Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial

The Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial is a special place where people who fought for their country during World War II are remembered. It is found in a village called Neuville-en-Condroz, close to the town of Neupré in Belgium. This cemetery is about 20 kilometers southwest of the city of Liège.

Dedicated in 1960, the cemetery holds the remains of American service members who died during the war. It covers a large area of 90.5 acres. This important site is one of three American war cemeteries in Belgium. The other two are at Flanders Field and Henri-Chapelle. All these places are cared for by the American Battle Monuments Commission, which makes sure these sites are kept in good shape as lasting memories of those who served their country.

History

The Ardennes American Cemetery was freed from German control by the U.S. 1st Infantry Division in September 1944. A temporary cemetery was set up there in February 1945. After the war, this site was chosen as one of the permanent cemeteries for American soldiers who died in World War II.

Architects Reinhard, Hofmeister & Walquist designed the cemetery and memorial, and Richard K. Webel designed the landscaping. Construction finished in 1962, and the American Battle Monuments Commission has cared for the site ever since.

Layout and memorial

The Ardennes American Cemetery is shaped like a rectangle. The graves are laid out in the shape of a Greek cross, with two wide paths crossing in the middle. At one end of the main path stands a bronze statue that represents American youth, created by the artist C. Paul Jennewein. Trees surround the entire cemetery.

A driveway leads to a memorial building. On one side of this building is a large American eagle that stands 5 meters tall, with figures that stand for Justice, Liberty, and Truth, and thirteen stars for the United States. This design was also by C. Paul Jennewein. The other side of the memorial shows symbols of the major American military units that fought in northwest Europe during World War II. Outside the memorial are slabs known as the "Tables of the Missing," listing the names of American service members whose bodies were never found or identified. Inside the memorial is a chapel, along with maps made of marble and panels showing different military activities.

Interments

Many of the 5,329 people buried at the Ardennes American Cemetery died during the Battle of the Bulge, a big battle near the end of World War II. Some were soldiers fighting on foot, while others died while flying or moving toward Germany. Most of the people buried there were from all over the United States and also from other places like Canada, Denmark, England, France, Ireland, the Philippines, and the British West Indies.

Some graves have names on them, but others do not because the people were not identified when they were buried. In a few cases, brothers are buried next to each other. The cemetery no longer accepts new burials, except for remains of American soldiers from World War II that are found later. For example, in 1992, remains were found in a forest near Elsenborn, Belgium. Through DNA testing, one set of remains was identified as Sgt. John T. Puckett from Wichita, Kansas. His family asked for him to be buried in the cemetery, and he was buried there on June 18, 2005.

Notable burials

Three soldiers who were given the highest military honor are buried here, and their graves have special markers.

Other notable people include:

• A pilot who wrote about his experiences flying in battles.
• A co-pilot who was captured after his plane was shot down and later died.
• A skilled pilot known for shooting down many enemy planes.
• A reporter who flew with soldiers during the war.
• An artist from California who served in the military.