On July 4th, 1942 the first American bomber mission flown from England by the U.S Army Air Forces (AAF) flew towards the occupied Netherlands.
Due to security concerns, the pathway from Normandy American Cemetery to the beach is not open to the public. However, public beach access is available nearby.
Just after their arrival in France some American soldiers became a symbol of deliverance for the French people. The first American Expeditionary Forces’ (AEF) contingent landed in France in late June 1917 at Saint-Nazaire. The war would soon enter its fourth year with no end in sight.
The elementary school in Tholy, France adopted the gravesite of Pfc. Lloyd V. Johnson at Epinal American Cemetery in 2016 as a duty of remembrance, known as “devoir de mémoire” in France.
In World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, millions of Americans served far from home. In the various conflicts, service members fought in the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific. They traversed mountains in Italy, France, Korea and Vietnam.
Shortly after the United States entered World War I, the commander of U.S. Convoy Operations was ordered to organize and begin escorting the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) to France. With the threat of enemy submarines, American ships crossing the Atlantic needed protection.
On June 25, 1942 Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower assumed command of the European Theater of Operations U.S. Army. His experience in war planning and operations, gave him an appreciation of war on a global scale - a major necessity as American forces began wartime operations.
On the 73rd anniversary of the D-Day landings, the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) dedicated two new monuments to mark the importance of Dartmouth, England in World War II.
A maintenance project to repair the entrance road and drainage channels at Epinal American Cemetery is underway. While there will be large equipment in this active work zone and elevated noise levels, the cemetery will not be closed at any point during the project.