Words fail me

In Colleyville-sur-Mer, the American Cemetery and Memorial was our next destination as we continued our tour of WWI sites. This is just one of many Allied WWII cemeteries, but for Americans is the most often visited. On the day of our visit, the weather was simply gorgeous as we spent about 2 hours walking through this resting place of so many young men and women who died during the D-Day invasion and the months that followed.

Designed by the landscape architect Markley Stevenson, the cemetery encompasses 9386 marble tombstones (9383 men and 3 women). Immediately upon entering, we were greeted by the Wall of the Missing (in the form of a semicircular colonnade and domed portico that is lined with hundreds of crimson rosebushes) that lists in commemoration the names of all those men and women who bodies were never recovered for burial.









The Government of France has given this land to the United States in perpetuity as a tribute to these soldiers; the US government maintains the lawns and markers in pristine condition (as it should be be). As we approached the entrance to the cemetery, I was surprised by the number of American shrubs, bishes, and trees that have been planted...a little bit of home, I suppose.















The cemetery also includes a chapel and several wide avenues lined with holly oaks trimmed to resemble open parachutes.





Interior of chapel and chapel dome.





A view of the English Channel is also possible from the north side of the cemetery.



Mostly, it was just a reverant and very peaceful place.