Sync Call for Wednesday, April 15, 2015 12 pm EST

1. News and Announcements

1. A CALL TO ARMS: We need volunteers!
   1. Belgian Embassy Open House—Saturday May 09. There will be a small WWI exhibit. We are looking for volunteers to help us staff this event. It will go from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. Ideally volunteers would work in two to three hour shifts passing out information about the commission and our activities.
   2. Sometime in the days leading up to the Memorial Day parade, we’ll need a street-savvy navigator to guide Dave Lockard and his Packard truck from Rt. 15 to Fort McNair.
   3. Memorial Weekend at the US Navy Memorial—Saturday May 23 and Monday May 25. We need people to man a table during several wreath laying ceremonies at the memorial.
   4. Please email rwilson@worldwar1centennial.org.
2. ABMC WWI Movie
   1. The American Battlefields Monument Commission will host a screening of its documentary Never Forgotten on Friday, April 17, 7pm at the Forman Theater at American University. Attendance will be first come, first serve. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/world-war-i-film-screening-never-forgotten-registration-15616441196
3. NYC Lusitania Wreath Laying on Thursday May 7
   1. On Thursday, May 7th, 2015 at 10am, the U.S. World War One Centennial Commission will host a wreath-laying ceremony at City Pier A, in Manhattan’s Battery Park, New York City, to honor the 100th anniversary of the tragic sinking of the RMS Lusitania. This event is free and open to the public. http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/events/lusitania-sinking-centennial-event-new-york-city.html
4. Washington DC Lusitania Panel on Thursday May 7
   1. On May 7th, 2015, the U.S. World War One Centennial Commission will host a panel discussion at the NATIONAL PRESS CLUB in Washington, DC, at 6:30pm to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the tragic sinking of the RMS Lusitania. This program is free and open to the public and will feature panelists John Maxwell Hamilton, Prof. Richard Striner, and RADM Samuel Cox (USN, ret.). Discussion will focus on the wartime role of Lusitania, the worldwide reaction to her tragedy, and the impact of Lusitania’s sinking on public opinion in the United States. http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/events/lusitania-sinking-centennial-event-washington-dc.html
   2. PLEASE REGISTER: on the NPC site: http://www.press.org/events/lusitania-centennial-event
5. Unpublished General John J. Pershing photos- Mr. David Poe
   1. Mr. Poe is currently a Captain in the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Lee, VA.  His active duty service includes multiple tours in Afghanistan with the 10th Mountain Division, where he won a Purple Heart.
   2. In addition to his Army duties, he is the Deputy Executive Director of the Pershing Rifles Foundation, which is the fundraising arm of The Pershing Rifles Group, and has as its mission "support activities that develop outstanding traits of leadership, scholarship, and military excellence among America’s youth and to expand the legacy General of the Armies John J. Pershing.
   3. The 8x10 of LT Pershing from 1893 is already online, and is being sold for $75.  It is a limited edition print, and we're stopping at 200.
   4. The photo of GEN Pershing from 1921 is going online tonight, and it’s being sold for $50 for the 8x10 and $40 for the 5x7.  This one is not a limited edition run.
   5. Both photos are generally un-circulated. 

2. Volunteer Spotlight

Kyle Nappi, WWICC Social Media Director

A graduate of the Ohio State University (2012, History) Kyle serves as the Director of Social Media for the Commission.  Kyle’s interest in military history as a whole goes back to the age of 12, and his interest in the First World War comes from a greater family connection.  Kyle’s great-grandfather served in the Austro-Hungarian army and sustained two wounds while in the service.  By looking at family photographs of his great-grandfather in uniform, Kyle successfully tracked his ancestor’s service from the early days of 1914 on the Russian front to the Italian front in the latter days of the war.  Following hostilities, the Austro-Hungarian veteran immigrated to the United States, settling in the mid-west.  In addition to aiding the social media aspects of many organizations, Kyle works for Booz-Allen Hamilton at the Pentagon.  In 2008, he met the last remaining American veteran of the war: Frank Buckles.

 

3. Shout Out

Jean Gossman, for helping to arrange the Washington DC Lusitania Panel Program

Virginia Dilkes and Lola Dilkes Koniuszy, for attending the Society for Military History's annual conference on the Commission's behalf this past weekend.

