Battlefield Monuments

[cyberia]

Point Du Hoc, Normandy

[Airchallenged]

THIS SIMPLE CROSS WAS ERECTED at the western tip of Betio as a monument in memory of the 2nd Division Marines who were killed in the battle for Tarawa.

[Wustenfuchs]

Monument to the Women of WW2, London.

[Wustenfuchs]

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Mardasson Memorial, Bastogne. Erected by the people of Belgium to honor the United States' sacrifices in the liberation of Belgium.

A plaque in the center reads:

LIBERATORIBUS AMERICANIS

POPULUS BELGICUS MEMOR

4. VII. MCMXLVI

(The Belgian people remember their American liberators – 4th July 1946)

[Jim O]

And now some World War I monuments:

The World War I Audenarde American Monument is located in the town of Oudenaarde (Audenarde), Belgium, 18 miles south of Gent (Gand), 45 miles west of Brussels and 183 miles north of Paris, France.

The monument of golden-yellow limestone, bearing the shield of the United States flanked by two stone eagles, stands at the end of a small park maintained by the Commission. It commemorates the service and sacrifice of the 40,000 American troops who, in October and November 1918, fought in the vicinity as units attached to the Group of Armies commanded by the King of Belgium. Some are buried in Flanders Field American Cemetery at Waregem, Belgium, 10 miles to the west.

[Jim O]

Belleau Wood is located on the high ground to the rear of the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial south of the village of Belleau (Aisne), France. It contains many of the vestiges of World War I. In the center of the road leading through the woods is a flagpole and a monument commemorating the valor of the United States Marines who captured this area in 1918.

There is an outdoor display of some of the artillery pieces used by the Marines. The outline of the trenches dug in 1918 is still visible.

[Jim O]

The World War I Cantigny American Monument is located in the village of Cantigny (Somme), France, about four miles northwest of Montdidier on route D-26 from Montdidier to Ailly-sur-Noye. It is about 66 miles north of Paris via Chantilly or Senlis.

This battlefield monument commemorates the first offensive operation by a large American unit in May 1918. It stands in the center of a village which was captured during that attack. The village was completely destroyed by artillery fire. The monument consists of a white stone shaft on a platform surrounded by an attractive park, developed and maintained by the Commission. The quiet surroundings now give no hint of the bitter hand to hand fighting which took place nearby many years ago.

[Jim O]

The World War I Kemmel American Monument is six miles south of Ieper (Ypres), Belgium, near Vierstraat on the Kemmelberg (Mont Kemmel) Road overlooking the bitterly contested Ypres battlefield. Ieper is 54 miles south of Ostend (Oostende), 76 miles west of Brussels and 165 north of Paris, France.

This small monument on a low platform consists of a rectangular white stone block, in front of which is carved a soldier's helmet upon a wreath. It commemorates the services and sacrifices of the American troops who, in the late summer of 1918, fought nearby in units attached to the British Army. Some are buried in Flanders Field American Cemetery at Waregem, 10 miles to the west.

[Jim O]

The World War I Sommepy American Monument stands on Blank Mont Ridge, three miles northwest of Sommepy-Tahure (Marne), France. The site is 11 miles north of Suippes and 124 miles east of Paris. It can be reached via Chalons-sur-Marne or Reims.

The monument is surrounded by vestiges of World War I trenches, dugouts and gun emplacements. It is essentially a tower of golden-yellow limestone with an observation tower on top affording an excellent view of the battlefields. Weather permitting, it is open daily. Inside the entrance to the monument is an inscription describing American operations in the vicinity. The monument's site was captured by American troops. It commemorates the achievements of the 70,000 Americans who served in this region during the summer and fall of 1918.