rhone american cemetery and memorial

This is one of two American Military Cemeteries in Southern France with the other being in St. James, Brittany. The Fallen Warriors buried here were killed in action after the second invasion of France in August '44. It is in the picturesque university town of Draguinon

I had no idea that there are American soldiers buried here but it does make sense. Ran into this place by accident because I was lost. It was so well maintained I had to inquire. Veryimpressive.

The Rhone American Cemetery and Memorial is a great place to honor and pay respect for our fallen heroes. It is a small cemetery compared to Normandy, with 861 burial sights, a memorial wall for the missing in action, 294 and 61 unknown. The significance of it is just as important. This cemetery is in memory of those who lost their lives in the August 1944 Southern Invasion of France. The importance was to move up to meet the Normandy troops so as to take controol of the Marsailles, France port.It is a very well maintained and beautiful location. Our guide from the Memorial was very good and helpful in explaining the importance of this cemetery to honor of heroes.Take time to go and pay your respects for our fallen heroes.

This was an included stop on our Grand Circle tour. It was simply amazing. It was so beautiful to begin with but the guide gave us explanations that were so meaningful we could not help but get tears in our eyes at our American boys and men who fought for freedom and lost their lives in France and are buried here. At the end of our tour we all stopped at the grave of an unknown soldier for a service our tour arranged for a bouquet of flowers to be presented - we were all crying now as we stopped for this very simple service and reminder of the many lives that were lost. Amazing!!

I actually love to visit cemeteries, but had never visited a military one. While a smaller ground, it is home to 861 American soldiers. What made the visit exceptional was Bruce, the guide who is completely committed to telling the stories of the individuals who gave their lives. It was an honor to visit and honor the people who gave their lives.

Get there early or later; noon sun is hot. Smaller venue, so do not need too much time. Interesting metal topography of France and 3rd army.

this was our first visit to a war memorial and well worth it. It was a lovely summers day and very quiet with very few people. The memorial was spotlessly clean. The gardens were well maniquered. Unfortunately as it was lunchtime there were no guides about, but the displays more than made up for it

The graves of the 860 American soldiers, who lost their lives in their fight to liberate southern France in August 1944, are placed in beautiful and tranquil surroundings outside the Provencal town of Draguignan. Olive trees, oleanders, and cypress trees add to the solemn feeling of tranquility and gratitude towards the soldiers who courageously fought and died and were laid to rest here.

This is a small American Cemetery but as important as any of the others although it has, at present, only 861 grave sites. It draws attention to an invasion force not known by all - the liberation of Southern France by Operation Dragoon. The cemetery itself is in a beautiful setting and has a superb mosaic on the chapel alter. The tour was excellent, done by a retired American soldier who knew the area by heart and seemed to love his job. Many thanks to the Grand Circle Foundation for providing wreaths for the unknown soldier's grave weekly. A little out of the way but a worthwhile interruption on a drive to Nice.

The Rhone American Cemetery and Memorial is located in Draguignan, an inland city of 40,000 mostly military and administrative personnel. The cemetery is extremely small at 861 headstones compared to what most Americans consider an American military cemetery from WWII like Normandy. At Rhone, you will find olive trees, a beautiful chapel with mosaics, and some of the best stories about American heroes who fought for the liberation of southern France in Operation Dragoon. Buried there, is 1st Lt. Aleda E. Lutz, the ONLY woman, a flight nurse from Michigan who perished with all of her crew and charges atop Mt. Pilat in Doizieux, France. Guided tours in English and French are available from the cemetery staff. Call ahead, if you can, to make an appt. or if you can't, just pop into the Visitor Center, sign the Guest Book, and ask. Many Americans still believe that the French are snobby towards Americans and/or ungrateful of our sacrifices. This could not be further from the truth! In fact, in 1968, a local high school teacher created the Franco-American Society of Draguignan, France. Each Memorial Day, the society invites an American family (next-of-kin) to participate in the Memorial Day ceremony held at the Rhone American Cemetery. If you are next-of-kin, or know someone with a relative buried at Rhone, please pass along this information. You can find information about the Franco-American Society on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FrancoAmericanSociety and all of the American Battle Monuments Commission cemeteries at www.abmc.gov, where you can also search the database for WWI and WWII service members. It is ALWAYS a good idea to call the cemetery ahead of your visit if you are going to visit a specific grave/family member. If the cemetery staff are aware of your intention to visit, they will prepare the headstone with flags and sand the engraving so that the name and rank will stand out in photographs. All of the cemeteries are worth a visit, whether or not you have next-of-kin resting there. Ask for a tour. You won't be sorry!

Once again my WWII Dad and I along with my daughter, went to this American cemetery in Draguignan. It is always a moving experience to be there...see the crosses and remember the fallen.

We were lucky enough to bump into an English veteran of the parachute landings one evening who told us that there was a commemorative ceremony taking place on Friday at the cemetary.We turned up and there was a full reenactment going on as well. The ground were beautifully kept and the tranquility of the place made the achievements even more amazing. The chapel is beautiful and the ceremony was poignant and gave everyone an opportunity to reflect on the heroic deeds done 69 years ago.The jeeps, lorries and reenactors were excellent too!

After we visited the Abbey of Thoronet, we took a shortcut on a back road over to Draguignan and the American Military Cemetery, commemorating the 08/15/44 landings on the coast. It was relatively small compared to some of the cemeteries we’ve visited. We walked over to the large map of the area where there were two people speaking English -- they turned out to be the director and one of his staff. They were very well-informed and interesting and we chatted for a while.Americans who travel in Europe should visit the web site of the American Battle Monuments Commission (http://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries/cemeteries.php) to see if there are any military cemeteries in the area they will visit. We make a point of checking every year, and have had many interesting and inspiring experiences as a result.

We make a point of visiting cemeteries especially American cemeteries wherever we go. They are well maintained and very peaceful. It's a good way to get away from the hustle and bustle of travel and also to remember the sacrifices made. We talked with the director for over an hour. He gave us recommendations for monuments and restaurants all of which were excellent.

Not as big as the other american cemiteries in France, but also very impressive... It was estabilshed in honor of the allied offensive in the Cote d'Azur region in august of 1944. 860 of american military dead rest there.