National Cemetery Administration
Remembrance: World War II (1939-1945)
Allied forces on Omaha Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944, during World War II.In the early days of World War II, the United States remained on the sidelines as conflict engulfed Europe, Africa, and Asia. However, the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 brought the United States fully into the struggle. American industry mobilized quickly, producing vast quantities of weapons, aircraft, and ships that were shared with Allies through initiatives like Lend-Lease.
Together with British, Soviet, Chinese, and other Allied forces, American troops helped to mount a coordinated effort to turn back the Axis powers. The United States played a key role in campaigns such as the D-Day invasion of Normandy, which began the liberation of Western Europe, and in the fierce island-hopping battles of the Pacific that led to Japan's defeat.
But victory was never America's alone. Britain's steadfast leadership, the Soviet Union's massive sacrifices on the Eastern Front, and countless contributions from nations large and small ultimately sealed the Axis powers' fate. In Asia, Chinese forces endured years of brutal conflict, and in Europe, resistance movements and colonial troops fought tirelessly to undermine enemy control.
The Allied victory in 1945 wasn't just a triumph of military might — it was a global effort that drew upon the courage, resilience, and unity of people from around the world, ending the war and setting the stage for a new chapter in human history.
Pearl Harbor: Medal of Honor recipients at VA national cemeteries
For their distinguished conduct, dedication to profession, and disregard of own life during the attack on Pearl Harbor, 16 servicemembers were awarded the Medal of Honor with 4 interred at VA national cemeteries.
A total of 90 Medals of Honor were awarded to Veterans buried at VA national cemeteries for actions that occurred during World War II. View these recipients and learn more about the award.
D-Day: Operation Overlord
On May 7, 2026, the remains of 16 soldiers, killed on D-Day of World War II aboard the USS LCI(L)-92, received an honorable burial and were interred in a communal grave at Omaha National Cemetery.USS LCI(L)-92
On June 6, 1944, D-Day of World War II, members of the Army's 149th Engineer Combat Battalion, 60th Medical Battalion and 500th Medical Collecting Company were ready to storm the beach in the forward hold of the USS LCI(L), Landing Craft, Infantry (Large) 92 as it approached the beach at Normandy. The U.S. Coast Guard-manned ship was part of the second wave of the invasion. It steered to the port of the flaming LCI(L)-91 to use its smoke for cover. But when LCI(L)-92 came alongside, it hit a mine to its port side. Soon after the mine hit, an artillery shell hit the starboard side. The fire from the hold then attracted more German artillery.
Walls of the Missing
The men in the hold not killed immediately by the blast were covered with fuel oil and burned in the subsequent fire. According to a survivor of the craft, "A sheet of flame and steel shot out of the forward hold. The heat was like the midst of a blast furnace."
After the remaining soldiers disembarked, the crew tried to fight the fires, but at 2:00 p.m. the skipper gave the order to abandon ship. In subsequent days, the burned-out hulk of the LCI(L)-92 was pushed ashore and grounded by the tides. The blast and fire aboard LCI(L)-92 killed 25 soldiers, but due to the nature of the incident and the chaos of the invasion, only one soldier was immediately identified. The rest were collectively interred at the Normandy American Cemetery as unknowns, with their names listed on the Walls of the Missing.
Remembrance
In 2021, the Department of War's POW/MIA Accounting Agency disinterred the 24 unidentified remains, identifying eight of them. On May 7, 2026, the remaining 16 soldiers were reinterred in a communal grave at Omaha National Cemetery.
NCA invites you to remember these Veterans and visit their memorial pages to celebrate the legacy, military service and sacrifice to our nation of these heroes. You can post tributes, upload images, and share biographical information, historical documents and more.
U.S. Army 149th Engineer Combat Battalion
U.S. Army 500th Medical Collecting Company
U.S. Army 60th Medical Battalion
Headstone for communal grave of 16 soldiers at Omaha National Cemetery, NE.
