Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial
| Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial | |
|---|---|
| American Battle Monuments Commission | |
| For Operation Overlord | |
| Unveiled | July 19, 1956 |
| Location | 49°21′36″N 0°51′27″W / 49.3600°N 0.8575°W near Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France |
| Designed by | Harbeson, Hough, Livingston & Larson Markley Stevenson (landscaping) Donald De Lue (sculptor) Leon Kroll (murals) Robert Foster (maps) |
| Total burials | 9,389 |
Unknowns | 307 |
| Commemorated | 1,557 |
| Burials by nation | |
* United States: 9,389 | |
| Burials by war | |
* World War II: 9,389
| |
| Statistics source: American Battle Monuments Commission | |
The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial (French: Cimetière américain de Colleville-sur-Mer) is a World War II cemetery and memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France, that honors American troops who died in the Normandy landings and the Battle of Normandy that followed. It is located adjacent to the site of the former temporary battlefield cemetery of Saint Laurent, covers 172.5 acres and contains 9,389 gravesites.
A memorial in the cemetery includes maps and details of the Normandy landings and military operations that followed. At the memorial's center is Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves, a bronze statue by Donald De Lue. The cemetery also includes two flag poles where, at different times, people gather to watch the American flags being lowered and folded.
The cemetery, which was dedicated in 1956, is the most visited cemetery of those maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), with one million visitors a year. In 2007, the ABMC opened a visitor center at the cemetery, relating the global significance and meaning of Operation Overlord. The number of visitors to the cemetery is such that beginning in 2026, a reservation system will be introduced to avoid situations where visitors are refused entry due to overcrowding, as has happened under the existing system.