The American Cemetary at Colleville-sur-Mer
The American Cemetary at Colleville-sur-Mer

On June 8, 1944, the U.S. First Army established the temporary cemetery, the first American cemetery on European soil in World War II. After the war, the present-day cemetery was established a short distance to the east of the original site.

The Statue:The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves in the Collonade
The Statue:”The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves”  in the Collonade

Like all American cemeteries in France from both World War I and II, the United States has been granted a   perpetual right to the land occupied by the cemetery, free of any charge or any tax.

This cemetery is managed by the American government and its military. The U.S. flag flies over this sanctified area.

The reception provodes access to a digitalized list of all the soldiers buried here as well as the ones still missing.

It has a certain calmness and dignity to it as a memorial and as a tribute to all those who lost their lives in the fight to liberate Europe from the Nazi tyranny.

Tomorrow we’ll visit the Airborne-Museum in Ste Mere Eglise 

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