After the battle, Graves Registration units began the complex task of recovering and burying casualties. In the years following World War Two, families in the United States were given the option of leaving their loved ones in Europe or having their remains returned to the United States for burial. This resulted in about two thirds being repatriated and those remaining in Europe were then buried in designated US Military Cemeteries. American casualties from the Bulge buried in Belgium lie in one of two cemeteries at either Henri-Chapelle or Neuville En Condroz while those killed in Luxembourg and the extreme south-east of Belgium are buried in Hamm, Luxembourg. British casualties of the battle lie buried in a British and Commonwealth war graves cemetery at Hotton, Belgium and unlike their American allies, the British did not repatriate the remains of men killed in action.
German casualties are buried in a number of locations. Some of those killed in the opening stages of the battle were buried in small military plots in German civilian cemeteries near the German border with Belgium and Luxembourg, such as that in Stadtkyll, Germany. The majority of Germans killed in the Bulge are buried in a large German military cemetery located near Lommel, near the Dutch border north of Liège. Two smaller German cemeteries can be found at Recogne, near Bastogne, Belgium, and at Sandweiler near Hamm, Luxembourg.
Information about the location of graves in any American military cemetery can be obtained by writing to:
The American Battle Monuments Commission
Courthouse Plaza II Suite 500
2300 Clarendon Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22201 U.S.A.
Telephone: (703) 696 6897
Queries about the British and Commonwealth cemeteries should be addressed to:
CWGC
2 Marlow Road, Maidenhead
Berkshire SL6 7DX UK.
Tel: International + 1628 634221 Fax : International + 1628 771208
Information about German cemeteries can be obtained from:
Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräber – Fürsorge
Bundesgeschäftsstekke
Werner Hilpert Str. 2
D-3500 Kassel
LUXEMBOURG AMERICAN MILITARY CEMETERY
Troops of the U.S. 5th Armored Division liberated Luxembourg City on 10 September 1944. On 29 December 1944, just 13 days after the German offensive in the Ardennes began; this site in nearby Hamm (close to the airport) was chosen as a temporary battlefield cemetery. After the war, this temporary cemetery was re-designated as a permanent shrine, the only American Military Cemetery in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, along with 13 others on foreign soil. Control of the cemetery passed from the U.S. Army’s Graves Registration Command to the American Battle Monuments Commission in December 1949. After upgrading the infrastructure and enhancement of the grounds, the cemetery was dedicated on 4 July 1960. Architects for the cemetery were Keally and Patterson of New York City; the landscape architect was Alfred Geiffert Jr., also of New York City. Approximately one quarter million people visit it annually, 100,000 of whom are Americans. The cemetery is entered between tall iron gates, each weighs well over a ton and bears gilded laurel wreathes, the ancient award for valor. Each gate pylon bears, in relief, 13 stars representing the 13 original states. Gilded bronze eagles, the national emblem, surmount the pillars. Low curving stone walls, backed by evergreen, outline the entrance.
To the left of the entrance is the visitors’ building. It is faced with Virginia creeper, which suffuses the stone with brilliant red in autumn. Inside is a guest register for those who wish to record their visit. Restrooms and easy chairs are available for visitors’ convenience. A register for those buried at the cemetery is maintained in the office as well as those buried at other American Military Cemeteries Overseas. Records are not available here for those who were repatriated to the United States after the war, at the request of the next-of-kin.
From the Visitors’ Building may be seen the Memorial Chapel, a 50 foot tall rectangular structure built of Valore stone quarried in central France. The dedication on the east wall reads:
In proud remembrance of the achievement of her sons and in humble tribute to their sacrifices this memorial has been erected by the United States of America.
Above the dedication is the Great Seal of the United States. This same dedicatory inscription, in French and the Luxembourg coat of arms is on the west wall. The Memorial Chapel has two large bronze doors bearing eight gilded panels, each symbolizing a different military virtue. Above the doors a 23 foot sculpture of the Angel of Peace is carved out of Swedish Orchid red granite. The angel’s right hand is raised in blessing while the left holds a laurel wreath. The Memorial Chapel is non-denominational. Visitors may stop here to meditate or pray. The alter is of Bleu Belge marble from Belgium and bears the text from St. John, 10:28
I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish.