 

4. How You Can Help 

1. Volunteer!
   1. Belgian Embassy Open House—Saturday May 09. There will be a small WWI exhibit. We are looking for volunteers to help us staff this event. It will go from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. Ideally volunteers would work in two to three hour shifts passing out information about the commission and our activities.
   2. Sometime in the days leading up to the Memorial Day parade, we’ll need a street-savvy navigator to guide Dave Lockard and his Packard truck from Rt. 15 to Fort McNair.
   3. Memorial Weekend at the US Navy Memorial—Saturday May 23 and Monday May 25. We need people to man a table during several wreath laying ceremonies at the memorial.
   4. Please email Rebekah Wilson

2. If you have interest in helping with state and regional organization, please let Andrew McGreal know and he will send you information on the state planning conference calls.

3. SHOP AT SMILE.AMAZON.COM! Enter the "United States Foundation for the Commemoration of the World Wars" as your charitable organization.

 

5. The Great War Channel

Would you like to see some great videos on YouTube about WWI? Check out The Great War channel. Posting twice a week, ‘The Great War’ shows you the history of the First World War in the four years from 1914 to 1918. The host, Indy, takes you back week by week and shows you what was going on in the past. Please subscribe to see these great posts. Their last two videos are:

1. "The Last Tsar - Nicholas II: Who Did What in WWI?"
   April 13, 2015. Nicholas II was the last tsar of Russia and the last ruler of the Romanov dynasty. His reign and his command are considered especially inauspicious today. Everything you need to know about Nicholas II of Russia in portrait.
2. “The Armenian Genocide: THE GREAT WAR - Week 37”
   April 09, 2015. The leaders of the Ottoman Empire are looking for a scapegoat after their collosal defeat in the Caucasian Mountains a few month earlier. They start the systematic relocation and disarm Armenian troops among their ranks to end all calls for Armenian independence. Today's estimates place the death toll of the genocide up till 1.5 million men, women and children.

 

6. The Great War Weekly: This Week 100 Years Ago
Presented by Mr. Mike Hanlon - http://www.worldwar1.com

100 Years ago this week the combatants were about to enter the most dynamic and dangerous period of the war since the opening battles.   But almost taking a life of its own beyond control of the politicians and generals, the once solely European War is spreading across the Globe.   This week we present a snapshot of what is now a World War by mid-April, 1915.

There's a Colonial War Going on in Africa
In Southwest Africa, South African forces  under General Botha began were advancing in force into the German colony, and would eventually force a German surrender. In the Cameroons in April, the Allies advanced on Yaunde in response to German raids into Nigeria.

The Middle East is already expanding into a major theater of operations
In Mesopotamia, Ottoman forces attack the Allies in Basra and were beaten back by Indian Army Forces. Meanwhile in Gaza, in early April, Turkish raiders were driven off near the Allied-held Suez Canal; a Turkish mine was discovered in the canal the next day. At the same time, in the city of Van in Eastern Turkey there were reports of Armenians in surrounding villages being killed.  Van soon became a center of resistance to the genocidal Turkish measures.

At Dardanelles, the British Submarine E-15 ran aground on 16 April; on 18 April 1915 the HMS Majestica torpedoed the submarine to halt Turkish attempts to re-float the submarine. On the island of Lemnos, General Ian Hamiliton issues Force Order No. 1 for the impending land campaign on Gallipoli (13 April). In the Black Sea, the Russian Black Sea fleet raided Turkish lands, bombarding targets on the coast of Anatolia.

The U-boat War is Ramping Up
37 Vessels are sunk or captured in April 1915, for a total lose of 61,632 tons.

In the America's the war is already being felt
There are unfolding diplomatic disputes with both sides over "Freedom of the Seas" issues.

Out of fuel and supplies,  the former liner SS Kronprinz Wilhelm which had been converted to a surface raider when war broke showed up of Newport News, Va, on the run from South America where it had had some success.  She would be interred and when America joins the war,  recommissioned the USS Von Steuben and transported doughboys to France.

In April 1915 Pancho Villa would suffer two defeats at the hands of government forces and be forced to withdraw into the mountains.  This would lead to the U.S. withdrawing all support for Villa.  The U.S. 8th Infantry Brigade at Fort Bliss under General John J. Pershing would have the job of keeping an eye on his one-time house guest Pancho Villa.  What could this possibly have to do with the war in Europe?  We shall see.

