly part of the U.S. Seventh Army, in particular the US 45th Infantry Division, the US 36th Infantry Division, and the US 3rd Infantry Division.
The cemetery is in the shape of an oval, with a perimeter wall of local limestone, a memorial with chapel, and some supporting buildings. The cemetery is administered by the American Battle Monuments Commission
.
Draguignan
Draguignan is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in southeastern France.It is a sub-prefecture of the department and self-proclaimed "capital of Artillery" and "Porte du Verdon".The city is only from St...
. The cemetery is named for the Rhone
Rhône
Rhone can refer to:* Rhone, one of the major rivers of Europe, running through Switzerland and France* Rhône Glacier, the source of the Rhone River and one of the primary contributors to Lake Geneva in the far eastern end of the canton of Valais in Switzerland...
river and its watershed, where most of those interred fought and died. The cemetery adjoins the civilian cemetery of the city of Draguignan. It was started during WWII combat operations in 1944, with the memorials, landscaping, and improvements added after the war. The cemetery was built and is operated by the US government, with support from the host country of France.
Those interred died mostly in the summer of 1944 during Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
, the Allied invasion of Southern France from the Mediterranean, which followed the Allied invasion of Normandy. This operation was designed to open a second beachhead and Allied combat zone in France, threatening the Axis units confronting the Normandy combat zone, and thus to accelerate the Allied drive into Western Europe. Those interred were mainly part of the U.S. Seventh Army, in particular the US 45th Infantry Division, the US 36th Infantry Division, and the US 3rd Infantry Division.
The cemetery is in the shape of an oval, with a perimeter wall of local limestone, a memorial with chapel, and some supporting buildings. The cemetery 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:...
.