The stained glass windows behind the altar contain the insignia of the five major military commands, which operated in the region: 12th Army Group, 1st and 3rd Armies, and the 8th and 9th Air Forces. The four massive bronze lamps located in the Chapel interior illuminate the mosaic ceiling. Inset in the floor is a large bronze circular laurel wreath plaque. The interior walls are of Hauteville Perle stone from France.
In Front of the Memorial Chapel lies a cobblestone terrace. Set in granite and taken from a dedication made by General Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Golden Book at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, England, is a bronze inscription reading:
‘All who shall hereafter live in freedom will be here reminded that to these men and their comrades we owe a debt to be paid with grateful remembrance of their sacrifice and with the high resolve that the cause for which they died shall live eternally’.
At the east and west sides of the terrace stand large pylons of Valore stone. The west pylon bears a map of the military operations in northwest Europe, from the Normandy landings until the war’s end. The east pylon carries a map illustrating operations, which took place in this region. Inscribed on the outer face of the pylons are the names of 371 missing in action.
Looking from the terrace one sees the grave plots; 17 acres of manicured lawns divided into 9 plots framed by 30 acres of deciduous and evergreen trees. Here rest the remains of 5076 Americans who gave their lives for freedom. Among them are 23 pairs of brothers and 101 Unknowns. One hundred and eighteen stars of David mark the graves of those of Jewish faith; all others have Latin crosses. The inscription for the Unknowns reads:
‘Here lies in honored glory a comrade in arms known but to God’.
All headstones are of Lasa marble quarried in Italy. The arrangement of the headstones is unusual. The rows are concentric arcs swung from a theoretical center point 500 feet behind the Chapel. Two radial malls break the plots, each containing two fountains, which flow into three small terraced pools embellished by bronze dolphins and turtles.
General George S. Patton Jr. the Third Army Commander lies buried between the flagpoles, at the head of the grave plots. He rests here overlooking the brave soldiers of his army, thereby remaining alongside his men, as he expressly wished. His gravesite was originally among the other graves but was moved to its present location on 19 March 1947 to accommodate the many visitors. The cemetery’s details are:
Luxembourg American Military Cemetery
Val du Scheid 50
L – 2517 Luxembourg
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Telephone: (International) +352 43 17 27
Fax: (International) +352 43 03 05
ARDENNES AMERICAN MILITARY CEMETERY
The Ardennes Military Cemetery at Neuville En Condroz just southwest of Liège was established at its present site on 8 February 1945. It served mainly as a U.S. First Army cemetery in Belgium and contains the remains of those who fell in the fighting around Aachen and during the drive to the Siegfried Line. In addition, this cemetery contains Battle of the Bulge casualties as well as U.S. Army Air Force casualties who had fallen in Germany. The cemetery site covers 90.5 acres of rolling woodland, which was once part of the domain of Baron de Torrance. The people of Belgium, through their government, gave to the United States of America the use of this land in perpetuity, in acknowledgement of gratitude for their liberation in World War II. The Congress of the United States to the American Battle Monuments Commission appropriates funds for the construction, maintenance and administration.
The liberation of Neuville-en-Condroz occurred on 6 September 1944 as a result of the U.S. 3rd Armored Division’s eastward advance along the Meuse River and its occupation of Huy. The 9th Infantry Division expanded and strengthened its Meuse bridgeheads, encompassing Neuville-en-Condroz. On 8 September 1944 the 3rd Armored Division, reinforced by the 47th Infantry Regiment, 9th Division secured Liège, thereby liberating the whole area.
Following the Battle of the Bulge American troops pushed down the Roer valley. On 23 February, the First and Ninth Armies launched their assault across the river, supported by fighters and medium bombers of the Ninth Air Force, and seized the bridgeheads at Jülich and Düren. As the offensive gathered momentum, units to the south joined the advance. The First Army reached Cologne by 5 March and wheeled to the southeast. The next day, Third Army attacked north of the Moselle. Preceded by aircraft strikes that disorganized the retreating enemy, U.S. ground forces advanced rapidly. On 7 March the First Army seized the undemolished bridge over the Rhine at Remagen, then promptly established and expanded this bridgehead across the mighty Rhine River. American units then swept across Germany to meet their Soviet Allies at Torgau on the Elbe River, 377 days after the initial landings in Normandy.
