The first contact of the Rémois with the Americans took place on August 30, 1944, the day of the liberation of the city by soldiers of the 3rd Army. If the latter leave the city immediately, Reims will subsequently welcome thousands of American soldiers, the city becoming the center of all the logistics of the American army. In addition, from 20 February to 25 May 1945, General Eisenhower lived there and signed the first German surrender on 7 May 1945. This American presence, which lasted until the end of 1946, led to a more or less easy cohabitation with the Reims population.
By Michel Royer, PhD in Contemporary History.