Bouquets of flowers decorate the memorial to Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Alvin C. York in the French hamlet of Chatel Chehery. The 1941 movie “Sergeant York,” starring Gary Cooper, is based on the real-life hero’s acts of bravery during World War I. (Susan Spano / Los Angeles Times)
A sign marks the way to the recently opened trail in the Argonne Forest that follows Sgt. York’s heroic path near Chatel Chehery. (Susan Spano / Los Angeles Times)
The memorial to Sgt. Alvin C. York (1887-1964) honors his participation in the Meuse-Argonne offensive in which he killed 28 enemy soldiers and took 132 prisoners. (Susan Spano / Los Angeles Times)
Eifel National Park on the western border of Germany displays autumn’s beauty. But in World War II, during the early part of the Battle of the Bulge fought there, U.S. troops sustained heavy casualties. (Susan Spano / Los Angeles Times)
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A vintage howitzer is displayed near the front of a restaurant at Parker’s Crossroads, near the village of St. Vith, Belgium. It marks the place where 500 U.S. troops resisted a German Panzer division for five crucial days during the Battle of the Bulge. (Susan Spano / Los Angeles Times)
The Victory Monument in Verdun has a card catalog with the names of the war dead, including those of many American infantrymen. (Susan Spano / Los Angeles Times)
