Soon after the end of World War II, Guy de la Vasselais, mayor of Bleury-Saint-Symphorien, previously French liaison officer to George S. Patton, suggested the idea of erecting a monument to commemorate the Liberation of France by the American Armies: a monument that would symbolize the idea of Liberty.
sˈuːn ˈæftɚ ðɪ ˈɛnd ʌv wˈɜːld wˈɔːɹ ɹˌoʊmən tˈuː, ɡˈaɪ də lˌæ vˈæsɪlˌeɪ, mˈeɪɚɹ ʌv blˈɜːɹisˈeɪntsɪmfˈoːɹiən, pɹˈiːviəsli fɹˈɛntʃ liːˈeɪzɑːn ˈɑːfɪsɚ tə dʒˈɔːɹdʒ ˈɛs. pˈæʔn̩, sədʒˈɛstᵻd ðɪ aɪdˈiə ʌv ɪɹˈɛktɪŋ ɐ mˈɑːnjuːmənt tə kəmˈɛmɚɹˌeɪt ðə lˌɪbɚɹˈeɪʃən ʌv fɹˈæns baɪ ðɪ ɐmˈɛɹɪkən ˈɑːɹmiz: ɐ mˈɑːnjuːmənt ðæt wʊd sˈɪmbəlˌaɪz ðɪ aɪdˈiə ʌv lˈɪbɚɾi.