About this place

The World War I Suresnes American Cemetery and Memorial is located in the suburb of Suresnes five miles west of the center of Paris. It can be reached by automobile, taxicab or suburban trains which depart from Gare St. Lazare to the Suresnes Mont Valerien Station every twenty minutes. From the Suresnes Station it is a ten minute walk to the cemetery. Located high on the slopes of Mont Valerien, the cemetery affords a fine panorama of a large part of Paris. This cemetery, 7.5 acres in extent, contains the graves of 1,541 American military dead from World War I and 24 graves of American unknown dead from World War II. Bronze tablets on the walls of the chapel record the names of 974 American missing or buried or lost at sea in 1917 and 1918. Originally a World War I cemetery, Suresnes now shelters American dead from both wars. The World War I memorial chapel was enlarged by the addition of two loggias dedicated to the dead of both wars. In the rooms at the ends of the loggias are white marble figures in memory of those who gave their lives in these two wars. Inscribed on the walls of the loggias is a summary of the loss of life suffered by our armed forces during these great conflicts listing the location of all overseas military cemeteries where American dead are buried. Senior representatives of the American and French governments assemble at Suresnes Cemetery on ceremonial occasions to honor the memory of the American dead. The cemetery is open daily to the public from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm except December 25 and January 1. It is open on host country holidays. When the cemetery is open to the public, a staff member is on duty in the Visitors Building to answer questions and escort relatives to grave and memorial sites.