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Essential Question: Why are the ABMC monuments and cemetery placed where they are?
The American Battle Monuments Commission was founded in 1923, and its primary purpose was to “erect memorials in Europe to commemorate the services of the American forces there during the World War” [1].
Following World War One, eleven memorials and two bronze tablets were built in France. The memorials vary in size, with the largest commemorating the most intense American combat areas.
Smaller memorials and bronze tablets honor American combat and service in other parts of France [2].
The memorial at Montfaucon is “the most imposing American monument in Europe,” according to the ABMC [3].
This monument commemorates the American contribution and victory in the Meuse-Argonne Campaign, the largest U.S. offensive in history (September 26–November 11, 1918).
It honors General Pershing, who led the offensive, with his statue atop the memorial. Visitors can ascend to the top for an impressive view of the Meuse-Argonne terrain, including the ruins of a bombed-out monastery with a German machine-gun nest.
Montfaucon was a strategic location, marking the first major height the Americans needed to capture to push the Germans out of France and end the long, grueling trench warfare.
Another sacred site in the area is the Meuse-Argonne Cemetery, located near Romagne-Sous-Montfaucon.
This cemetery is the largest American military cemetery in Europe, with 14,240 white marble tombstones spread across a beautifully maintained landscape.
It is situated in the heart of the most intense fighting of the offensive, behind the Hindenburg Line, in a small valley between Cunel and Romagne [4].
Place is important in our memory. These locations bore witness to some of the most intense battles in American history.
The ABMC has carefully chosen them to commemorate American service and to educate future generations about the dedication and bravery of these men during World War One.
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References
- [1] American Battle Monuments Commission, American Armies and Battlefields in Europe. (Washington, DC: Center of Military History United States Army, 1995), 473.
- [2] Ibid.
- [3] Ibid., 473.
- [4] American Battle Monuments Commission, American Armies and Battlefields in Europe. (Washington, DC: Center of Military History United States Army, 1995), 460.
