US Embassy: American cemetery closed on Dec 25, Jan 1

In observance of Christmas Day and New Year's Day, the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial will be closed on December 25 and January 1. The US Embassy in Manila made the announcement on its Facebook page on Friday. "The Manila American Cemetery and Memorial will be closed on December 25 (Christmas Day) and January 1 (New Year’s Day)," the embassy said. The US Embassy website said the cemetery is open daily to the public from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. except December 25 and January 1. It is open even on host country holidays, the embassy said. "When the cemetery is open to the public, a staff member is on duty in the Visitor Building to answer questions and escort relatives to grave and memorial sites," it said. American cemetery The Manila American Cemetery contains the largest number of graves of some 17,202 US military personnel who died during World War II. Most of these personnel lost their lives in operations in New Guinea and the Philippines, the embassy said. In the cemetery are 25 mosaic maps recalling the achievements of the American armed forces in the Pacific, China, India, and Burma. Rectangular Trani limestone piers bear the names of 36,285 still missing, while rosettes mark the names of those recovered and identified. "From the memorial and other points within the cemetery there are impressive views over the lowlands to Laguna de Bay and towards the distant mountains," the embassy said. – VVP, GMANews.TV