Dedication of New Normandy American Cemetery Visitor Center Set for
June 6, 2007
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Sixty-three years after
Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy to turn the tide of
World War II in Europe, a new visitor center at the Normandy
American Cemetery in France will open in June 2007 to tell the story
of the 9,387 Americans buried there and put the D-Day landings and
follow-on battle in Europe in perspective as one of the greatest
military achievements of all time.
The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) announced
today that the $30 million visitor center will be dedicated
and opened to the public on June 6, 2007, during the annual
D-Day commemorations. Normandy is ABMC's most visited
cemetery, receiving approximately one million visitors each
year.
Using personal stories of participants and a mix of narrative text,
photos, films, interactive displays and artifacts, exhibits will
portray the competence, courage and sacrifice of Allied forces. The
visitor center will enhance the experience of visiting the cemetery
by relating the global significance and meaning of Operation
OVERLORD, the greatest amphibious invasion in history.
One-third of the building's 30,000 square feet will be dedicated
exhibit space. The center is sited in a wooded area of the cemetery
approximately 100 meters east of the Garden of the Missing.
In December 2002, ABMC selected the SmithGroup, an architectural and
engineering firm based in Washington, D.C., to design and build the
center. Gallagher & Associates, based in Bethesda, Md., is designing
the exhibits. Construction began in September 2005.
ABMC worked closely with local government officials in Normandy to
create a visitor center that will celebrate the spirit and teamwork
of the men and women who won the battle for Normandy, while ensuring
that the center integrates into the French government's plan for
infrastructure improvements throughout the Normandy area.
ABMC will announce its plans for the center's public opening and
dedication celebration in early 2007. Information will be posted on
the commission's Web site at
http://www.abmc.gov.