On our way to the coast to catch the ferry to the UK, Jude and I pulled off the motorway to take a look at the American war cemetery and memorial at Saint-Avold. It’s a moving sight to see 10,489 headstones laid out so neatly, row after row after row. There are also another 444 names of those ‘missing in action’ etched onto 2 large tablets either side of the main memorial. We owe every single one of them a huge debt.
“Those interred at the Lorraine American Cemetery died mostly in the autumn of 1944 during the Allied advance from Paris to the Rhine as the Americans sought to expel the Germans from fortress city of Metz and advance on the Siegfried Line during the latter stages of world War II. They were mainly part of the U.S. Third and Seventh Armies.
In the late 1940s many bodies from the Saint Avold region were repatriated to the US or concentrated at Lorraine.”
Wikipedia
It’s difficult to reflect the size of the cemetery in a few photos, so I’ve added a video at the end (muted because there was a lot of wind noise).
Alittlebitoutoffocus 
Incredible. It reminds us of Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington Virginia. Yes… we owe each of them much gratitude.
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Yes, it’s quite a shocking sight, to see so many headstones. Makes you think what a terrible war it must have been. The gardens are tended extremely well with a small army of gardeners and equipment.
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Wow this is really stunning. The video also offers a great perspective. Nicely captured Mike.
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It certainly took my breath away when I rounded that huge monument and saw all those gravestones. It was quite a emotional experience as there were only the gardeners (who were having a bit of an open day near the entrance displaying their various lawn mowers of all shapes and sizes) and 2 other people, who soon disappeared, wandering around, so my wife and I were completely alone with all those headstones.
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Really beautiful❤️
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Thank you Divya (and for following my site). 😊
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I don’t recall ever seeing this cemetery, how beautifully cared-for it is. It is almost beyond belief the number of lives lost here, your video shares well the perspective. Thanks for sharing, Mike.
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Yes, it’s immaculate.
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