Hallowed Grounds

Narrator: Around the world 125,000 American service men and women,

from World Wars I and II, lay buried in foreign lands.

Thousands more are missing.

But none has been forgotten.

Carl Galvenus: Lest we forget, we must remember their sacrifice,

and what their sacrifice has meant.

Narrator: Join us as we walk these "Hallowed Grounds."

From these honored dead we take increased devotion to that

cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion.

Abraham Lincoln.

How can we remember those who have sacrificed their lives for our country?

To honor its war dead who remained overseas,

the United States maintains twenty-four permanent military cemeteries.

Twenty-two of them in eight countries follow the

path of American forces in World War I,

and in World War II in the European Theater,

and the Pacific Theater of the global conflict.

These are some of the most highly maintained shrines

of their nature in the world,

enhanced with great architecture,

and powerful works of art.

And among the graves are tales of dedication and heroism for the nation.

Glenn Marcus: It's a most worthy statement about our

country and how we feel about those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

Woman: You're just taken by surprise by the sheer number of graves.

You realize the number of young men that died.

Carl Galvenus: I think we should all be extremely

proud of anyone who will give their life to their country.

Narrator: These memorial cemeteries were created

to honor America's Fallen.

But they are also intended for the living.

For here one can see the true cost of liberty.

In 1914 a war larger than any before erupted in Europe,

a cataclysm that threatened the heartland of Western civilization.

America's entry into World War I in 1917 brought

renewed hope to its European allies.

Enduring the nightmare of trench warfare,

U.S. forces distinguished themselves with their

fighting skills and valor.

But when the 'Great War' came to an end,

more than 70,000 Americans lay buried in foreign soil.

Hubert Caloud: Prior to World War I, the Spanish American War,

the dead in Puerto Rico, the Philippines, China,

all those bodies were brought back.

But in World War I, with the amount of casualties we had,

there were families who wanted the bodies left alone.

Narrator: Many Americans were moved by the death of Quentin Roosevelt,

son of former-president Theodore Roosevelt.

The daring young aviator was shot down behind enemy lines,

and his despondent family requested he be buried where he fell.

Hubert Caloud: So the government did a survey of whether

or not the family wanted a loved-one left in place,

or returned to the States.

And about 60% of the families preferred

that the remains were brought back,

and 40% wanted the remains left overseas.

Narrator: To create a permanent resting place

for the 30,000 war dead who remained behind,

Congress established the American Battle Monuments Commission in 1923.

General John J. Pershing,

Commander of U.S. forces in World War I,

became its first Chairman.

Eight permanent cemeteries were commissioned.

The finest artists and craftsmen in the world

were engaged in their creation.

Completed in the 1930s, they became powerful

symbols of America's commitment to peace around the world.

During the First World War, American naval forces

were based throughout the British Isles,

to transport troops and protect convoys from the dreaded German U-boats.

About 30 miles south of London,

is Brookwood American Cemetery.

The 468 men and women buried in these graves died

of every make and manner of cause in World War I.

Some died at sea, others from wounds received in France, still more from the devastating Spanish flu epidemic of 1918.

Inside the Memorial building there is an

ornate chapel that commemorates 563 others

whose graves are beneath the sea.

They include the entire crew of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter "Tampa."

Their vessel crossed the sights of U-boat 91 and

was sunk off the coast of Wales in the Bristol Channel.

All 115 hands were lost.

Also remembered in gold letters is

Medal of Honor recipient Osmond Ingram,

who died to save the U.S.S.

Cassin,

and was the first American enlisted man killed in World War I.

Many more would follow.

American troops entered ground combat in France in May of 1918.

At the battle of Cantigny,

the U.S. First Infantry Division repulsed seven

Germans counter-attacks and took more than 1,000 casualties.

Many died from their wounds in

crowded military hospitals in Paris.

Suresnes American Cemetery is located just outside

the French capital city.

Over 1,500 Americans are buried here,

within view of the Eiffel Tower.

