Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial, Margraten Netherlands

Born and raised in Margraten, the town that is inevitably connected with the United States. I am proud my hometown can pay hommage to those who never returned from the battlefield and for ever rest in our soil. I just wanted to share this with you all:
These photo's were taken over the last 10 years.

The Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial is the only American military cemetery in the Netherlands. The cemetery site has a rich historical background, lying near the famous Cologne-Boulogne highway built by the Romans and used by Caesar during his campaign in that area. The highway was also used by Charlemagne, Charles V, Napoleon, and Kaiser Wilhelm II. In May 1940 Hitler's legions advanced over the route of the old Roman highway, overwhelming the Low Countries. In September 1944, German troops once more used the highway for their withdrawal from the countries occupied for four years.

The cemetery's tall memorial tower can be seen before reaching the site, which covers 65.5 acres. From the cemetery entrance visitors are led to the Court of Honor with its pool reflecting the tower. At the base of the tower facing the reflecting pool is a statue representing a mother grieving her lost son. To the right and left, respectively, are the visitor building and the map room containing three large, engraved operations maps with texts depicting the military operations of the American armed forces. Stretching along the sides of the court are Tablets of the Missing on which are recorded 1,722 names. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified.

Within the tower is a chapel. The light fixture in the chapel and the altar candelabra and flower bowl were presented by the government of the Netherlands and by the local provincial administration. Beyond the tower is a burial area divided into 16 plots, where rest 8,301 of our military dead, their headstones set in long curves. A wide, tree-lined mall leads to the flagstaff that crowns the crest.

The cemetery is open daily to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except December 25 and January 1. It is open on host country holidays. When the cemetery is open to the public, a staff member is on duty in the visitor building to answer questions and escort relatives to grave and memorial sites.

The walls on either side of the Court of Honor contain the Tablets of the Missing on which are recorded the names of 1,722 American missing who gave their lives in the service of their country and who rest in unknown graves. Beyond the chapel and tower is the burial area which is divided into sixteen plots. Here rest 8,301 American dead, most of whom lost their lives nearby. Their headstones are set in long curves. A wide tree-lined mall leads to the flag staff which crowns the crest.

 

Thanks for posting, Cas.

 

Nice post, Cas. I've been corresponding with Cas recently and he's informed me that every grave at Margarten has been adopted by locals. Thank you for what you, and all the adopters, do to honor our fallen troops.

 

Many Thanks Cas. It's an honor to have the entire cemetery adopted.

 

Cas is going through something very interesting with an American grave right now. I hope he'll share it here or in the Old Hickory thread...

 

Keith is being a great help, the graves I recently adopted (the 30Inf Div graves) are located on the Henri Chapelle Cemetary in Belgium some 20 km of Maastricht (my hometown).

I've shared the story at the Old Hickory topic.

I'll make a seperate thread on Henri Chapelle as soon as I find the time.

 

Last visit of the year, 29th of December, purpose was making photo's on request. Made some photo's again.

 

I uploaded a photo from the battalion roster to the Old Hickory thread. I hadn't noticed your post there until today. Who is buried in the grave marked James H. Young?

 

Actually Keith, he isn't burried at Margraten but at Henri Chapelle some 20 km further.