Lafayette Escadrille Memorial Cemetery

Overview

The Lafayette Escadrille Memorial Cemetery commemorates the birthplace of American combat aviation, and serves as a symbol of the Franco-American comradeship during World War I. This site honors the American volunteer pilots who flew with French squadrons during the Great War, and is the final resting place for some of America’s first combat aviators and their French Officers.

After the outbreak of World War I, Americans sympathetic to the Allied cause offered their service to France as ambulance drivers and soldiers in the French Foreign Legion. By 1915, many of these volunteers began to lobby the French government to create a squadron composed of American pilots. After careful deliberation the French agreed, and on April 20, 1916 the first unit constituting American flyers was placed on front-line duty. These aviators fought  in the Battle of Verdun and the Somme Offensive, establishing a reputation for daring maneuvers and highly effective skills during these epic conflicts.

More than 200 Americans flew with French squadrons during the course of the war. Men who were considered part of this elite flying group came from diverse backgrounds, including authors of fiction, a professional polo player, All-American football players, an FBI special agent, and a U.S. ambassador, to name a few. Of this number, only 38 were assigned to the Lafayette Escadrille. (The term escadrille means squadron in French.) The rest served in other French flying units. Collectively, all Americans in the French Air Service, known as the Service Aéronautique, were considered to be part of the Lafayette Flying Corps, an unofficial designation. Many of these aviators transferred to American squadrons once the U.S entered the war in April 1917.

After  the Armistice, Lafayette Flying Corps veterans worked with American and French leaders to build a memorial dedicated to those who flew with the Service Aéronautique. The memorial would also serve as a final resting place for many of those who lost their lives during the war.   

Dedicated in 1928, the memorial cemetery consists of an ornate central arch, half the size of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, with a French inscription on the façade, and an English translation on the rear. The central arch is flanked by wings on either side that include open hallways  terminating in end pavilions. A reflecting pool runs the length of the structure. Behind the memorial is a semi-circular terrace that forms the roof of the crypt below. Stained-glass windows in the crypt depict the major battles of the Western Front.

In the memorial crypt are 68 sarcophagi, one for each of the aviators of the Lafayette Flying Corps who lost their lives during World War I. Forty-nine of these aviators are entombed in the crypt along with two of their French commanding officers. The remainder rest in other locations, or their remains were never recovered. See the full listing of those who are honored at this site.

By the early 21st century, decades of delayed maintenance to the memorial had led to structural damage, water intrusion and corrosion that required large-scale repair. Understanding its significance in the history of American military aviation, ABMC, through an agreement with the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial Foundation and the French government that included financial support, led restoration efforts in 2015 and 2016, in time for the 100th anniversary of the formation of the squadron. In January 2017 ABMC officially assumed ownership and responsibility for the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial Cemetery, making it the 9th commemorative World War I cemetery administered by the agency.

 

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Vintage poster of Lafayette Escadrille Memorial Cemetery
A vintage poster was created by French artist DOZ for all ABMC cemeteries and five monuments and memorials to mark ABMC’s centennial. At this time, we are not offering printed versions of the posters, but the high-resolution printing file for each poster is available here for personal use. Please note that the posters are copyrighted and may not be reproduced for commercial purposes. Please contact ABMC Public Affairs at publicaffairs@abmc.gov with any questions.
Dedicated:
Location: France
Burials:
51
Missing in Action:
5
Acres:
11.11

Virtual 360

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Photos

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Cemetery Information

Visiting Hours

The memorial cemetery is open to the public daily, and is located inside the gates of Domaine National de Saint-Cloud. Hours of operation are 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. November through February; 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. during September, October, March and April; 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. May through August. On December 24th and 31st, the site closes at 6:00 p.m. Due to staffing, crypt tours are only available Monday through Friday with a required minimum of five people. Contact the cemetery for availability.

Contact Us

Lafayette Escadrille Memorial Cemetery
5 Boulevard Raymond Poincaré
92430 Marnes-la-Coquette
France

Directions

GPS Coordinates: 48° 50' 15" N , 2° 10' 31" E

The Lafayette Escadrille Memorial Cemetery is located in Marnes-la-Coquette in the northwestern corner of the Domaine National de Saint-Cloud, a large park, about 12 miles west of the center of Paris.

Travel via Car
The memorial cemetery can be accessed by car via Autoroute 13 towards Rouen.

From Paris, take Autoroute 13 towards Rouen. Take Exit 5 (direction Vaucresson/La Celle-Saint-Cloud).  Turn right on D182 (Boulevard de Jardy) and continue for 600m. At the traffic circle, turn right on D907 (Boulevard de la République) and continue for 1.5km. [[Boulevard de la République becomes Boulevard Raymond Poincaré]] Your destination will be on the right.

Travel via Public Transportation
The memorial cemetery can be accessed by suburban train. Trains depart every 20 minutes from Paris (Gare de Paris-Saint-Lazare) to the Garches / Marnes-la-Coquette station. The gate to the memorial cemetery is across the street from 5 Boulevard Raymond Poincaré, Garches near the #360 Bus Stop Hôpital de Garches.

 

News & Events

Download this infographic to see where ABMC sites are located throughout the world.

French and American officials gathered today at the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial outside of Paris to mark the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Lafayette Escadrille aeronautical unit of World War I. 

ABMC officially assumed ownership and responsibility for the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial Cemetery (LEMC) today, making it the 9th commemorative World War I cemetery administered by the agency.

The hallowed grounds of ABMC cemeteries serve as world-wide examples of the reverence and respect given to Americans who served and died as a member of the Armed Forces. During the course of the American WWI Centennial new exhibits, events, and resources will be made available by ABMC to commemorate this piece of our American history.

U.S. Citizen Information