View source for Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery

{{short description|Military cemetery in France}}
{{for|the war memorial|Meuse-Argonne American Memorial}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2018}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox military memorial
| name             = Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery
| native_name      = Cimetière Américain (Meuse-Argonne)
| native_name_lang = fr
| body             = [[American Battle Monuments Commission]]
| image            = [[Image:Meusecemetery.jpg|300px]]
| caption          = Tombstones and the reflecting pool
| commemorates     = the [[American Expeditionary Forces|AEF]], American Forces in Germany (1919–23), and [[American Expeditionary Force, North Russia|AEF in North Russia]] (1918–19) dead and missing<!-- EDITORS NOTE: Please do not change the caption as it currently conforms to TemplateData for Infobox military memorial. Thank you. -->
| established      = {{start date|1918|10|14}}
| unveiled         = {{Start date and years ago|1937|05|30}}
| coordinates      = {{coord|49|20|03|N|05|05|36|E|display=inline, title}}
| nearest_town     = [[Romagne-sous-Montfaucon|Romagne]], [[France]]
| designer         = [[York and Sawyer]]
| total            = 14,246 plus 954 commemorated
| unknowns         = 486
| source           = [https://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/meuse-argonne-american-cemetery#.XDW3dVz7RnI.php ABMC Meuse-Argonne web page]
|embedded             = {{designation list | embed=yes
   | designation1            = WHS
   | designation1_offname    = [[Funerary and memory sites of the First World War (Western Front)]]
   | designation1_type       = Cultural
   | designation1_criteria   = i, ii, vi
   | designation1_date       = [[List of World Heritage Sites by year of inscription#2023 (45th session)|2023]] <small>(45th [[World Heritage Committee|session]])</small>
   | designation1_number     = [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1567 1567-ME03]
  }}
}}
The '''Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery''' ({{langx|fr|Cimetière Américain (Meuse-Argonne)|links=no}}) is a {{convert|130.5|acre|sing=on}} World War I cemetery in [[France]]. It is located east of the village of [[Romagne-sous-Montfaucon]] in [[Meuse (department)|Meuse]]. The cemetery contains the largest number of American military dead in Europe (14,246),<ref>[http://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries/cemeteries/ma.php American Battle Monuments Commission<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060211134043/http://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries/cemeteries/ma.php |date=2006-02-11 }}<br />{{cite book|author=Edward G. Lengel |title=To Conquer Hell: The Meuse-Argonne, 1918 The Epic Battle That Ended the First World War |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1pxkmbci77cC&pg=PA2 |year=2008 |publisher=Henry Holt and Company |isbn=978-0805079319 |pages=2–3 }}</ref> most of whom lost their lives during the [[Meuse-Argonne Offensive]] and were buried there.<ref>{{cite book|author=Chris Dickon|title=The Foreign Burial of American War Dead: A History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bxR--SO3UnEC&pg=PA63|year= 2011|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0786485017|page=63}}</ref>

The cemetery consists of eight sections behind a large central reflection pool.  Beyond the grave sections is a chapel which is decorated with stained glass windows depicting American units' insignias. Along the walls of the chapel area are the tablets of the [[Missing in action|missing]] which include the names of those soldiers who fought in the region and in northern Russia, but have no known grave. It also includes the [[Meuse-Argonne American Memorial]]. This cemetery is maintained by the [[American Battle Monuments Commission]]. It is open daily to the public from 9:00&nbsp;a.m. to 5:00&nbsp;p.m. The cemetery is closed January 1 and December 25, but is open on all other holidays.

==Notable burials==
* Medal of Honor recipients<!-- Ranks and names listed are per their grave stones. -->
** Second Lieutenant [[Erwin R. Bleckley]] (1894–1918), for service near [[Binarville]], France
** Captain [[Marcellus H. Chiles]] (1895–1918), for action near Le Champy Bas, France
** Sergeant [[Matej Kocak]] (1882–1918), two-time recipient (Army and Navy medals)
** Second Lieutenant [[Frank Luke Jr.]] (1897–1918), the "Arizona Balloon Buster" and first airman to receive the medal of honor; [[Luke Air Force Base]] is named after him
** Major [[Oscar F. Miller]] (1882–1918), for his leadership in the [[Forest of Argonne|Argonne]]
** Corporal [[Harold W. Roberts]] (1895–1918), for action in the Montrebeau Woods
** Sergeant [[William Sawelson]] (1895–1918), for action at [[Grandpré, Ardennes]]
** Lieutenant Colonel [[Fred E. Smith]] (1873–1918), for action near Binarville, France
** Corporal [[Freddie Stowers]] (1896–1918), for action in the Ardennes (medal awarded in 1991)
* Other notables
** Sergeant [[Victor E. Chapman]] (1890–1916), first American aviator to die in battle in the war
** Captain [[Eddie Grant (baseball)|Edward L. Grant]] (1883–1918), pre-war professional baseball player

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="180px" heights="180px">
Image:Meusecemetery2.jpg|Aerial view of cemetery.
Image:Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery 081710.JPG|Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery.
<!-- Deleted image removed: Image:Ivy Courtney Grave.JPG|Grave of Corporal Ivy Courtney at the cemetery. -->
File:Romagne-sous-Montfaucon - unknown Jewish soldier.jpg|Grave of an unknown Jewish American combatant in the cemetery
Image:Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery Chapel 081710.JPG|Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery Chapel.
Image:Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery 6.jpg|Grave of Medal of Honor recipient [[Harold W. Roberts]]
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[List of World War I memorials and cemeteries in the Argonne]]
* [[Meuse-Argonne American Memorial]]
* [[Meuse-Argonne Offensive]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last=Sledge |first=Michael |title=Soldier Dead: How We Recover, Identify, Bury, and Honor Our Military Fallen |year=2005 |publisher=Columbia University Press |location=New York |isbn=978-0231509374 |pages=204–06, 217 |oclc= 60527603 }}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
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''' Official'''
* {{Official}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070607183618/http://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries/cemeteries/am.php American Battle Monuments Commission (archived)]
''' General information'''
* [http://media.oaktreesys.com/abmc/video/cemeteries/ma.wmv Meuse-Argonne.wmv – Windows Media Video]
* [http://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries/cemeteries/ma_base.pdf Cemetery booklet (no pictures)]
* [http://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries/cemeteries/ma_pict.pdf Cemetery booklet (with pictures)]
* {{Find a Grave cemetery}}
<!-- EDITORS NOTE: Please follow the [[WP:EL]] guideline where possible and consider discussing on the talk page. Thank you. -->
{{American Battle Monuments Commission}}
{{World War I War Memorials in France}}
{{Portal bar|Architecture|France|United States}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery}}<!--please leave the empty space as standard-->
[[Category:1918 establishments in France]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1918]]
[[Category:Aftermath of World War I in France]]
[[Category:American Battle Monuments Commission]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Meuse (department)]]
[[Category:Cemeteries in Grand Est]]
[[Category:History of Meuse (department)]]
[[Category:Museums in Meuse (department)]]
[[Category:Neoclassical architecture in France]]
[[Category:Protected areas of France]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Meuse (department)]]
[[Category:World War I cemeteries in France]]
[[Category:Meuse–Argonne offensive]]
[[Category:Funerary and memory sites of the First World War (Western Front)]]