Manila American Cemetery and Memorial

Manila American Cemetery and Memorial. . , Manila American Cemetery, the largest of 24 cemeteries built and administered by the American Battle Monuments Commission, both in area and number of graves. 16,636 military dead of the United States of America from World War II rest here, alongside 570 Philippine Nationals who were serving with U.S. Forces in the southwest Pacific. Most of those buried here lost their lives in the epic defense of the Philippines and the East Indies in 1941 and 1942 or in the long but victorious return of the American forces through the vast island chain. Additionally, names of 32,520 Americans and 3,762 Philippine Nationals whose remains were never recovered or not identified are inscribed on the Walls of the Missing. A bronze rosette marks the names of those who were subsequently found. 3,660 headstones mark the graves of 7,744 “unknowns”., The construction and care of this 152-acre cemetery and memorial are the responsibility of the American Battle Monuments Commission, an agency of the United States government. The people of the Republic of the Philippines granted use of the land in perpetuity. , After World War I, the American Battle Monuments Commission erected a memorial in each of the eight American cemeteries in Europe, as well as eleven battlefield monuments. , At the end of World War II, fourteen additional military cemeteries were established overseas. Each contains a memorial with a record in permanent graphic form of the achievements of the U.S. Armed Forces in that region. , The graves in these World War I and World War II cemeteries number approximately 39 percent of those originally buried. The remains of the other 61 percent were returned home at the request of the next of kin. A white marble headstone marks each grave, a Star of David for those of the Jewish faith, and a Latin cross for all others. At each of the memorials are inscribed the names of the missing who gave their lives in that region. , The American Battle Monuments Commission also operates two cemeteries in Latin America, the final resting place of Americans killed in the War of 1847 and those who contributed to the construction and operation of the Panama Canal. , An American Superintendent manages each cemetery. English-speaking personnel are available during opening hours to offer information and assistance. , Battle Monuments Commission Cemeteries, world war one:, Cemetery - Location - Burials - “Missing” , Aisne-Marne - Belleau - 2,289 - 1,060 (02) France Brookwood - Brookwood, - 563 - 468 England Flanders Field - Waregem, - 368 - 43 Belgium Meuse-Argonne - Romagne - 14,246 - 954 sous - Oise-Aisne - Montfaucon - 6,012 241(55), - France-Nesles (02) France Saint-Mihiel-Thiaucourt (54), France 4,153 284 Somme Bony (02), France 1,844 333 Suresnes Near Paris (092), France 1,541 974 , Battle Monuments Commission Cemeteries, World War II:, Cemetery - Location - Burials - “Missing” , Ardennes Neuville-en-Condroz, Belgium 5,328 462 Brittany Saint-James (50), France 4,410 498 Cambridge Coton, Cambridge-shire, England 3,812 5,127 Epinal Epinal (88), France 5,255 424 Florence Florence, Italy 4,202 1,409 Henri-Chapelle Henri-Chapelle, Belgium 7,992 450 Lorraine Saint-Avold (57), France 10,489 444 Luxembourg Luxembourg 5,076 371 , Battle Monuments Commission Cemeteries - World War II, cont. – (“Manila, plus”) Manila Manila, Republic of the Philippines 17,206 36,282 Netherlands Margraten, The Netherlands 8,301 1,722 Normandy Colleville-sur-Mer(14), France 9,387 1,557 North Africa Carthage, Tunisia 2,841 3,724 Rhone Draguignan (83), France 861 293 Sicily-Rome Nettuno, Italy 7,861 3,095 cont.– (“Other”, +) P1070297 Cemetery Location Burials “Missing” “Other” 10489 444 Mexico Mexico City, Mexico 1563 0 Panama Corozal Republic of Panama 5,104 0 http://www.abmc.gov/publications/CemeteryBooklets/Manila_Booklet.pdf 14.544045, 121.048597