Do You Have Family Resting at the American Cemetery in Normandy? You Might Have a French Family You Don’t Know About.
Do you know someone who died in World War II France? This information can help you.
Do you remember that opening scene in Spielberg’s film, Saving Private Ryan?
An old veteran, accompanied by his descendants, visits a cemetery where he pays respects to fallen comrades. Rows upon rows of marble crosses and Stars of David overlook Omaha Beach, the fatal landing site on D-Day in 1944.
That is the Normandy American Cemetery in France. It’s where almost 9,400 World War II heroes are laid to rest.
My (husband’s) French family and I visit that memorial park every year. As volunteers of the non-profit Les Fleurs de la Mémoire (The Flowers of Memory), we “adopted” the graves of two American soldiers.
Why?
Because not everyone gets the chance to honor the tombs of their departed loved ones. Often, it’s too far or too costly for friends and relatives to travel to France. Many of the dead never had visitors.
Fortunately, the French are doing their best to help.
The said nonprofit has almost 5,000 members who pledge to lay flowers on one or several graves. A French family usually passes on the responsibility to the next generation, so the family’s commitment lives on.
I couldn’t stop thinking about the families of our two adopted soldiers. One was from Virginia; the other from New Jersey. Both were only in their 20s when they were killed in action.
Detective mode on, I searched online.
I managed to find the American family of soldier #1. This led to helping the warrior’s daughter, then 77, find some peace. She was two years old when her father died.
We bonded with the family online. If not for the pandemic, I think we would’ve had the chance to meet them here in France.
I’m still looking for the descendants of soldier #2. I’m not giving up.
I don’t think many are aware of the grave adoption program. So if you have a family member or friend who died fighting in WWII France, you can:
- verify the location of the grave by searching the burial database on the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) website. There are two memorial parks in Normandy (Colleville-sur-Mer and Saint James).
- email Les Fleurs de la Memoire to know if the grave has been adopted in either of the cemeteries.
- Comment below if you have any questions. I will try my best to help.
My wish is that American and French families are able to connect just like how we found our adopted soldier’s kin.
We have the chance to help others process, heal, and connect. It’s a long shot but it could change a family’s life.
