Memorial Day Ceremony at the Escadrille Lafayette Memorial Near Paris

The Escadrille La Fayette Memorial, 6 miles west of the center of Paris, honors the flying corps comprised of American pilots who, having volunteered to take part in the First World War under French, lost their lives in aerial combat. Sixty-eight of them are entombed below in a wide semi-circular crypt. The monument is easily accessible from by suburban train.

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While I fully understand the desire of Americans, among others, to want to visit the beaches, cemeteries and WWII sites of Normandy, I can’t help but note the relative lack of visitors to the war memorials and cemeteries within far easier reach of Paris. For example:

– the American WWI cemeteries and memorials near Chateau-Thierry, including the Aisne-Marne Cemetery and Belleau Wood, 60 miles east of Paris,

– the Suresnes Cemetery, originally a WWI cemetery and now also containing the remains of soldiers from WWII, four miles west of the center of Paris, or

– the Escadrille La Fayette Memorial in Marnes-la-Coquette, six miles west of the center of Paris.

I recently attended the American Memorial Day commemoration at the latter.

The monument honors the flying corps comprised of American pilots who, having volunteered to take part in the First World War under French command (1916-1918), lost their lives in aerial combat. Sixty-eight of them are entombed below in a wide semi-circular crypt.

The monument, constructed 1926-1928, is in the form of a triumphal arch with porticoes to either side. The names of Lafayette and Washington are inscribed on the central portion, emphasizing the monument’s role as a symbol of French-American friendship. Inscriptions of the names of those who are entombed in the crypt join Lafayette and Washington in overlooking the Escadrille’s logo.

There’s no need to compare the significance or appeal of this and other cemeteries, monuments and memorials with those in Normandy.  It’s simply worth noting that for Americans visiting or living in Paris, one can pay homage to American involvement in war in Europe without complicated logistics or a full daytrip.

To reach the Escadrille La Fayette Memorial from the capital, take the suburban train from the Saint-Lazare station to the Garches/Marnes-la-Coquette stop, a 20-25-minute ride. From the station, turn left and walk for 10 minutes along Boulevard Raymond Poincaré to the entrance to the park, then follow the path several hundred yards to the clearing where the monument stands in the distance.

Update: When I wrote this brief illustrated text in 2012, the memorial was managed by a foundation, created in 1930, that oversaw its maintenance and operation and had to rely on stopgap measures to ensure its maintenance including funding from the French Ministry of Culture, local government and private donations. A letter of intent signed in 2012 between the American Embassy in France and the French Ministry of Defense promised to support continued financing of the moment. With the blessing of Congress and the French government, the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) took ownership in 2017 and has operated it since, including opening a new visitor center there in 2018.

I leave you with this 5-minute video created by the American Battle Monuments Commission that provides a dramatic overview of the overseas cemeteries, monuments and memorials operated by the ABMC.

© 2012, Gary Lee Kraut