Rhone American Cemetery
This World War II cemetery in France contains the grave of the more than 850 war dead, and nearly 300 names on the Walls of the Missing, most of whom lost their lives in the liberation of southern France in August 1944.
The Rhone American Cemetery is located in Draguignan, in southern France.
The remains of more than 850 American servicemembers who died in World War II lie in a circular burial ground.
Most died in the Allied liberation of southern France in 1944.
The U.S. Seventh Army landed on the beaches of the Riviera and fought its way north.
A general is buried here with his troops; there is no special distinction by rank among the headstones.
Olive trees among the headstones add to the tranquility of this peaceful place.
Secluded gardens provide space for quiet contemplation.
On the face of the memorial, an Angel of Peace watches over the graves.
Below her, a bronze relief map depicts the Allied drive into Southern France and up the Rhone.
Inside the Memorial is a devotional chapel.
A curving mosaic mural commemorates the sacrifices of those who died.
The mosaic on the rear wall depicts the Great Seal of the United States.
Nearly 300 names – those whose bodies were never found – are inscribed on the terrace wall outside the memorial.
These brave Americans died for freedom – that of the United States, France, and the world.