Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial

The Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial is a 130.5-acre (52.8 ha) World War I cemetery in France. It is located east of the village of Romagne-sous-Montfaucon in Meuse. The cemetery contains the largest number of American military dead in Europe (14,246),^[1] most of whom lost their lives during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive and were buried there. The cemetery consists of eight sections behind a large central reflection pool. Beyond the grave sections is a chapel which is decorated with stained glass windows depicting American units' insignias. Along the walls of the chapel area are the tablets of the missing which include the names of those soldiers who fought in the region and in northern Russia, but have no known grave. It also includes the Montfaucon American Monument. This cemetery is maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission. It is open daily to the public from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The cemetery is closed January 1 and December 25, but is open on all other holidays.

Notable burials

• Medal of Honor recipients
  • 2 Lieut Erwin Russell Bleckley (1894–1918), for service near Binarville, France
  • Capt. Marcellus H. Chiles (1895–1918), for action near Le Champy Bas, France
  • Sergt. Matej Kocak (1882–1918), two-time recipient (Army and Navy medals)
  • 2 Lieut. Frank Luke Jr. (1897–1918), the "Arizona Balloon Buster" and first airman to receive the medal;^[2] Luke Air Force Base is named in his honor.
  • Major Oscar F. Miller (1882–1918), for his leadership in the Argonne
  • Corpl. Harold W. Roberts (1895–1918), for action in the Montrebeau Woods
  • Sup. Sgt. William Sawelson (1895–1918), for action at Grandpré, Ardennes
  • Lieut. Col. Fred E. Smith (1873–1918), for action near Binarville, France
  • Corpl. Freddie Stowers (1896–1918), for action in the Ardennes (medal awarded in 1991)
• Other notables
  • Sergt. Victor E. Chapman (1890–1916), first American aviator to die in battle in the war^[3]
  • Capt. Edward L. Grant (1883–1918), pre-war professional baseball player

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  Aerial view of cemetery.

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  Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery.

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  Grave of Corporal Ivy Courtney at the cemetery.

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  Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery Chapel.

See also

• World War I memorials

References

• Sledge, Michael (2005). Soldier Dead: How We Recover, Identify, Bury, and Honor Our Military Fallen. New York: Columbia University Press. pp. 204–6, 217. ISBN 9780231509374. OCLC 60527603. 
• American Battle Monuments Commission

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to World War I Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial.

• Meuse-Argonne.wmv – Windows Media Video
• Cemetery booklet (no pictures)
• Cemetery booklet (with pictures)
• Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial at Find a Grave

Coordinates: 49°20′3″N 5°5′36″E / 49.33417°N 5.09333°E / 49.33417; 5.09333