Editing Tours (section)

====First World War====
[[File:Tours Cathedral Saint-Gatian.jpg|thumb|[[Tours Cathedral]]: 15th-century [[Flamboyant]] Gothic west front with Renaissance pinnacles, completed 1547.]]
The city was greatly affected by the [[First World War]]. A force of 25,000 American soldiers arrived in 1917, setting up textile factories for the manufacture of uniforms, repair shops for military equipment, munitions dumps, an army post office and an American military hospital at Augustins. Because of this, Tours became a garrison town with a resident general staff. The American presence is remembered today by the [[Woodrow Wilson]] Bridge over the Loire, which was officially opened in July 1918 and bears the name of the President of the [[United States]] from 1913 to 1921. Three American air force squadrons, including the 492nd, were based at the [[Parçay-Meslay]] airfield, their personnel playing an active part in the life of the city. Americans paraded at funerals and award ceremonies for the Croix de Guerre. They also took part in festivals and their [[YMCA]] organised shows for the troops. Some men married women from Tours.