Manila American Cemetery And Memorial Article Index for
Manila
Website Links For
Manila
 

Information About

Manila American Cemetery And Memorial




The cemetery, 152 acres or 615,000 square Metre s in extent, is on a prominent plateau, visible at a distance from the east, south and west. The largest cemetery in the Pacific of Americans killed during World War II , a total of 17,206 graves, most of whom gave their lives in the operations in New Guinea and the Philippines . The headstones are made of marble which are aligned in eleven plots forming a generally circular pattern, set among masses of a wide variety of tropical trees and shrubbery.

The chapel, a tall stone structure enriched with sculpture and mosaic, stands near the center of the cemetery. In front of it on a wide terrace are two large hemicycles with rooms at each end. Twenty-five large mosaic maps in these four rooms recall the achievements of the American Armed Forces in the Pacific , China , India and Burma . On rectangular Trani limestone piers within the hemicycles are inscribed the names of 36,282 of the Missing who gave their lives in the service of America and who rest in unknown graves. Carved in the floors are the seals of the American states and its territories.

The Memorial is mantained by the American Battle Monuments Commission . The cemetery is open daily to the public from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm except December 25 and January 1.


EXTERNAL LINKS