History of Sicily-Rome American Cemetery

Background

The World War II Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial site in Italy covers 77 acres, rising in a gentle slope from a broad pool with an island and cenotaph flanked by groups of Italian cypress trees.

Beyond the pool is the immense field of almost 7,900 headstones for American military war dead, arranged in gentle arcs on broad green lawns beneath rows of Roman pines. The majority of these individuals died in the liberation of Sicily (July 10 to Aug. 17, 1943); in the landings in the Salerno Area (Sept. 9, 1943) and the heavy fighting northward; in the landings at Anzio Beach and expansion of the beachhead (Jan. 22 to May 1944); and in air and naval support in the regions.

A wide central mall leads to the memorial, rich in works of art and architecture, expressing America’s remembrance of the dead. It consists of a chapel to the south, a peristyle, and a map room to the north. On the white marble walls of the chapel are engraved the names of almost 3,100 of the missing. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified. The map room contains a bronze relief map and four fresco maps depicting the military operations in Sicily and Italy. At each end of the memorial are ornamental Italian gardens.

A 2,500-square-foot center visitor center opened in May 2014. Through interpretive exhibits that incorporate personal stories, photographs, films, and interactive displays, visitors gain a better understanding of this critical campaign that contributed to the Allied victory in Europe during World War II.

Sicily-Rome American Cemetery lies at the north edge of the town of Nettuno, Italy, which is immediately east of Anzio, and 38 miles south of Rome.

At the Casablanca Conference in January 1943, Allied leaders decided to follow up their victories in North Africa by invading Sicily.

This move aimed to:

• Secure the Mediterranean Sea for Allied shipping.
• Force Italy out of the war and divert German forces away from the Eastern Front.
• Weaken German defenses in preparation for the 1944 D-Day invasion of France.

After the successful Sicilian Campaign (July – August 1943), the Allies invaded mainland Italy in September 1943. Although Italy surrendered, German forces quickly seized control and fiercely resisted the Allied advance.

Fighting in Italy was slow and grueling, as the Germans used the mountainous terrain to their advantage. Progress stalled at the Gustav Line, prompting an amphibious landing at Anzio in January 1944 to bypass German defenses. After months of deadlock, the Allies finally broke through in May 1944 and liberated Rome on June 4, 1944.

• July 10, 1943: Allied forces landed on Sicily’s southeastern coast, launching Operation Husky.
• Aug. 17, 1943: Sicily was fully liberated, with German and Italian forces retreating to the mainland.
• Sept. 3, 1943: The Italian government signed an armistice, effectively surrendering.
• Sept. 9, 1943: Allied forces landed at Salerno, but Germany took control of Italy and fought back fiercely.
• Oct. 1, 1943:
  • The U.S. Fifth Army liberated Naples, securing a vital supply port.
  • The British Eighth Army captured Foggia, taking control of crucial airfields.
• October – December 1943: Allied forces pushed slowly north, facing heavy German resistance at the Gustav Line.
• Jan. 22, 1944: The Allies attempted to outflank German defenses with an amphibious landing at Anzio and Nettuno.
• Feb. 3-20, 1944: German counterattacks at Anzio were repelled by Allied ground, air, and naval forces.
• March – May 1944: Stalemate at Anzio, as both sides dug in.
• May 23-25, 1944: The Allies broke through the Gustav Line and advanced from the Anzio beachhead.
• June 4, 1944: Rome was liberated by Allied forces, marking a major victory in the Italian Campaign.

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.