The Wall of the Missing at the Normandy American Cemetery
The Walls of the Missing stand in a semicircular garden on the east side of the memorial at the Normandy American Cemetery, inscribed with the names of 1,557 American servicemen whose remains were never recovered or identified. Bronze rosettes beside some names mark the men found and identified in the years since.
The short version
- 1,557 names, each with rank, unit and home state, line a semicircular garden on the east side of the memorial.
- A bronze rosette beside a name marks a man whose remains were later recovered and identified; the name stays on the wall.
- The wall keeps the cemetery’s hours and is free; staff in the visitor building locate a name for you and escort relatives to it.
- Our Normandy D-Day Tour from Paris ends at the cemetery, timed for Taps when the schedule allows, with time to walk to the wall before the flag lowering.
- From Bayeux it is 20 minutes by car, or about 40 minutes on Nomad bus 120 to the cemetery stop.
Why the Names Are Here
Most of the missing were lost at sea in the landings, in aircraft that went down over the Channel and the countryside, or in ground fighting that left no identifiable remains. The wall gives each man what a grave gives the 9,389 buried in front of it: his name, rank, unit, and state. When a set of remains is later recovered and identified, the man receives a burial and his name on the wall gains a rosette rather than being removed; 19 rosettes have been added over the decades.
Visiting the Wall
The garden sits behind the memorial colonnade and the bronze statue “Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves,” at the end of the main axis of graves. Entry follows the cemetery: free, daily except December 25 and January 1, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from April 15 to September 15 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. the rest of the year. Staff at the visitor center can locate a specific name and escort relatives to it. Our cemetery page covers hours, the visitor center, and the registration change coming for 2027 visits. Our Normandy D-Day Tour from Paris reaches the cemetery at the end of the day, with time at the wall before the flag lowering.
The Cemetery Around the Wall
The wall sits at one end of the main axis; the rest of the cemetery runs west from it. The memorial colonnade and the bronze figure face a reflecting pool and the ten plots of graves, 9,389 headstones in curving rows, with the chapel at the center and the bluff above Omaha Beach at the far end, where an overlook explains the landings on the sand below.
The visitor center by the entrance holds the exhibits and the staff who find names, and the flag lowering closes each day, with Taps when the schedule allows. From April 15 to September 15 the grounds stay open until 6 p.m.; the rest of the year they close at 5.
Ninety minutes covers the wall, the memorial, a walk through the graves and the overlook. Our Normandy D-Day Tour from Paris ends the day here for that reason.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many names are on the Walls of the Missing?
1,557 names of American servicemen missing from the D-Day landings and the Battle of Normandy, inscribed with rank, unit, and home state.
What do the rosettes on the wall mean?
A bronze rosette beside a name marks a man whose remains have since been recovered and identified. The name stays on the wall; 19 rosettes have been added.
Can staff help find a specific name?
Yes. Staff at the cemetery visitor center locate names and graves and escort relatives to them during opening hours.
Our Most Popular Trips From Paris
Omaha Beach, Utah Beach, Pointe du Hoc and the American Cemetery in one day by train from Paris.
Your own driver-guide from your Paris hotel, flexible routing for up to six people.
The same American-sector day from Bayeux station at 9:00 a.m., back by evening.