Resources:

• The War in Africa
  • The Great War in Africa by Byron Farwell
  • Tip and Run:  The Untold Tragedy of the Great War in Africa by Edward Paice
  • An Ice Cream War (Novel) by William Boyd
  • Black and White in Color (Fictional Film)
• The War in the Middle East
  • A Peace to End All Peace by David Fromkin
  • The Near East and the First World War (website)
  • http://www.worldwar1.com/neareast/neareasthome.htm
• The U.S. at the Time
  • The Zimmerman Telegram by Barbara Tuchman
  • Woodrow Wilson and the Progressive Era by Arthur Link

Questions, comments? Please contact Mike Hanlon through his website: http://www.worldwar1.com.

 

Upcoming Events (See below for ongoing exhibits)  newly added events listed in RED
If you have an agenda item or calendar event to include, please email Andrew McGreal before next Wednesday.

APRIL

Wednesday, 4/15, 4pm at Alumni Hall, Indiana Memorial Union, U. of IN, Bloomington, IN
“The Centenary of the First World War: Commemoration or Celebration?”
Part of the O'Meara Lecture Series. Sir Hew Strachan, Chichele Professor of the History of War and a fellow of All Souls College at the University of Oxford, will deliver this year's annual Indiana University Patrick O'Meara International Lecture. Sir Strachan is a distinguished military historian and an authority on the First World War. A reception will follow in the IMU Solarium.
http://rememberingworldwari.indiana.edu/calendar/index.html

Wednesday, April 15, 7:30pm at Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall, U of Scranton, PA
Screening of Girls in Gingham
Part of the 8th Annual East German Film Fest’s “World War I:  A Cold War View” series. This moving saga focuses on the women in a family that spans three generations and almost 70 years of German history, from the years leading up to WWI, to the interwar years, to WWII, and finally to life in East.
http://calendar.scranton.edu/index.php?eID=10968

Thursday, April 16, 7:30-10pm at Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall, U of Scranton, PA
Screening of The Kaiser’s Lackey
Part of the 8th Annual East German Film Fest’s “World War I:  A Cold War View” series. This historical satire, based on Heinrich Mann's famous novel, offers a biting critique of conservative Wilhelmine Germany (1871-1918).  Ranked by critics among the 100 Most Significant German Films of all time. All films are free and open to the public.
http://calendar.scranton.edu/index.php?eID=10969

Friday, 4/17, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm EST, at Forman Theater, American University, Washington, DC
World War I Film Screening: Never Forgotten
Join the American Battle Monuments Commission for a private screening of the World War I documentary, Never Forgotten, followed by a panel discussion. The doughboys of World War I readily wore the American uniform, prepared to fight for the freedom of people they had never met. These doughboys came from big cities and farms. They left behind wives and children. They worked at sawmills, law practices and factories. They came from different backgrounds, but they all fought under the same flag. Never Forgotten follows the story of Sergeant Paul Maynard, a doughboy from Connecticut. This event is free and open to the public on a first-come-first-serve basis.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/world-war-i-film-screening-never-forgotten-registration-15616441196

 Friday, April 17, 7pm EST at the Dover Public Library, Dover, DE
“‘Over There’: How Victor’s Musical Industry Influenced the Nation During World War I.”
Two-part program begins with a lecture on the contributions of the Victor Talking Machine Company to the war effort to be presented at the Dover Public Library, followed by a presentation at the Johnson Victrola Museum on Victor’s World War I era recordings played on authentic Victor Talking Machines. Partnership between the library and the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs.
http://www.cityofdover.com/Home-Library/

Friday, April 17, 7:30-10pm at Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall, U of Scranton, PA
Screening of The Sailors’ Song
Part of the 8th Annual East German Film Fest’s “World War I:  A Cold War View” series. In fall 1918, German Imperial Navy Command decides to send all its ships on a last-ditch suicide mission.  The decision gives rise to a mutiny in the port city of Kiel, which spreads and becomes a revolution.All films are free and open to the public.
http://calendar.scranton.edu/index.php?eID=10970

Sunday, 4/19, 1PM at the National WWI Museum, Kansas City, MO
Great War, Great Films: Love’s Labour’s Won
A group of soldiers return from the trenches in Autumn 1918. The world-weary Benedick and his friend Claudio find themselves reacquainted with Beatrice and Hero. As memories of conflict give way to a life of parties and masked balls, Claudio and Hero fall madly, deeply in love, while Benedick and Beatrice reignite their own altogether more combative courtship. Shakespeare's comic romance plays out amidst the brittle high spirits of a post-war house party, as youthful passions run riot, lovers are deceived and happiness is threatened – before peace ultimately wins out. Christopher Luscombe directs the Royal Shakespeare Company in the second of Shakespeare's matching pair of comedies, better known as Much Ado About Nothing, that rejoice in our capacity to find love in the most unlikely places. https://theworldwar.org/visit/upcoming-events

