Epinal American Cemetery
This World War II cemetery in France contains the graves of more than 5,250 war dead and nearly 425 names on the Walls of the Missing.
Epinal American Cemetery stands on a plateau 230 miles southeast of Paris in the shadow of the Vosges Mountains.
Most of the nearly 5300 Americans buried here lost their lives in bitter fighting through northeastern France and into Germany as the Allies battled toward victory in World War II.
Four Medal of Honor recipients are buried in this field of honor.
Other headstones mark the graves for men of the much-decorated 442nd Infantry Regiment comprised of Japanese Americans.
On the limestone facade of the Memorial Building, a bas-relief depicts the Survival of the Spirit.
Walls surrounding the memorial bear the names of over 400 Americans missing in action.
Inside is an intimate devotional chapel.
In the map room, a spectacular colored-glass mosaic depicts troop movements and battles in the European Theater.
An angel surrounded by a laurel wreath symbolizes the final Allied victory.
Behind the Memorial, the flagpole plaza offers a sweeping view of the wide Moselle Valley – an apt place to remember the sacrifices of those who died and those who fought alongside them.