The scale of U.S. casualties in World War II was unlike anything seen before. In total, 400,000 Americans died during the war. The patriotism and emotions surrounding several key events led to the creation of numerous permanent remembrances. The key groups involved in creating these memorials have usually included a mix of veterans, artists and architects, and politicians.

Cemeteries

Because American casualties occurred overseas, by 1945 hundreds of temporary foreign cemeteries had been created. At the time, Undersecretary of War Kenneth Royall was quoted as saying that he had spoken to many men going into battle who said if they were killed in action they wished to be buried in the countries they were fighting to liberate. Still, many families wanted their loved ones buried in the United States, so between 1947 and 1954 the army's American Graves Registration Service oversaw the repatriation...