Some 5,327 American casualties are buried in the Ardennes American Military Cemetery. This figure is subject to change due to the fact that this cemetery is the only one remaining open for additional burial of remains, which still might be recovered in Europe. Some 5,300 others, originally buried in the area, were repatriated to the United States at the request of the next-of-kin. Those who gave their lives in the service of their country came from almost every state in the Union as well as from the District of Columbia. Some 791 headstones mark the graves of Unknowns. Among the headstones are 11 pairs of brothers buried side by side. There are also 3 cases of 2 identified airmen buried in single graves.
Local contractors following plans drawn by the architects Reinhard, Hoffmeister and Walquist of New York built the Memorial. Construction of the cemetery and memorial was completed in 1960. Dedication took place on 11 July 1960 in the presence of His Royal Highness (now King) Albert of Belgium and numerous civic and military personalities form the United States and Belgium, including the personal representative of the President of the United States.
On the south façade of the Memorial is a sculpture depicting the American eagle, which is 17 feet high. The three figures on the lower right symbolize Justice, Liberty and Truth. At the lower left are 13 stars representing the 13 original colonies. Paul C. Jennewein of New York City is responsible for the sculptural arrangement while Jean Juge of Paris executed the work. The entrance doors, bearing the date 1941-1945, are of stainless steel, as are all the doors in the memorial. The interior walls are decorated with 3 huge marble maps made of colored glass mosaics. Bronze and chrome lettering form the topographical and military details. On the west wall are the Overall Military Operations Map Europe, Services and Supply, and on the east wall the Ardennes and Rhineland campaigns over the entrance door on the south wall. Dean Cornwell of New York City also designed the 24 white marble panels depicting functions of combat and Service of Supply, framing the maps.
To the rear of the Memorial, is a non-denominational chapel at the disposition of all visitors who wish to meditate. The altar is a large block of white Carrara marble. On the 12 slabs of polished Danube grey granite flanking the east and west sides of the Memorial, are inscribed the names of 462 members of the U.S. Armed Forces listed as missing in this region and who ‘sleep in unknown graves’. (The remains of one of those listed, Private First Class Alphonse M. Sito, a machine-gunner with Company B, 394th Infantry of the 99th Infantry Division, were recovered in September 1988 and subsequently buried in Maryland). The missing soldiers are from 45 states of the Union as well as the District of Columbia.
The north steps behind the Memorial afford a magnificent view of the burial area whose four plots are laid out in the form of a huge Greek cross. The headstones are of Lasa marble, a Star of David for those of the Jewish faith and a Latin cross for all others. At the East End of the central traverse path is a bronze figure symbolizing American Youth, designed by Paul C. Jannewein and cast by Bruno Bearzi of Florence, Italy. At the bottom of the large intersecting footpath stands a 75 feet high flagpole complex built of Danube grey granite. Richard K. Weber of Roslyn, Long Island, designed the setting and horticultural details.
Ardennes American Military Cemetery
Route Condroz 164
4121 Neuville-en-Condroz
Belgium
Telephone: (International) +32 41 71 42 87.
Fax: (International) +32 41 72 03 29.
HENRI-CHAPELLE AMERICAN MILITARY CEMETERY
The Henri-Chapelle American Military Cemetery and Memorial, covering 57 acres, was established in September, 1944 by the 1st Infantry Division of the First U.S. Army, as a combat burial site then named the ‘Jayhawk’ cemetery. The cemetery and Memorial were completed in 1960 and dedicated during ceremonies on 9 July the same year.
This cemetery commemorates 7,989 American soldiers who died during two periods of fighting; the First Army’s drive in September of 1944 through northern France into Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg and Germany, as well as the Battle of the Bulge. Some were formerly buried at Fosse (near Namur) and Recogne (near Bastogne and today a German cemetery), which contained the remains of 2,700 Americans who gave their lives in the Bulge.
