Video

Brittany American Cemetery

This World War II cemetery in France contains the graves of more than 4,400 war dead, and nearly 500 names on the Walls of the Missing, most of whom lost their lives in the Normandy and Brittany Campaigns of World War II.

Video Transcript: 

In the rolling farm country southwest of the D-Day beaches – is Brittany American Cemetery.
More than 4,400 Americans are buried here.
Many lost their lives in the months after D-Day.
This cemetery marks the region where American forces made their critical breakthrough – from the hedgerows of Normandy into the plains of Northern France.
These intense battles would break Hitler's iron grip on Europe.
Among the graves are two Medal of Honor recipients.
A Romanesque-style chapel stands near the entrance.
A statue representing youth triumphing over evil graces the east end of the memorial building.
Inside, a limestone altar is framed by granite dividers at the end of the chancel.
Maps on the walls depict the course of World War II operations in Northern France.
Above, a brilliant stained-glass window bears the seal of the United States.
The names of nearly 500 servicemen missing in action are inscribed on the gently-curving walls of the memorial terrace.
Every day, the chapel bells toll in memory of Americans who helped liberate France from tyranny – and gave their lives for freedom.