Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Naval Monument, nicknamed the Pink Tower, is an American memorial erected in the 1930s on the Dajot course in Brest to honour the role of the American Navy in Europe during the First World War. Originally designed by the architect Howard Van Doren Shaw and completed by Ralph Milman after his death, it was inaugurated in 1937. This monument symbolizes the strategic importance of Brest, which served as a headquarters for the U.S. naval forces and as the main landing port for more than 700,000 American Expeditionary Force (AEF) soldiers between 1917 and 1919.

Destroyed by the Germans on July 4, 1941, Independence Day, the memorial was reconstructed identically in 1958 on a German bunker, with a slight shift from its original location. The reasons for its destruction remain unclear: although the Germans accused a raid by the Royal Air Force, local evidence suggests a deliberate demolition to deprive the Allies of a landmark. The reconstruction, supervised again by Ralph Milman, was inaugurated in 1960 in the presence of Prime Minister Michel Debré.

The tower, 44 metres high and made of pink granite, is decorated with maritime bas-reliefs carved by John Storrs. It is based on an esplanade and a public garden, all owned by the US federal government but without extraterritoriality. A letter from President Eisenhower, deposited inside, commemorates his reconstruction. The monument, which was listed as a historic monument in July 2015, benefited from a major renovation in 2015 at a cost of € 200,000.

Brest was chosen for its key role during the war: the Breton port welcomed not only hundreds of thousands of soldiers, but also President Woodrow Wilson in 1919. The SS Leviathan, the largest steamboat of the time, stopped there exclusively. The memorial is one of twelve memorials built in Europe by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), led by General Pershing, commander of the AEF during the conflict.

After its destruction in 1941, General Pershing was concerned in 1944 with Eisenhower about the state of American monuments in Europe. The latter, ignoring the destruction of the Pink Tower, mistakenly claimed that all the monuments were intact. A subsequent investigation revealed the troubled circumstances of its demolition, linked to German propaganda operations or tactical needs.

Today, the Naval Monument remains a symbol of Franco-American ties during the Great War. Managed by the CMAB via the American Military Cemetery of Saint-James (Manche), it is closed to the public but visible since the course Dajot. Its architecture and history make it a unique testimony to the American engagement in Brittany during the 20th century.

External links