The cemetery is revered by both the French and the Americans.

Capt.

Yves Moutte: For me this is a contemplative area,

where we come once a year to pay homage to the heroic soldiers,

who died for freedom.

Narrator: Some of the first Americans to serve in France were volunteers.

Gladys Cromwell and her twin sister,

Dorothy, joined the Red Cross.

As hospital workers they served at the front,

and witnessed every cruelty of war.

Admired by the troops for their stamina and courage,

the strain would prove too much for them.

On their return home from France they took their own

lives by jumping from the deck of the steamer Lorraine.

Today they are buried side by side,

and both were awarded the

French Croix de Guerre for their service.

Capt.

Yves Moutte: So you see, what this cemetery does is

to help us not to forget the dead,

the people who gave their life for our liberty.

Narrator: In June of 1918,

U.S. troops were rushed to the Aisne-Marne salient

to halt the German's final drive on Paris.

Jacques Lesage: The French troops after many years were exhausted.

Without the American help, perhaps,

the war would have been lost.

Narrator: At the town of Chateau Thierry,

untested American troops met and turned back the enemy.

But they paid a high price for their courage.

About 45 miles northeast of Paris is Aisne-Marne American Cemetery.

It sits at the foot of a hill on which stands Belleau Wood,

where many U.S. Marines fought and died.

Gerald Vintinner: I'm a former Marine,

and I'm interested in the history that has

represented by this place in the Marine Corps.

Narrator: The Marines were ordered to take this dense forest,

where the Germans were heavily entrenched,

and waiting for them.

Gerald Vintinner: They didn't have a chance to do a reconnaissance,

and they were thrown basically into the teeth of the battle.

On the 6th of June they lost more Marines than

they had lost in all their history up to that day.

And we need to remember their sacrifice and their courage.

Jacques Lesage: French people cannot forget what

the Americans have done for their country.

We were liberated by American troops.

How could we forget that?

Narrator: Having helped prevent the capture of Paris,

U.S. forces participated with the French in a highly

successful offensive known as the Oise-Aisne campaign.

When it ended,

thousands of Americans were placed in battlefield cemeteries.

One of these became Oise-Aisne American Cemetery,

located about 70-miles northeast of Paris.

The natural beauty of this place contrasts

the violence that created it.

Many soldiers were buried alive by earth

from exploding shells and mines.

In their memory, the American writer Joyce Kilmer,

best known for his poem "Trees,"

penned "The Rouge Bouquet."

Poet: "In the wood they call Rouge Bouquet

There is a new-made grave today,

built by never a spade nor pick,

Yet covered with earth 10 meters thick."

Narrator: Among the 6,000 graves is that of Sergeant Joyce Kilmer.

He was killed on patrol by a German sniper

only 800 yards from where he now lies.

Poet: "Slumber well where the shell screamed and fell.

Let your rifles rest on the muddy floor,

You will not need them any more."

Joyce Kilmer

Narrator: In September 1918,

U.S. troops undertook their first totally independent

operation at the battle of St. Mihiel.

With half-a-million Americans at arms,

and massive artillery and air power,

the Germans were defeated in just three days.

It was a crucial victory for the allies,

but more than 14,000 Americans lost their lives.

At the center of this historic battleground

in Eastern France is St. Mihiel American Cemetery.

Amid the graves is a large sundial with a carved American eagle.

Inscribed on its base is General Pershing's famous quote,

"Time Will Not Dim The Glory Of Their Deeds."

Nadia Ezz-Eddine: Two-thirds of the soldiers

who fought and died were sent back to the states.

4,153 soldiers are buried here.

Narrator: Included among them is Medal of Honor recipient

John Hunter Wickersham,

whose heroism was depicted back home in this war bond film.

The nearby town of Thiaucourt has a special relationship with cemetery.

Nadia Ezz-Eddine: Captain Oliver Cunningham died in

September 1918 on his 24th birthday.

