North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial

North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial

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Details
Location	Carthage
Country	Tunisia
Type	Military
Owned by	American Battle Monuments Commission
Size	27-acre (110,000 m2)
Number of graves	2,841
Website	Official
Find a Grave	North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial

The North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial (NAAC), is a 27-acre (11 ha) cemetery located at Carthage, Tunisia, where 2,841 United States military casualties are interred. Most lost their lives during World War II military activities in North Africa.

Description

File:North African American Cemetery and Memorial 2006 Carthage.jpg

Walking along one of the paths

File:US Navy 061117-N-6544L-005 The Marine Corps color guard assigned to the American Embassy in Tunis marches past a corridor of Tunisian honor guards while retiring the colors during a wreath-laying ceremony at the North African A.jpg

An American & Tunisian honor guard at the cemetery's chapel

Headstones are set in straight lines subdivided into 9 rectangular plots by wide paths, with decorative pools at their intersections. Along the southeast edge of the burial area, bordering the tree-lined terrace leading to the memorial is the Wall of the Missing. On this wall 3,724 names are engraved. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified. The chapel and the memorial court, which contains large maps in mosaic and ceramic depicting the operations and supply activities of American forces across Africa to the Persian Gulf, were designed to harmonize with local architecture. The chapel interior is decorated with polished marble, flags and sculpture.

The cemetery is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays except Tunisian Public holidays and December 25 and January 1. When the cemetery is open to the public, a staff member is usually on duty in the Visitor Building to answer questions and escort relatives to grave and memorial sites.

Notable interments

• Capt. Foy Draper (1911–1943), Gold Medal Olympic sprinter (1936 Olympics) and USAAF pilot
• Pvt. Nicholas Minue (1905–1943), Medal of Honor recipient for his bravery near Majaz al Bab, Tunisia.
• R/O John F. Clemmens (1920-1943), Air Medal died in a plane crash with pilot Clarence Fuller Jan. 20th 1944.

Location

File:North African American Cemetery and Memorials 2006 Tunisia.jpg

The flagpole and the cemetery

North Africa American Cemetery is located in close proximity to the site of the ancient city of Carthage, Tunisia, destroyed by the Romans in 146 B.C., and lies over part of the site of Roman Carthage. It is near the present town of the same name, 10 miles (16 km) from the city of Tunis and 5 miles (8.0 km) from its airport. The "La Marsa" railroad runs from the center of Tunis to Carthage Amilcar station, a 5-minute walk from the cemetery; taxicabs are available at Tunis and at the airport. There are good hotel accommodations in Tunis as well as in the vicinity of the cemetery at Carthage, Sidi Bou Said, La Marsa and Gammarth.

External links

• American Battle Monuments Commission – North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Government document "North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial, "American Battle Monuments Commission"".