The roll call of valiant U.S. divisions, in addition to the 1st, include: the 2nd, 4th, 5th, 9th, 28th, 30th, 35th, 70th, 75th, 78th, 83rd, 84th, 87th, 89th, 95th, 99th, 100th, 102nd, 104th and the 106th. The 99th bore the full brunt of the 6th Panzer Army attack, and along with the 1st, 2nd and 9th Divisions held the vital North Shoulder and the Elsenborn Ridge. The 2nd and 3rd Armored Divisions, which trapped some 40,000 enemy soldiers in the vicinity of Mons then along with the 4th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 10th and 11th Armored Divisions fought in the Bulge The 5th Armored, the first American unit across the German border, the 8th and 12th Armored Divisions and aircrew shot down on missions over Belgium and Germany.
Buried there are the remains of soldiers from the then 48 states, the District of Columbia, Panama and England. In 33 cases, two brothers rest side-by-side and in one instance, three brothers. Some 94 stones mark the graves of Unknowns, 138 Stars of David identify those of the Jewish faith, while Latin crosses mark all others. The cemetery enshrines the remains of three Congressional Medal of Honor recipients. Brigadier General Frederick W. Castle, U.S. Army Air Corps, the highest ranking officer buried in this cemetery, was shot down on 24 December, 1944, in this vicinity, while leading the greatest bomber formation in military history.
West of the highway, which passes through the cemetery, is the overlook and one of the flagpoles. The roadway to the Overlook is lined with Linden trees and provides a beautiful view of the rolling countryside with distant church steeples and the Plateau de Herve.
Landscaping features include hawthorn, yew and boxwood hedges as well as rhododendron beds. In front of the Colonnade are masses of pink and white polyantha roses. The grass terrace, surrounded by clipped box hedging enhances the beauty of the Memorial. The weeping willows and conifers at each end of the Memorial provide massive foliage. The ramps leading to the burial area (beware the steps!) are flanked with clipped box hedges whose adjacent beds are planted with spreading juniper. In the grave plots are groups of beech, birch, hornbeam and yew. Climbing roses and boxwood are grown in front of the perimeter wall. Rose beds and hornbeam trees decorate the Wall of Honor. The cemetery proper is framed with mixed tree plantings and masses of rhododendrons.
The Memorial consists of the Chapel (north end) and the combined Visitors’ Museum building (south end) connected by a Colonnade of 12 pairs of rectangular pylons. On the pylons are inscribed the names of 450 missing in action whose remains were never recovered or identified. Also carved on these pylons are the seals of the states and territories. In the Colonnade are 13 stars of golden glass representing the 13 original colonies. East of the Colonnade is a wide terrace with ramps leading to the graves area. The exterior of the Memorial is of Massangis limestone from the Cote D’Or, France. The Colonnade, Chapel and Museum are paved with St. Gothard granite from Switzerland.
The Chapel doors are in bronze, while the altar is of Belgian Blue and Italian green D’Issorie marble. The pews are of walnut and along with the cross were intentionally designed to be off-center. In front of the graves area is a bronze statue of an archangel bestowing a laurel branch upon the heroic dead for whom he expresses special approbation to the almighty. The graves area is divided into 8 plots lettered ‘A’ to ‘H’, separated by the broad axial mall and longitudinal grass paths. The headstones are arranged in gentle arcs, sweeping across a broad green lawn sloping gently downhill, overlooking the rolling wooded ground to the east. The central mall terminates in a wall-enclosed flagpole plaza, backed by a coppice of oak and spruce trees.
The architects for the cemetery and Memorial were Holabird, Root and Burgee while the landscaping architect was Franz Lipp, all of Chicago, Illinois.
Photographs of the cemetery may be taken but if they are to be used for commercial purposes, prior approval must be obtained from the European Office of the American Battle Monuments Commission. Information concerning grave decorations may be obtained from the cemetery office.
Henri-Chapelle American Military Cemetery
4850 Aubel
Belgium
Telephone: (International) +87 68 71 73
Fax: (International) +87 68 67 17
The American Battlefield Monuments Commission have a Website that can be viewed on: