Colleville-sur-Mer – St-Laurent-sur-mer
The Colleville-sur-Mer American Cemetery is located on land ceded in perpetuity by France to the United States in recognition of the sacrifices made by American troops to liberate the country from Nazism.
This 70-hectare cemetery was inaugurated in 1956. It is (sadly) the largest American military cemetery of the Second World War in France, and is maintained by the American government.
It replaced a temporary cemetery established on June 8, 1944, a few hundred meters farther west.
Ten other temporary cemeteries were created on different battlefields, and countless field graves were scattered throughout the region.
The American Battle Monuments Commission (AMBC) has repatriated approximately 60% of the remains of these soldiers at the request of their families.
The others were transferred to two main cemeteries: the Colleville-sur-Mer American Cemetery, on the cliff overlooking Omaha Beach, and the Saint-James Cemetery, to the south, near Brittany.
The Colleville-sur-Mer American Cemetery stretches across the hill, overlooking the sea and Omaha Beach, now a pleasant sandy beach.
It houses the remains of 9,387 American soldiers, including 4 women, who died in Normandy. Their graves are lined up on the vast lawn, divided into 10 plots delimited by paths forming a Latin cross.
The main entrance to the cemetery is through the reception building. It contains a register listing the names of all unidentified soldiers and those buried in military cemeteries managed by the AMBC. The reception building also houses a Book of Veterans, a very moving document.
Colleville-sur-Mer American Cemetery – Time Capsule
A time capsule, buried in front of the entrance to the former visitors’ building, contains copies of all the news reports published on June 6, 1944. It was sealed on June 6, 1969.
The pink granite slab covering it bears the following inscription:
“To be opened on June 6, 2044.”
A bronze plaque is affixed to the granite lid. It is adorned with five stars (in homage to General Eisenhower) and bears the following inscription:
“In memory of General Dwight D. Eisenhower and the forces under his command.
This sealed capsule, containing news reports of the Normandy landings of June 6, 1944, was placed here by the journalists present on June 6, 1969.“
Colleville-sur-Mer American Cemetery – Omaha Beach
A trail lined with maritime pines leads visitors along the crest of the hill overlooking Omaha Beach.
The old breaches have given way to a series of steps leading down to the beach.
At the top of these steps are an observation platform and a viewpoint indicator.
One of the tables illustrates the D-Day landing operations, while the other presents the plan of the artificial Mulberry Harbour, conceived by Winston Churchill.
Today, Omaha Beach is a long and beautiful stretch of fine sand that extends as far as the eye can see, and the path continues to the memorial and the cemetery.
Colleville-sur-Mer American Cemetery – Memorial
The magnificent memorial at the Colleville-sur-Mer American Cemetery features a semicircular limestone colonnade framing a platform and an imposing statue.
Breton granite steps lead to the platform, paved with pebbles recovered from the D-Day beaches and sealed with mortar.
On the inner face of the colonnade’s lintel, an inscription in gold letters is engraved:
“This Embattled Shore, Portal Of Freedom, Is Forever Hallowed
By The Ideals, The Valor And The Sacrifices Of Our Fellow Countrymen.”
At the centre stands the 6.70-metre-high bronze statue, “The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves,” a work by American sculptor Donald Harcourt De Lue, cast in Italy.
This statue depicts a naked young man rising towards the sky, symbolising his soul’s commitment to God.
The ground around the statue bears the inscription in gold letters:
“My Eyes Have Seen The Glory Of The Coming Of The Lord.”
This moving statue symbolises the thousands of men, young and old, who sacrificed their lives on Omaha Beach.
A loggia borders each end of the colonnade, each adorned with two imposing bronze urns created by Donald Harcourt De Lue.
Their ceilings are decorated with blue ceramic tiles, and their walls are engraved and painted with maps and explanations of the various military operations of the Battle of Normandy.
These include:
The Landings on the Normandy Beaches and the Development of the Beachhead,” “The Air Operations over Normandy March-August 1944,” “6 June 1944 The Amphibious Assault Landings,” and“Military Operations in Western Europe, 6 June 1944-8 May 1945.”
The exterior walls of the loggias bear an inscription in French and English:
“1941-1945 In Proud Remembrance of the Achievements of Her Sons and in Humble Tribute to their Sacrifices This Memorial has been erected by the United States of America.”
Jardin des Disparus – Garden of the Missing
Two olive trees were planted behind the statue “The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves”, framing the entrance to the Garden of the Misisng.
This semi-circular garden is divided into four smaller gardens, each planted with an olive tree.
