(Photo: Stranger20824)
The Oise-Anise American Cemetery in Seringes-et-Nesles, France contains 6,021 graves, almost all of whom are American soldiers who died in the line of duty during World War I. The United States and France honor these fallen heroes to this day. The cemetery is well-tended and open for anyone who wishes to pay their respects.
Except for Plot E.
It's a small section in the 36.5 acre cemetery, hidden behind bushes. It does not exist on official maps of the cemetery and is accessible only through a door in the superintendent's office. Plot E has tiny marker stones, but there are no names on them--only numbers. The colors of the United States are expressly forbidden there.
And for good reason. These graves without honor are for American soldiers who were executed for crimes during World War II. Atlas Obscura explains:
The soldiers eventually interred in Plot E were tried for rape, murder, and in one case, desertion (although the remains of the deserter, Eddie Slovik, the only American executed for desertion in WWII, were returned to the states in 1987). After being convicted in U.S. courts martial held in Europe, the men were dishonorably discharged and executed via hanging or firing squad. In many cases, the men who were buried in Plot E were initially buried close to the site of their execution. Those bodies were later exhumed and moved to Oise Aisne in 1949 when the plot of shame was established.
Plot E has been referred to as an anti-memorial. No US flag is permitted to fly over the plot and the graves themselves, small in-ground stones the size of index cards, have no names; they are only differentiated by numbers. Even underground they are set apart with each body buried in Plot E positioned with its back to the main cemetery. The site does not exist on maps of the cemetery, and is not mentioned on their website.
-via Ace of Spades HQ