Sicily–Rome American Cemetery and Memorial
 | |
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Established | 24 January 1944 |
| Location | Piazzale Kennedy, 1 - 00048 Nettuno (RM), Lazio |
| Country | Italy |
| Coordinates | 41°27′55″N 12°39′30″E / 41.46528°N 12.65833°ECoordinates: 41°27′55″N 12°39′30″E / 41.46528°N 12.65833°E |
| Size | 77 acres (31 hectares) |
| Number of graves | 7,861 |
| Find a Grave | Sicily–Rome American Cemetery and Memorial |
The Sicily–Rome American Cemetery and Memorial is a cemetery in Italy for American military personnel who were killed in World War II.
History and design
Established in Nettuno, Lazio, as a temporary wartime cemetery on 24 January 1944, two days after the landing at Anzio and Nettuno – codenamed Operation Shingle[1] – the site covers 77 acres (31 hectares), 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 headstones of 7,861 of American military war dead, arranged in gentle arcs on broad green lawns beneath rows of Roman pines. The majority of these men died in the liberation of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky (10 July to 17 August 1943); in the landings in the Salerno Area, codenamed Operation Avalanche (9 September 1943) and the heavy fighting northward; in the landings, codenamed Operation Shingle, at Anzio and Nettuno and expansion of the beachhead (22 January 1944 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 3,095 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.
See also
- List of cemeteries in Italy
- List of national cemeteries by country
- Military history of Italy during World War II
- Military history of the United States during World War II
References
- ↑ Brownfeld, Allan C. (7 May 2009). "Reflections on Visiting a U.S. Military Cemetery Abroad: The Conservative". newsblaze.com. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
Further reading
- Sledge, Michael (2005). Soldier Dead: How We Recover, Identify, Bury, and Honor Our Military Fallen. New York: Columbia University Press. pp. 208, 210. ISBN 9780231509374. OCLC 60527603.
External links
- Staff (undated). "Sicily–Rome American Cemetery and Memorial". American Battle Monuments Commission. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
- Sicily–Rome American Cemetery and Memorial at Find a Grave
This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Government document "Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial, "American Battle Monuments Commission"".