The walls surrounding the memorial garden bear the engraved names of 1,557 American soldiers whose bodies have never been identified or recovered.
The names of those who were eventually found or identified are marked with an asterisk.
“Here are recorded the names of Americans
Who gave Their Lives in the Service of Their Country and Who sleep in Unknown Graves.
This is their Memorial
The Whole Earth Their Sepulcher.
Comrades in Arms whose Resting Place is Known Only to God”
Colleville-sur-Mer American Cemetery – Reflecting Pool
The Memorial faces a rectangular pool adorned with water lilies, creating a peaceful and serene atmosphere.
Water lilies are rich in symbolism originating from Roman mythology.
In the language of flowers, the water lily represents both coldness and eternal memory.
According to legend, the nymph Water Lily fell in love with Hercules.
Heartbroken by this unrequited love, she let herself die. Moved by her grief, Hercules honoured her memory by transforming her into a magnificent water flower.
Colleville-sur-Mer American Cemetery – Chapel
A straight central walkway connects the memorial and the pond to the modern-style chapel, built from the same limestone as the Memorial.
The following inscription, engraved near the entrance, reads:
“This Chapel has been erected by the United states of America
In Grateful Memory of Her Sons
Who gave Their lives in the Landings on the Normandy Beaches and
In the Liberation of Northern France.
Their Graves are the Permanent and Visible Symbol of Their Heroic Devotion and Their Sacrifice In the Common Cause of Humanity”
A black marble altar is the central element of the small circular chapel.
It is engraved with:
“I Give Unto Them Eternal Life and
They Shall Never Perish”
Then, there are the prayers carved on the walls:
“Through The Gate of Death may They Pass , To Their Joyful Resurrection
Think not only upon Their Passing, Remember The Glory of Their Spirit”
The Colleville-sur-Mer American Cemetery extends behind the chapel. At the west end of the central walkway, two Italian granite statues represent the United States and France, symbolising the alliance and shared sacrifices of the two nations.
Colleville-sur-Mer American Cemetery – Graves
The cemetery is a place of striking beauty and serenity.
Strolling among the endless rows of white Latin crosses, you feel a profound peace, far removed from any morbidity.
These white crosses, which glitter on the green lawns and the azure sea merging with the horizon, draw a multitude of lines extending towards Omaha Beach. Each cross bears the name, regiment and date of death of a soldier, testifying to his sacrifice.
Tragically, 307 unidentified soldiers rest here.
The order, light, and elegance of the place perfectly embody the American spirit. Among the crosses, a few Stars of David remind us that the American soldiers who landed to liberate Europe and France came from diverse backgrounds, united in their fight against Nazism.
President T. Roosevelt’s sons
The two sons of President Theodore Roosevelt are buried in the Colleville-sur-Mer American cemetery.
Theodore Jr. (1887-1944), the president’s eldest son, distinguished himself by serving in both world wars and receiving the Medal of Honour.
On D-Day, he went down in history as the only general to land by sea alongside Captain Leonard T. Schroeder.
Their landing on Utah Beach, though diverted by nearly 2 km due to drifting boats, did not diminish Theodore Jr.’s resolve. A Liberty Memorial Marker marks the spot where he and his troops landed.
Faced with adversity, he galvanised his men by declaring forcefully:
“We’ll start the war from right here!”
Sadly, he succumbed to heart disease a month later, on July 12, 1944.
His remains were interred next to those of his younger brother Quentin (1897-1918), who died in aerial combat during the First World War on July 14, 1918.
Quentin was initially buried in the Chamery Cemetery in the Marne region, but his grave was later moved to the Colleville-sur-Mer.
Finally, here is a magnificent poem by Ebenezer Elliott (1781-1849) in homage to all these men:
War by Ebenezer Elliott
The victories of mind
Are won for all Mankind,
But war wastes what it wins,
Ends worse than it begins,
And is a game of woes,
Which nations always lose,
Though tyrant tyrant kill,
The slayer liveth still.
Coordinates: Lat 49.357891 – Long -0.852889
War Memorials:
Juno Beach: Bernieres-sur-mer – Corseulles-sur-mer – Graye-sur-mer – Douvres-la-Delivrande
Gold Beach: Arromanches – Ver-sur-mer
Sword Beach: Ouistreham-Riva Bella
Landing Beaches:
Sword – Gold – Juno – Omaha – Utah
Rediscover all the landing beaches during the 75th Anniversary Commemorations and Standing with Giants art installation in Ver-sur-mer (2024)