He was struck by a German shell.

Captain Cunningham's mother was very emotionally distraught.

And she decided to come and live here in Thiaucourt.

Narrator: Much of the town had been destroyed during the war.

Nadia Ezz-Eddine: And she donated part of her fortune

to rebuild the town hall and the church.

And when she died, she was buried at the civilian

cemetery in Thiaucourt to be by her son.

Narrator: The bells in the church tower are dedicated to Oliver Cunningham,

and can be heard throughout

the day in the field where her son sleeps.

To the north of Paris, in the vicinity of the Somme River,

is Somme American Cemetery.

Here American, British and Australian forces fought

the Germans at the heavily reinforced Hindenberg Line.

Thousands of young "doughboys" went over the top

and did not come back again.

Lee Anthony: This is a cemetery in which

some of my father's friends are buried.

We have found a grave of a Corporal Sentell.

And my father did mention Corporal Sentell's death in his war diary.

Narrator: Corporal H.G.

Sentell was sent out on guard detail,

and was accidentally killed by a New Jersey Corporal,

our first death.

Not all those buried in this serene landscape were combatants.

Nurse Helen Fairchild gave her gas mask to a wounded

soldier when her field hospital was attacked.

She died from exposure to mustard gas.

Afterwards, a fellow nurse wrote,

"Never tell me a woman can't be as brave as a man."

Lorna Rahanian: One thing I'm struck by is that there are so many "Unknowns."

And I remember as I was laying flowers,

it could have and possibly was the only time that

that soldier had ever had a flower placed at its base.

And I was so struck by the countless stories that may never be told.

Narrator: The climactic battle of World War I

began in September of 1918.

Americans joined with the French and the British in

the massive Meuse-Argonne offensive in Eastern France.

It lasted 47 days,

with more than 26,000 Americans killed

more US dead than any battle in our history.

Today, Meuse Argonne is the largest

American military cemetery in Europe.

It contains the graves of more than 14,000 service men and women.

Jean-Paul de Vries: The cemetery is situated on a hill the Americans had to take.

The Germans had a big trench.

And it looked like a simple trench in the open fields.

But when the Americas came they discovered it wasn't that easy at all.

Narrator: A testament to the furious fighting,

nine Medal of Honor recipients are buried here.

Corporal Freddie Stowers was cut down by

machine gun fire leading troops up Hill 188.

Medic, William Sawelson,

lost his life attempting to rescue a fallen comrade.

The names of the missing are carved

on the walls of the memorial building.

Jean-Paul de Vries: If you go from the French coast

to almost Switzerland you will find all over the place still men missing.

It's one enormous cemetery.

Narrator: This group of French school children has come for a history lesson.

Teacher: We have to show the children that the

Americans participated in the First World War and

helped deliver France from the Germans.

And the children are very moved when they see this.

And it will be their job to make sure

that it doesn't happen again.

Jean-Paul de Vries: This is a place which is exactly

now the opposite of war.

It's calm, it's peaceful.

As you can hear right now there's a lot of birds singing.

It's about 70,000 young men who lost their lives

within a few months in North of France

to make peace in the world.

Narrator: During the war American forces also

fought to the north of France in Belgium along with the British.

In the final weeks of the fighting,

two U.S. divisions suffered heavy casualties.

90 miles west of Brussels, Belgium,

is Flanders Field American Cemetery.

Hubert Caloud: This site was a battlefield

cemetery for the 91st Infantry Division.

We have ten soldiers buried here that were

killed on the last day of the war.

There's a lot of ethnic names, because they were immigrants,

many who barely spoke English.

Narrator: The cemetery takes its name from the famous poem,

"In Flanders Fields."

Poet: In Flanders Fields the poppies blow between

the crosses row on row, that mark our place; and in the sky.

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

scarce heard among the guns below.

Narrator: When the Armistice was signed on November 11th, 1918,

World War I was called "The War to end all wars."

But just a generation later there would be an

even greater need for American military cemeteries.

