The vast 170-acre American Cemetery and Memorial, with its panoramic view of Omaha Beach, is a fitting spot for a cemetery dedicated to the Americans who lost their lives during the liberation of France. This breathtakingly beautiful, peaceful and solemn cemetery is lovingly cared for by the people of Normandy. A winding trail leads down to the beaches.
Here lie the graves of 9,386 American soldiers known to have died at Normandy. Names of another 1,557, whose bodies were never recovered, are inscribed on a memorial wall in the Garden of the Missing. Also buried in this cemetery are two of President Theodore Roosevelt sons, Teddy Roosevelt, Jr., recipient of the Medal of Honor, and his brother, Quentin, who lost his life in World War I.
The Visitor's Center houses an informative museum, with exhibits that illustrate the personal side of war, highlighting stories of individuals who fought here. A moving film features men who wrote to their families during the war, many of whom died in France.
As you walk from row to row of perfect marble markers, with the sounds of the sea crashing on the beach below, and a cool breeze blowing off the water, you will come to grasp the magnitude of this turning point in human history.
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