St Mihiel American Cemetery
Outside of Thiaucort, St Mihiel American Cemetery has 4,153 burials
over about 40 acres. Unique among combatant nations, the United
States gave families the option of either burial in France or
repatriation to America for burial. American cemeteries have a
more triumphal feel than British and French ones - the war marked the
idealistic nation's emergence as a world power.
Shown here are photos from two visits, the second of which was during the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the battle.
For the 100th anniversary flags were out and some graves had temporary
informational signs. Men buried in the cemetery ranged from Ivy
League stockbrokers to coal miners.
Visitors included a young man who flew in from the Middle East to honor
his ancestor. Here a general has his photo taken with him.
Note that the burial in the foreground is for a man who died on the final day of the war.
Missing Man