Reims, you may remember, was devastated in World War I. By the end of the war, 60% of the buildings in the city had been destroyed or badly damaged. Each red or green dot in the first graphic was where a German bomb hit around the cathedral (which received 42 hits in 1914 alone.) The city lost 3,827 soldiers and 740 civilians.
Under the circumstance, it is not surprising that they have a formidable monument to les enfants morts pour la France. Situated just outside the old town wall, you have to cross a major highway to reach the monument. Just beyond is the oldest cemetery in Reims--Cimetière du Nord--which was created in 1785, and (I discover with chagrin only now)-- is full of splendid tombs.
The Monument to the Dead dates to 1930. The inspiration is classical, but the style is deco. A statue of a pensive naked man sits pensively on a plinth at the center of a circular stage. A double row of columns wraps 180-degrees behind him. A broad flight of stairs leads the visitor up to the center of the monument. On either side, a bas relief sculpture portrays grieving families.
The inscription reads: "Children of Reims who fell on the field of battle, this monument was built by your devastated city to express forever its grief and its pride."
The first image is the graphic of where bombs fell in Reims between 1914 - 1918.
The second image shows the monument from the street.
The third is the architectural drawing of the site from 1924.
The last is a close-up of the statue at the center of the monument.