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.