Monument aux morts américain de Tours, World War I memorial in Tours, France
The Monument aux morts américain de Tours, also called "La Fontaine", is a limestone fountain memorial designed by architects Arthur Loomis Harmon, Pierre Lahalle and Georges Levard, with sculpture by Henri Varenne. It rises 10.50 metres: a circular basin 32 metres in circumference, an octagonal pillar bearing the coats of arms of eight supply-base cities, a bowl, and a four-faced column carved with four female allegories of Procurement, Construction, Administration and Distribution. A gilded bronze figure by C.P. Jennewein, 3.50 metres tall, tops the column.
The monument was erected to honor approximately 650,000 members of the supply divisions who supported American Expeditionary Forces during World War I. Tours served as the headquarters for these operations, making it the chosen location for this tribute.
The four sculptured figures on the monument column represent different roles within the supply operations: Administration, Construction, Procurement, and Distribution. They make visible how these troops were organized and the work they performed during the war.
The memorial stands about 300 meters east of Pont Wilson bridge and is easily reached on foot. Visitors can arrive by train from Paris and then walk a short distance to view the monument.
The octagonal pillar carries the coats of arms of the eight SOS base cities, ordered clockwise from the north face: Saint-Nazaire, Le Mans, Is-sur-Tille, Nevers, Neufchâteau, Bordeaux, Tours and Brest. Tours appears as headquarters. Opposite the dedication, a row of stars recalls the thirteen American colonies.
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