The World War I Cantigny American Monument is located in the
village of Cantigny (Somme), France, about four miles northwest
of Montdidier on route D-26 from Montdidier to Ailly-sur-Noye. It is about
66 miles north of Paris via Chantilly or Senlis.
This battlefield monument commemorates the first offensive operation by a
large American unit in May 1918. It stands in the center
of a village which was captured during that attack. The village was completely destroyed
by artillery fire. The monument consists of a white stone shaft on a platform
surrounded by an attractive park, developed and maintained by the Commission. The
quiet surroundings now give no hint of the bitter hand to hand fighting which took place
nearby many years ago.
