Saint Mihiel American Cemetery
This World War I cemetery in France contains the graves of more than 4,150 war dead, and nearly 300 names on the Walls of the Missing.
The St. Mihiel American Cemetery is about 180 miles east of Paris.
The burial ground lies in the area where the U.S. First Army fought for and captured the St. Mihiel salient during World War I.
Nearly 4,200 American servicemen and women are buried here.
Most of them lost their lives in the epic St. Mihiel Offensive.
A Medal of Honor recipient, Lt. J. Hunter Wickersham, was killed when gallantly leading a charge on a German trench.
At the center of the cemetery is a sundial with a carved American eagle.
Inscribed on its base is General John J. Pershing’s promise: “Time will not dim the glory of their deeds.”
The memorial itself is of white stone, with a spectacular circular colonnade.
Inside the chapel, a richly colored mosaic portrays an Angel of Victory sheathing a sword, while Doves of Peace bear olive branches.
A large battle map of multi-hued marble depicts the division sectors during the St. Mihiel Campaign.
The gilded names of almost 300 of those whose bodies were not found or identified line the dark marble of the end walls.
Among the graves is an imposing sculpture of a young American officer.
An inscription reads, “He sleeps far from his family in the gentle lands of France.”