Sunday, 4/19, 2 PM at the National WWI Museum, Kansas City, MO
The Road to Hell? Intentions, Uncertainty and the Origins of World War I
A century after the outbreak of World War I, there is still little consensus on its causes. The lessons learned are of particular importance for the United States and the world today. University of Notre Dame Professor Sebastian Rosato specializes in the theory and history of great power politics and will question established explanations and develop new arguments about the causes of the Great War. A pre-lecture program courtesy of University of Notre Dame Films begins at 1 p.m. The event is part of the Hesburgh Lecture Series and is presented in partnership with the Notre Dame Club of Kansas City. Free to the public with RSVP. https://theworldwar.org/visit/upcoming-events

Sunday, April 19, 2 - 4 p.m., hosted by the Berea Historical Society, Berea, OH
"Berea Goes to War: World War I and Our Hometown Heroes"
The exhibit focuses on the contributions of Berea's veterans, including Albert Baesal, the first recipient of the United States Medal of Honor. The exhibit includes a variety of historical artifacts, including contemporary rifles, uniforms, helmets and a 600-lb. Maxim machine gun. The exhibit will be open Tuesdays through Fridays between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Tours can be scheduled by appointment. For more information, please visit http://www.bereahistoricalsociety.org/site/

Friday, 4/24, 1pm at Solarium, Indiana Memorial Union, Indiana U., Bloomington, IN
Australian Intervention in the Great War: The Definition of a Nation
IU President Michael A. McRobbie will present a lecture and a question-and-answer session about Australia’s role in the Great War. A reception will follow at 2 p.m. An honorary fellow of the Australian Academy of Humanities, McRobbie became the 18th president of Indiana University in 2007
http://rememberingworldwari.indiana.edu/calendar/index.html

Saturday, April 25, 5:45 am - 6:15 am at the Korean Veterans War Memorial, Washington DC
ANZAC Day Dawn Memorial Service
Please arrive by 5:15 am

Saturday, April 25, 10:00am - 11:30am at the Washington National Cathedral
ANZAC Day Commemorative Church Service

Saturday, April 25, Time: 5.45am to 6.15am
Vietnam Veterans Plaza 55 Water Street, New York City
ANZAC Dawn Service
Australians and New Zealanders commemorate ANZAC Day on 25 April to recognize the sacrifices of New Zealand and Australian servicemen and servicewomen – not only in defending their country but in upholding their nations’ firmly held commitment to peace and security. 2015 marks the 100th anniversary of the landing of Australian and New Zealand soldiers on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey. Guests please arrive by 5.30am
Dress (military): Service dress or equivalent with medals
Dress (civilian): Respectful attire. Please come prepared in case of cold or inclement weather
RSVP: Not required for attendance
Wreaths: Community groups are invited to lay a wreath during the Dawn Service and we request that any groups that wish to participate contact us on the email addresses below. Individuals may place a wreath or poppy at the memorial as a tribute after the formal service.
Project coordinators:
New Zealand Consulate General Colleen Grindlay: collen.grindlay@nzte.govt.nz
Australian Consulate General Peta Pike: Public-Affairs-NYCG@dfat.gov.au

Saturday, 4/25, 8am PST at the USS Midway, San Diego, CA
2015 ANZAC Day Centenary Commemorative Services
Save the Date! 

Sunday, 4/26, 10am PST at Nat’l Cemetery Rostrum Flag Pole Circle, Westwood, CA
2015 ANZAC Day Centenary Commemorative Services
Save the Date! 

Sunday, April 26, 10:30am to midday
ANZAC Memorial Garden, Rockefeller Center 620 Fifth Avenue, 7th Floor, NYC
Anzac Commemorative Sunday Service
Australians and New Zealanders commemorate ANZAC Day on 25 April to recognize the sacrifices of New Zealand and Australian servicemen and servicewomen – not only in defending their country but in upholding their nations’ firmly held commitment to peace and security. 2015 marks the 100th anniversary of the landing of Australian and New Zealand soldiers on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey. Guests, please enter on the south side of West 50th Street
  Entry: Photo identification is required as a condition of entry and bags may be searched
  Dress (military): Service dress or equivalent with medals
  Dress (civilian): Respectful attire. Please come prepared in case of hot or cold weather as there is no shelter at the Garden
  RSVP: Essential –Owing to extremely limited capacity, available seats will be allocated to the public via a lottery system with a maximum of two (2) passes for each successful ballot. Passes will be confirmed in the week of 20 April. We apologize in advance to those who miss out and suggest attendance at the Dawn Service which is the main Commemoration Service and where capacity is not limited.PleaseRSVP here:https://docs.google.com/a/worldwar1centennial.org/forms/d/1ZW5kga3v2EfJq_2Anmf6pWqmB531dMz-kwLOOd833P4/viewform?edit_requested=true
Project coordinators:
New Zealand Consulate General Colleen Grindlay: colleen.grindlay@nzte.govt.nz
Australian Consulate General Peta Pike: Public-Affairs-NYCG@dfat.gov.au