Early on a December morning in 1941,

a new threat suddenly and violently appeared.

With the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor,

America entered the Second World War.

World War II put sixteen million Americans in harm's way.

Over a period of four desperate years,

more than 400,000 lost their lives,

four times as many as World War I.

When the war ended, Americans were temporarily

buried in nearly every part of the world.

Collecting and identifying remains, was a difficult,

and decades-long endeavor.

As in the World War I, about 60% of the War Dead

were returned to the United States.

But families of over 93,000 Americans permitted

their loved ones to remain overseas in the lands they died to liberate.

In their honor, fourteen World War II cemeteries

were created in eight different countries,

so the world would not forget their sacrifice for freedom.

Far off in the Pacific,

in the Republic of the Philippines,

is Manila American Cemetery.

It is the largest of all American overseas military cemeteries,

with the graves of more than 17,000 U.S. service men and women.

They died in the Pacific,

and in the China-Burma-India Theaters of the war from 1941 to 1945.

Ricardo Jose: After the war ended there were cemeteries

for American war dead all over the Pacific.

And there was a need to put all these

remains together in one formal cemetery.

Narrator: Of the many thousands of Filipinos who died,

570 who served in the U.S. Armed Forces,

are buried alongside their American comrades.

Ricardo Jose: When the war broke out

the Philippines was part of the United States,

and the Philippines fought alongside the United States against Japan.

Col. Rafael Estrada: Immediately after the Pearl Harbor debacle,

the President of the United States conscripted

the Filipinos into the United States Armed Force's in the Far East.

It was Christmas when we were given instruction to move to Bataan.

Narrator: After a valiant resistance,

American and Filipino troops were overcome by Japanese

forces and led on the cruel Bataan Death March to prisoner of war camps.

Col. Rafael Estrada: When we arrived at the concentration camp we were about 65,000.

First day there were about 10 dead, 20 dead.

Towards the middle of our incarceration we were

already at about 400 a day dying.

Narrator: Many victims of the Death March

and the camps have come to rest here.

Col. Rafael Estrada: It takes a big sacrifice to be worthy of freedom.

Narrator: The cemetery's memorial is comprised of a

central chapel flanked by two curved walkways.

They contain pillars inscribed with the

names of 36,285 Missing in Action,

two-thirds of all the Americans missing in World War II.

Included are the five Sullivan brothers,

all lost when their ship, the U.S.S.

Juneau,

was torpedoed off Guadal Canal.

The deaths of all five brothers shocked the

nation and their motto, 'We stick together,'

became a rallying cry for the war effort.

Ricardo Jose: As a historian I'm always asked

if we really learn the lessons of history.

But World War I was called the war to end all wars,

and yet we had World War II after that,

and we have cemeteries like this.

Narrator: Each day at sunset, a carillon plays "Taps"

for the honored dead buried in this tropical land.

While war raged in the Pacific, battlefields won a quarter century earlier in Europe

were back in the hands Adolph Hitler and his fascist allies.

American ground operations against Germany and Italy

began on the shores of North Africa.

At the Kasserine Pass, in Tunisia,

inexperienced U.S. troops were beaten back by

battle tested German Africa Corps,

and 1,700 Americans died in the desert sand.

On the Mediterranean coast of Africa,

just outside the capital of Tunisia,

is North Africa American Cemetery.

It is a small oasis in this dry, hot climate.

Kamel Djebali: During the war there were temporary

cemeteries in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Nigeria, Liberia and Iran.

Narrator: The temporary cemeteries were consolidated here in 1948.

Kamel Djebali: We have 2,841 buried, and 3,724 on the Wall of the Missing.

Mohamed Hassen Ghorbi: Whenever I visit this cemetery,

I can remember when I helped bury the soldiers

and I reflect on how they defended and died for our country.

Narrator: Many American tourists visit from the

cruise ships that ply the Mediterranean.

Among the headstones,

they can find that of bomber captain Foy Draper.

A gold medalist in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin,

Draper was on the 400-meter relay team along with Jesse Owens,

that embarrassed Hitler and the claim of racial superiority.

His twin-engine attack bomber was shot down near the Kasserine Pass.

And his grave is a reminder that in World War II,

America gave her finest.

Kamel Djebali: This cemetery is a symbol of

the good relations between the U.S. and the Tunisians.

Narrator: The sound of prayers from a nearby mosque

carries out over the field of crosses and stars of David,

creating an unforgettable impression.

Meanwhile,

U.S. bomber squadrons based throughout Great Britain

flew missions over occupied Europe and Germany.

As the bombing runs increased,

so did American casualties.

60 miles north of London, near the famous

university town is Cambridge American Cemetery.

A large percentage of the more than 4,000 Americans buried here were airmen.

Robert Lenaghan: This is my first visit to England.

It was the time that I thought, well I'd better

come and visit my brother's grave, it's been sixty years.

Narrator: Private James Lenaghan was a paratrooper

with the 82nd Airborne and died from wounds received in France.

Robert Lenaghan: When I first saw the headstone,

it just was very, very emotional.

I love him as much as you could ever love anybody.

Narrator: 5,126 names are inscribed on the Tablets of the Missing.

They include that of Alton Glenn Miller,

the famous big band leader,

who created some of the most popular music of the era.

Major Miller was scheduled to perform for the troops

in France in December 1944.

But somewhere over the English Channel,

his single-engine plane disappeared and his remains were never found.

Inside the cemetery's memorial building,

a large map depicts "The great air assault,

and the mastery of the Atlantic."

Joseph Pearson: Most of us, 18-19 years old,

we had no fear, because we knew what we were doing

and we might not come back.

Without those people out there, we wouldn't be here.

Narrator: Following the campaign in North Africa

came the invasions of Sicily and mainland Italy.

In January 1944, the allies made their historic

landings behind enemy lines at Anzio.

Pinned down for months by the Germans,

thousands of Americans lay dead before the Allies

could break out of their beachhead.

About 40 miles south of Rome, near the Anzio landing sites,

is Sicily-Rome American Cemetery.

Resting here are the remains of nearly 8,000 U.S. service men and women.

At the center of a classically-styled memorial

is a powerful "Brothers in Arms" statue.

Twenty-three sets of brothers are buried side by side in the cemetery.

The walls of the chapel are carved with

the names of 3,095 missing.

On its ceiling is a unique, sculpted dome that

records for posterity the precise position of the

planets during the Anzio landings.

Alfredo Rinaldi: I hear about landing in Anzio inside my home from radio.

I remember one time, we go down the beach and we saw

the cross and we saw all the skeleton only with its boots.

It was American boots.

Narrator: Nurses played a critical role at Anzio,

treating more than 16,000 U.S. casualties,

amid relentless air bombardments.

Second Lieutenant Ellen Ainsworth worked in a

field hospital near the present cemetery entrance.

She was killed by a direct hit attempting to evacuate patients.

Alfredo Rinaldi: Every week I come here.

It's very sad.

They lost life.

For what?

For the liberty, for freedom.

And we say thank you many time, many time.

Narrator: When U.S. troops finally entered Rome in June of 1944,

the job was still not finished.

Thousands of Americans would died in the rugged

hills and mountains of northern Italy.

Just outside the famous Renaissance city from

which it takes its name, is Florence American Cemetery.

In this pastoral setting are the graves of 4,402 Americans.

Man: Where your brother was killed was most likely right around here.

Right up in hill 913.

Narrator: Dr. Fred Winter has come to see the grave of his brother.

Dr. Fred Winter: My brother was only 20 when he was taken away from us.

He was natural born skier.

He was told he was going to be on the first

Olympic ski team after World War II.

Narrator: Corporal Bud Winter was killed in Alpine

combat one month before the war ended.

Dr. Fred Winter: All of us were just devastated.

