History of Rhone American Cemetery

Background

The site of the Rhone American Cemetery and Memorial in France was selected because of its historic location along the route of the U.S. Seventh Army’s drive up the Rhone Valley. It was established on Aug. 19, 1944, after the Seventh Army’s surprise landing in southern France.

On 12.5 acres at the foot of a hill clad with the characteristic cypresses, olive trees, and oleanders of southern France, rest more than 850 of our military dead, most of whom lost their lives in the liberation of southern France in August 1944. Their headstones are arranged in straight lines, divided into four plots, and grouped about an oval pool. At each end of the cemetery is a small garden. On the hillside overlooking the cemetery is the chapel with its wealth of decorative mosaic and large sculptured figures. Between the chapel and the burial area, a bronze relief map recalls military operations in the region. On the retaining wall of the terrace, almost 300 names of the missing are inscribed. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified.

Rhone American Cemetery is in the city of Draguignan, France, located 40 miles west of Cannes and 16 miles inland from Frejus.

The Southern France Campaign, known as Operation Dragoon, was launched on Aug. 15, 1944, to support the Allied liberation of France. Its objectives included:

• Capturing the key ports of Toulon and Marseille to secure supply lines.
• Trapping the German Nineteenth Army before it could retreat.
• Linking up with Allied armies advancing from Normandy in the north.

The U.S. Seventh Army (VI Corps), supported by the U.S. Twelfth and Fifteenth Air Forces and British and French air units, executed a massive amphibious and airborne assault on the Riviera beaches. More than 800 Allied ships participated, while paratroopers and glider units landed inland to disrupt German defenses.

After quickly securing the landing zones, French and American forces launched a rapid advance up the Rhône Valley, engaging in fierce battles to block the German retreat. Within a month, Allied forces had advanced 400 miles into France, linking up with the Third Army from Normandy on Sept. 11, 1944. This rapid success accelerated the liberation of France and set the stage for the final push into Germany.

• Aug. 15, 1944:

  • Operation Dragoon began with landings by the U.S. Seventh Army (VI Corps), which included the 3rd, 36th, and 45th Infantry Divisions, along with French armored units.
  • More than 800 Allied ships from the U.S., Britain, France, Greece, and Poland supported the invasion.
  • The 1st Special Service Force and 1st Airborne Task Force conducted parachute and glider landings at Port Cros and Le Muy.

• Aug. 16, 1944:

  • The French Armée B landed on beaches secured by the U.S. Seventh Army.
  • The 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion liberated Draguignan, capturing the German military governor of the Var region.

• Aug. 19-28, 1944:

  • Battle of Montélimar:
    • Task Force Butler blocked German retreat routes up the Rhône Valley.
    • The 36th Infantry Division launched repeated attacks and counterattacks.
    • Meanwhile, the 3rd Infantry Division advanced north from Avignon, forcing the Germans into costly withdrawals.

• Aug. 26, 1944: French II Corps liberated Toulon after intense fighting.

• Aug. 28, 1944: French II Corps liberated Marseille, securing a vital Mediterranean port for the Allies.

• Sept. 11, 1944: Elements of French II Corps met up with a patrol from the Third Army advancing from Normandy near Dijon, fulfilling the campaign’s objective of linking the northern and southern Allied forces.

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.