The Memorial of the Normandy American Cemetery consists of an arched colonnade. At its centre, an imposing bronze statue faces the graves. An inscription is engraved on the inner side of the colonnade's lintel: ‘This battled coast, a gateway to freedom, is forever dedicated to the ideals, courage, and sacrifices of our compatriots’. In the late afternoon, during the colour ceremony, the American flags are lowered and folded to the sound of the American anthem and a bugle call (the ‘Taps’).