We're so thankful for you, Bud.

Narrator: On high ground overlooking the graves

stands the memorial building.

This veteran has returned a final time to visit his fallen comrades.

Carl Galvenus: I was 1st sergeant in the second

battalion headquarters company of the 473rd infantry combat regiment.

Every one of the men were great men, great fighters.

I guess it was because they each thought they

were doing the right thing.

I hope this cemetery stands for thousands of years,

so people will never forget it.

Narrator: A statue of an American soldier watches

over these graves as the Tuscan sun rises and sets on the cemetery.

On June 6, 1944,

a massive allied force made its historic journey

across the English Channel to land on the

bloody beaches of Normandy, France.

More than three thousand Americans perished on D-Day.

Thousands more were lost in airborne operations

and in the breakout from the beachhead.

On the Northwest coast of France, overlooking Omaha Beach,

is Normandy American Cemetery.

It is one of the most famous military shrines in the world,

with the graves of 9,387 Americans.

More than a million visitors come each year to honor its dead,

and learn more about its history.

Patrick Salvin: We're greatly moved by the

enormous numbers of crosses which we have seen here today,

and the wonderful way it is kept.

I'm a first cousin of the American soldier who's buried here.

He paid the last full measure of devotion.

Narrator: Among the rows of marble headstones are

countless stories of dedication and courage.

Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr.

was a Medal of Honor recipient and the son of a president.

In failing health, he landed with the first wave of forces on Utah Beach

and personally led his troops against the enemy.

One month after the invasion he passed away

and was buried here with his men.

His brother Quentin, an aviator killed in World War I,

rests next to him.

Here, a father and son are buried next to one another.

The families of Col. Oliver W. Reed,

and First Lt. Oliver Reed, Jr., were informed of both their deaths on the same day.

Private Jesus Casas was the son of a Mexican immigrant

who parachuted behind enemy lines and was captured.

He and his comrades were forced to dig a common grave,

and then executed by the German SS.

In the open arc of the cemetery's memorial facing

the graves area is a 22-foot bronze statue,

"The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves."

That spirit can still be felt today on the beaches of Normandy.

The invasion of France was just the beginning.

Allied forces faced bitter opposition in the breakout from Saint-Lo,

at the Falaise Gap, and during the drive to Paris.

About 60 miles south of the Normandy beaches

is Brittany American Cemetery.

More than 4,000 Americans rest in the shadow of its Romanesque chapel.

Local residents have not forgotten them.

Francis Lubigot: I came here to put flowers in the

American cemetery of soldiers who fought in the war

for the liberation of France and who passed through here.

I stand in awe before the courage of these young men

who came to free France.

Narrator: Memorial Day ceremonies are heavily attended,

even on a rainy day.

Speaker: Who have given their lives defending freedom today and yesterday.

Nelly Alix: We were 18 during the landing and we lived near Utah Beach.

We saw them land.

They were just about our age.

We will never forget their faces, or anything else at all.

Narrator: In August 1944, another Allied invasion

took place on the southern coast of France.

In operations Dragoon and Anvil,

American forces stormed ashore and broke through German defenses,

but not without a cost.

About 16 miles from the Mediterranean coast,

on the outskirts of the French city of Draguignan,

is Rhôône American Cemetery.

It was established two days after the invasion

when U.S. troops captured the city.

Dr. German Angelin: Some people brought the corpses

of two Americans to the infirmary that I had

opened next to the train station.

These were the first two Americans that I had ever seen.

The sight of those two dead soldiers provoked an emotion in me,

and in all the people of Draguignan,

that is practically indescribable.

And I immediately decided that this would be the

place where we would bury the two American soldiers.

From that moment on, it allowed us to believe we

might one day be free of German domination.

Narrator: On the face of the Memorial,

a carved angel looks out over these 861 graves just

a short distance from the French Riviera.

In September 1944, American forces advancing from

Normandy and Southern France joined up near the

French town of Epinal, and began a steady drive toward Germany,

taking heavy casualties as they advanced.

Situated in the shadow of the Vosges Mountains in Eastern France,

is Epinal American Cemetery.

A dignified court of honor leads to the graves area.

Among these 5,255 headstones are members of

the highly decorated 442nd Regimental Combat Team,

comprised of Japanese-Americans.

Tomosu Hirahara lost his life rescuing a lost platoon of GIs.

U.S. forces liberated this region in September 1944.

Therese Valentin: It has to be said that we had

just lived through years that were really tragic and we were so full of joy.

It just overflowed.

Narrator: Then trucks filled with American dead began to arrive.

Therese Valentin: When we saw those American trucks go by, we were so upset.

They had them in white bags.

They buried them like that, you see, right in the earth.

You can't help but be moved when you get here.

It really hits you to see all these graves.

But we forget a little bit I think.

Narrator: North of France another Allied offensive

was taking place in the Netherlands.

In operation "Market Garden,"

American planes filled the skies and the largest number

of paratroopers in history was dropped behind enemy lines.

Many died to take the bridges at Nijmegen and Best.

Near the city of Maastricht, is Netherlands American Cemetery.

In this gentle farmland are the graves of more

than 8,000 service men and women.

A strong bond still exists here between the Dutch and Americans.

Pierre Ackermans: We experienced the liberation

of the American 1st Army in September '44.

Many soldiers died here.

And we made a connection between their sacrifices and our freedom.

Narrator: Local residents have adopted graves since the war ended.

Maria Yansen: I adopted this grave in 1945, and

this soldier, Pete Busch, he billeted in our home.

He was a friendly man, a big boy.

And he killed 14 days after he is gone.

I be here every year on Memorial Day, when he was born,

Christmas Day, and I bring flowers.

Narrator: Groups of Dutch school children come here frequently.

Teacher: We like to visit the graves of all the

brave soldiers who gave their lives here,

so the children can understand how important it was for

us that we now live in freedom here in the Netherlands.

Kids: Thank you America!

Narrator: Late in 1944, the German Army launched a

massive counter attack in the Ardennes Forest in Belgium.

In what became known as the Battle of the Bulge,

tens-of-thousands of Americans died,

often in sub-zero temperatures.

Many of them are buried today in eastern Belgium,

at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery.

Thousands more died in the Hurtgen Forest,

and in the Battle of Aachen.

Marcel Schmetz: I was eleven and a half at that

time and I came here with my brother.

And it really had a profound effect on us when

we saw all those soldiers' bodies who were killed.

What goes on in a child's head is that you wonder if

it's possible, you ask yourself if it's possible?

The Henri Chapelle cemetery represents freedom for me,

but it also represents the suffering of the American people.

Narrator: Survivors still return looking for lost comrades.

Bennie Zuskin: I was with the First Infantry Division,

the Big Red One.

It was like hell, and it was cold,

especially in the Battle of the Bulge.

I think there's at least a dozen guys here that was in the platoon I was with.

There was only two of us that survived the whole thing.

Narrator: Following the war,

many Belgian's learned to sing the Star Spangled Banner.

♫[MAN SINGS STAR SPANGLED BANNER IN FRENCH]♫

♫[MAN SINGS STAR SPANGLED BANNER IN FRENCH]♫

♫[MAN SINGS STAR SPANGLED BANNER IN FRENCH]♫

Narrator: As the war progressed, the Allied air campaign intensified.

Many U.S. airmen sacrificed their lives to destroy

the enemy's ability to fight.

Near the city of Liege,

Belgium is Ardennes American Cemetery.

Three-fifths of these more 5,000 graves belong to airmen.

In some cases remains could not be separated and were buried together.

Those who did not return are remembered on tablets of the missing.

Three Medal of Honor recipients rest here.

Major John L. Jerstad led his bomber formation

in a low-level attack on an oil refinery.

Three miles from the target his plane was hit and set on fire.

