If you have not ever done so, I urge you to program into your next trip abroad a visit to an American military cemetery. There are quite a few in Europe, and some in Asia. You can find a list online.
These cemeteries are settings of an awesome serenity and beauty, immaculately kept by the American Battle Monuments Commission. As Americans, we must thank the architects who designed these settings and the workers who over the decades and to this day have kept them in their immaculate condition.
via www.wsj.com
After the end of World War II, next of kin of the fallen were given the option to repatriate the remains of their soldier to the US, for interment in a national cemetery, or a private plot. Or, they could opt for their loved one to be reburied in on of the several overseas cemeteries. A surprising number chose to have their kin rest for eternity in the soil they fought on.
During the war, the dead were buried in temporary, expedient cemeteries. It wasn't until after the war that today's immaculate, beautiful monuments were designed and laid out.
To paraphrase GEN Colin Powell, when America fights overseas, we seek only enough territory to bury our honored dead.
XBradTC 
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