Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial (Cimetière américain de Normandie)
About Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial (Cimetière américain de Normandie)
The Normandy American Cemetery overlooks Omaha Beach where Allied forces landed on June 6, 1944. Established just two days after D-Day, it contains 9,389 graves of American service members who died during the Normandy campaign, arranged in precise rows of white marble crosses and Stars of David across 172.5 acres. The semicircular memorial colonnade features the bronze statue "Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves" and the Walls of the Missing bearing 1,557 names. A visitor center opened in 2007 presents exhibits and a film about the D-Day operations. The cemetery holds a daily flag-lowering ceremony one hour before closing. Free admission; hours are 09:00-17:00 in winter and 09:00-18:00 from April 15 to September 15. Starting April 2026, advance registration will be required for all visitors.
Interesting Facts
The cemetery contains 45 pairs of brothers buried side by side, including 30 who specifically requested to rest next to their sibling. One plot holds a father and son, and another an uncle and nephew who died in the same campaign.
On December 24, 1944, the troopship SS Leopoldville was torpedoed in the English Channel just 5 miles from shore. Of the 489 soldiers lost that night, most have no known grave and are commemorated on the Walls of the Missing here.
The land beneath the cemetery was granted in perpetuity to the United States by France as a gesture of gratitude. Technically, visitors are standing on American soil when inside the cemetery grounds.
Planning Your Visit
Opening Hours
Location & Practical Info
Address
American Cemetery, 14710 Colleville-sur-Mer, France
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