So strong was his conception of duty that he ordered

his crew to bail out and then flew his plane into the target area.

Looking out over this field of honor is a bronze statue of "Youth,"

a reminder that those who died

were in the prime of their lives.

Following the victory of the Allies in the Ardennes,

the U.S. Third Army,

under the command of Major General George S. Patton, Jr.,

moved to drive the Germans from the Duchy of Luxembourg.

Roland Gaul: The American army liberated us in September 1944,

and a few months later the Germans came back by surprise.

And then General Patton liberated the country for good in January 1945.

And these two liberations marked the country forever.

Narrator: Luxembourg American Cemetery is located

just outside the country's capital city.

Here lie the remains of 5,076 Americans.

Roland Gaul: When you come here this is a powerful symbol.

All those brave young men here, and women,

who died in a war which was not even fought in their land,

but they died for freedom.

Narrator: Visitors from around the world come to

see the grave of General George Patton.

Burials in U.S. military cemeteries are without regard to race,

creed, or rank, but Patton's grave is the exception.

Roland Gaul: The General was killed in a car accident

in Germany in December 1945, and it was his wish

to be always buried in a military cemetery amongst soldiers.

Initially his grave was just in the plot like all

the other graves, but thousands of Luxembourgers,

they kept coming, in rows and so forth,

so the lawn, the grass was gone.

Being considered our liberator, the Grand Duchess,

our royalty at that time, wanted him to be

buried in the cathedral here in Luxembourg.

Narrator: To avoid a controversy,

U.S. officials agreed to move the General's grave to the front of the cemetery,

where it now looks out over the troops he commanded.

Roland Gaul: Remembrance is still very strong

60 years after the end of World War II.

Young and old, they always come here to pause and

reflect and pay gratitude to the United States.

Narrator: In March 1945, two U.S. armies crossed

the Rhine River and began their final drive into Germany.

The end was near for Adolph Hitler and his Nazis,

but many Americans would not live to enjoy the victory.

In northeastern France, near the German boarder,

is Lorraine American Cemetery.

The land it occupies was once part of the Siegfried

Line, the German's last line of defense.

Among these more than 10,000 graves,

one can see the diversity of the American people.

Staff Sergeant Rubin Rivers received the Medal of Honor

for sacrificing his life to save his tank company.

The brothers John and Victor Akimoto volunteered

to show their patriotism while their parents were

confined in a Japanese-American internment camp.

Eddie Cinniginnie was a Native American.

He received a Purple Heart,

and was later killed in action.

Elisabeth Gozzo: We know the terrible cost of our freedom.

We can see it here in the Lorraine Cemetery.

I think that each of these cross or star is a life broken.

Narrator: Family members return to visit these graves for generations.

Glenn Marcus: My uncle was drafted into the army in 1944,

and died in Germany in 1945.

Milton was my father's only sibling,

and the death deeply affected the family.

They could barely look at his photograph.

It was said that it was hard for my father

to get close to people after that.

It's 60 years virtually to the day that Uncle Milton died,

and I'm happy to be here and see that he's

in this peaceful, wonderful place.

It helps history come alive to be here.

It definitely brings it all to life.

Elisabeth Gozzo: It's good to be able to come and to thank them,

and to honor them, and to never forget them.

Narrator: It can be said that the way we remember

our War Dead is a mark of the nation's character,

a measure of its heart and soul.

Veteran: They all deserve it, for what they gave,

and deserve more than we can give, really.

Narrator: With these "Hallowed Grounds,"

America keeps faith with her Fallen.

Since World War II,

the United States has returned all her found War Dead home.

These overseas cemeteries exist so future generations will not forget the tens-of-thousands

of Americans who lost their lives

so the world might live in peace and freedom.

But they also stand to remind us of the terrible cost of war, and its suffering and pain.

As Abraham Lincoln said:

"Let us here highly resolve that these honored dead shall not have died in vain."

Major funding for this program was provided by: