All Saints’ Day: American war cemetery in north-east France hosts grave sponsorship event

The Saint-Mihiel American Cemetery and Memorial in the north-east of France is to host a grave sponsorship event on All Saints’ Day (November 1).

The World War One cemetery in Thiaucourt-Regniéville (Meurthe-et-Moselle) is inviting members of the public to participate by offering flowers in memory of a US soldier or service member who is buried there. 

In return, they will learn about the particular member they are honoring. Organisers aim to find links between participants and their sponsored soldier, matching those with similar professions for example. 

A total of 4,153 American service members are buried at the site, marked by white marble crosses. Some 300 more are commemorated on the ‘wall of the missing’ in the memorial area beyond the war graves, with rosettes indicating the names of those since recovered and identified. 

Most of the service members “died in the offensive that resulted in the reduction of the Saint-Mihiel salient that threatened Paris” in September 1918, explains the American Battle Monuments Commission.

“By placing flowers at their headstones and sharing their stories, we keep their memory alive, not just for today but also for generations to come,” said Félicia Bories, an interpretive guide at the cemetery.

The burial site currently has 75 sponsors. These are mostly people who live near the cemetery, however some live abroad and send bouquets of flowers to be placed on their service member’s grave, Ms Bories told Le Parisien.

The cemetery is open to the public for free throughout the year, from 09:00 to 17:00 daily, however registration is mandatory for the All Saints’ Day event. 

To sign up, or for more information, contact saint-mihiel@abmc.gov or call 03 83 80 01 01