New Visitor Center Opens at Cambridge American Cemetery
To help honor the nearly 9,000 members of the U.S. armed forces buried or memorialized at Cambridge American Cemetery in England, a new visitor center was dedicated on May 26, 2014.
The 4,000-square-foot center, which is free and open to the public, honors the courage and sacrifice of the men and women who participated in the Battle of the Atlantic, the Strategic Air Campaign, and the build-up to the D-Day invasion. Through interpretive exhibits that incorporate personal histories, photographs, films, and interactive displays, visitors gain a better understanding of the British-American partnership that contributed to the Allied victory in Europe in World War II.
Most importantly, the center connects the visitor with some of the men and women buried or memorialized there on English soil, including:
- Steward’s Mate 2nd Class Theodore Askew, U.S. Navy
- TSgt. William R. Benn, U.S. Army, 1st Infantry Division
- Lt. Murray M. Blum, U.S. Merchant Marine
- Sgt. Louis Bolton, U.S. Army, 607th Graves Registration Service
- Arthur J. Clarke, Civilian, Lockheed Overseas Corporation
- 1st Lt. Sidney W. Dunagan, U.S. Army Air Forces, 314th Troop Carrier Group
- Cpl. Alvin Etheredge, U.S. Army Air Forces, 303rd Bombardment Group
- SSgt. James R. Hardin, U.S. Army Air Forces, 448th Bombardment Group
- TSgt. Arizona T. Harris, U.S. Army Air Forces, 306th Bombardment Group
- Maj. Damon J. Gause, U.S. Army Air Forces, 365th Fighter Group
- Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., U.S. Naval Reserve
- Emily Harper Rea, American Red Cross
- Flight Officer Elmer Edward Uhlich, Air Transport Auxiliary
- Lt. Col. Leon Vance, Jr., U.S. Army Air Forces, 489th Bombardment Group
- Petty Officer 3rd Class Thomas E. Wilson, U.S. Naval Reserve
The Cambridge facility is one of three ABMC visitor center projects completed in 2014. ABMC Secretary Max Cleland, and ABMC Commissioners Merrill McPeak, Connie Morella, Cindy Campbell, Larry Ellis, and Thomas Lamont helped mark the official opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. To contact the cemetery, obtain directions, view the visiting hours and much more, visit the Cambridge American Cemetery webpage on www.abmc.gov.
About the Design and Construction:
The visitor center design was approved by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and the South Cambridgeshire District Council in conjunction with English Heritage. The Cambridge architecture and engineering firm of Bland, Brown & Cole designed the new center, which is being built by Barnes Construction. Exhibit design is by the U.S. firm of Gallagher & Associates, Silver Spring, Md.
About the American Battle Monuments Commission:
Established by Congress in 1923, the American Battle Monuments Commission commemorates the service, achievements, and sacrifice of U.S. armed forces. ABMC administers 25 overseas military cemeteries, and 26 memorials, monuments, and markers.