US President George W. Bush is going for a two-day visit to the Netherlands Saturday evening. On top of his agenda is a visit to the World War II Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial on Sunday.

The cemetery, the only US military cemetery in the Netherlands, lies in the village of Margraten about 10 km east of Maastricht, the first Dutch city liberated by the Allied forces at the end of the World War II.

The city bordering Germany and Belgium is also world-famous for its monumental role in the integration process of the European Union (EU). The EU leaders met 14 years ago here and later signed the Maastricht Treaty, one of the key documents in establishing the union.

The site of the cemetery, which has an area of 65 acres (263, 000 square meters), lies near the famous Cologne-Boulogne highway, which was originally built by the Romans and used by Caesar during his campaign in that area.

In May 1940, Hitler's legions advanced over the route of the old Roman highway, overwhelming the Low Countries. In September 1944, German troops once more used the highway for the withdrawal from the countries occupied for four years.

From the cemetery entrance people can approach through the Court of Honor with its pool reflecting the chapel tower. The walls on either side of the Court of Honor contain the Tablets of the Missing on which are recorded the names of 1,723 missing US soldiers

The burial area is divided into 16 plots where 8,301 US soldiers were buried. Their headstones are set in long curves. A wide tree-lined mall leads to the flag staff which crowns the crest.

The site of the cemetery was liberated on Sept. 13, 1944 by troops of the US 30th Infantry Division which were advancing northeastward toward the Roer in Germany, as part of the US First Army. This battlefield cemetery, one of the first to be used for the interment of American soldiers who fell on German soil, was established here on Nov. 10 of the same year by the US Ninth Army.