History of Ardennes American Cemetery

The Allied main effort in autumn 1944 advanced through Belgium and pushed toward Germany.

However, their progress was slowed by intense German resistance, culminating in the Battle of the Bulge, a desperate counteroffensive launched by Germany in December 1944. After fierce winter combat, the Allies regrouped and pursued three major objectives:

• Destroying enemy forces west of the Rhine
• Securing bridgeheads across the Rhine River
• Coordinating final offensives into the heart of Germany

The successful crossing of the Rhine in March 1945 marked the beginning of the final Allied push into Germany. This advance ultimately led to the German surrender and the end of the war in Europe on May 8, 1945.

From Ardennes-Alsace to the Rhine and beyond historical map

Background

The approach drive at Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial in Belgium leads to the memorial, a stone structure bearing on its façade a massive American eagle and other sculptures.

Within the memorial is the chapel, three large wall maps composed of inlaid marbles, marble panels depicting combat and supply activities and other ornamental features.

The Ardennes American Cemetery is the final resting place for 5,162 Americans, with 65 percent of those being fallen airmen of the U.S. Army Air Forces. Their headstones are aligned in straight rows that compose the form of a Greek cross. Along the outside of the memorial, inscribed on granite slabs, are the names of 463 of the missing, whose remains were never recovered. The façade on the far (north) end that overlooks the burial area bears the insignia, in mosaic, of the major U.S. units that operated in northwest Europe in World War II.

This cemetery is unique among all ABMC cemeteries as it served as the central identification point for the entire European Theater of Operations from the last days of the war until 1960.

Ardennes American Cemetery is located near the southeast edge of Neupré (Neuville-en-Condroz), 12 miles southwest of Liège, Belgium.

• Sept. 7, 1944: The U.S. First Army liberated Liège, Belgium.
• Mid-September – Oct. 21, 1944: The U.S. First Army besieged and captured Aachen, Germany.
• Mid-September 1944 – March 1945: U.S. forces engaged in prolonged and grueling fighting in the Hürtgen Forest.
• Dec. 16, 1944: Germany launched a counteroffensive in the Ardennes, known as the Battle of the Bulge, halting the Allied advance for a month.
• Jan. 3, 1945: The U.S. First Army, reinforced by the British XXX Corps, launched a counterattack on the northern flank of the bulge.
• Jan. 13, 1945: The U.S. First and Third Armies linked up at Houffalize, closing off the bulge.
• Feb. 8, 1945: A temporary Ardennes cemetery was opened at Neuville-en-Condroz.
• Feb. 23, 1945: With the Battle of the Bulge concluded, the U.S. Ninth Army launched Operation Grenade, crossing the Roer River and advancing toward Wesel.
• March 1, 1945: The 12th Army Group, composed of the U.S. First and Third Armies, launched Operation Lumberjack. The First Army reached Cologne by March 5.
• March 21, 1945: U.S., British, and Canadian forces reached the west bank of the Rhine, extending from the Netherlands to Mannheim.
• March 22, 1945: The U.S. Third Army crossed the Rhine at Oppenheim, setting the stage for the final offensive.
• May 8, 1945: Victory in Europe (V-E Day) was declared as Germany surrendered.

Vintage Poster

Vintage posters convey the beauty, tranquility, and solemnity of the place as a sign of respect for those who fought so that we can live free today.