Our lives, their freedom; it's the American way

Courtesy of my friend Bill Champ, the reasons so many are free...

The American Battle Monuments Commission was established by Congress in 1923 to commemorate the service, achievements, and sacrifice of U.S. armed forces where they have served overseas. The Commission administers, operates, and maintains 24 permanent American burial grounds on foreign soil. Presently there are 124,909 U.S. war dead interred at these cemeteries, 30,921 of World War One, 93,238 of World War Two, and 750 of the Mexican War. In addition, 6,177 American veterans and others are interred in the American Cemeteries in Mexico City and Corozal.

Aisne-Marne, France. 2,289 of our dead.

The Ardennes, Belgium. 5,329 of our dead.

Brittany, France. 4,410 of our dead.

Brookwood, England. 468 of our dead.

Cambridge, England. 3,812 of our dead.

Corozal in Panama. 5,634 of our dead.

Epinal, France. 5,525 of our dead.

Flanders Field in Belgium. 368 of our dead.

Florence, Italy. 4,402 of our dead.

Henri-Chapelle, Belgium. 7,992 of our dead.

Lorraine, France. 10,489 of our dead.

Luxembourg. 5,076 of our dead.

Manila, the Philippines. 17,202 of our dead.

Meuse-Argonne, France. 14,246 of our dead.

The Netherlands. 8,301 of our dead.

Normandy, France. 9,387 of our dead.

Tunisia. 2,841 of our dead.

Oise-Aisne, France. 6,012 of our dead.

Rhone, France. 862 of our dead.

Sicily, Italy. 7,861 of our dead.

Somme, France. 1,844 of our dead.

St. Mihiel, France. 4,153 of our dead.

Suresnes, France. 1,541 of our dead.