The Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery

Abstract

The Meuse-Argonne campaign fought by American forces in northern France during 1918 was the largest American battle of the time. After the war, memorials and cemeteries were built in the area to commemorate thousands of American war dead. Despite the magnitude and importance of the battle, it has been virtually forgotten in social memories of American history, while the D-Day landings on Normandy beaches have taken greater importance. This study used visitor books to explore how the battle and the men who fought were remembered, between the early 1920s and the beginnings of the centenary in 2013/2014. Although they provide very little details, the visitor books detect some changes across the century regarding remembrance practice, including the number and nature of comments and nationality of the visitors.