Sunday, 4/26, 11am at Log Cabin, San Francisco, CA
2015 ANZAC Day Centenary Commemorative Services
Save the Date! 

Sunday, 4/26, 1pm at the Missouri History Museum, St. Louis, MO
Lecture/Book Signing: Honoring the Doughboys: Following My Grandfather’s World War I Diary
Photographer Jeffrey Lowdermilk, who traveled extensively through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany where his grandfather, George Carlson, served with the American Expeditionary Forces, discusses his book, a stunning presentation of photographs that have been paired with diary entries written by his grandfather during World War I. This event is free and open to the public.
http://www.mohistory.org/node/10618

Monday, 4/27, 10:30am at the Missouri History Museum, St. Louis, MO
Lecture/Book Signing: Honoring the Doughboys: Following My Grandfather’s World War I Diary
See above.
http://www.mohistory.org/node/10618

Monday, 4/27, 7pm, Coolidge Auditorium, LOC
The War that Changed the World Series
Hosted by the British Council and the BBC.
http://www.britishcouncil.org/ww1

MAY

Thursday, May 7, 10am EDT, Pier A Battery Park,
NYC Lusitania Wreath Laying
On Thursday, May 7th, 2015 at 10am, the U.S. World War One Centennial Commission will host a wreath-laying ceremony at City Pier A, in Manhattan’s Battery Park, New York City, to honor the 100th anniversary of the tragic sinking of the RMS Lusitania. The location is symbolic, as the pier’s clock tower houses the first memorial dedicated to World War One in the United States. Further, the location overlooks the Statue of Liberty, and is not far from Pier 54, where the RMS Lusitania departed on her final voyage. This event is free and open to the public. Honored guests and descendants of Lusitania passengers will attend, including Dr. Libby O’Connell, Commission member and the Chief Historian of the History Channel. http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/events/lusitania-sinking-centennial-event-new-york-city.html

Thursday May 07, 6:30pm, National Press Club, Washington DC
Lusitania Panel Discussion Program 
On May 7th, 2015, the U.S. World War One Centennial Commission will host a panel discussion at the NATIONAL PRESS CLUB in Washington, DC, at 6:30pm to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the tragic sinking of the RMS Lusitania. This program is free and open to the public and will feature panelists John Maxwell Hamilton, Prof. Richard Striner, and RADM Samuel Cox (USN, ret.). Discussion will focus on the wartime role of Lusitania, the worldwide reaction to her tragedy, and the impact of Lusitania’s sinking on public opinion in the United States. http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/events/lusitania-sinking-centennial-event-washington-dc.html

Saturday, 5/09, all day at Veterans Memorial Hall, Lamar, MO
Captain Harry S. Truman World War 1 Symposium
The Truman Day celebration in Lamar Missouri will feature a WW1 Symposium at Veterans Memorial Hall (1100 Broadway). The all-day family friendly program starting at 9:00AM will be of interest to all age groups. Displays of uniforms, photos, art work, and news articles of the WW1 era in America will be available for public viewing. Ancestors of WW1 veterans are encouraged to bring in photos, letters and other family keepsakes for a question and answer sharing time with historians that will provide insights on their veteran’s experiences, and answer questions about military units and battle campaigns during their time of military service. For further details on the event contact Kavan Stull @ 417-673-1051.

Symposium Event Schedule
9:00    Opening ceremony with Doughboys on parade
9:15    Announcements of WW 1 Symposium Events Displays open to public viewing
9:30    Discussion Q & A - Family Artifacts, Photos, Veteran Stories / Sharing time
10:00   Historian Shannon Kelly – WW1 Living History American Soldier Portrayal
10:45   Historian Michal Price – The Great War in Springfield
11:30 Historian Gary Larson – “Missouri  Over There” – Missouri State Library Program Family Artifacts, Photo and Document Digitization
12:00 Hawthorne Band on Stage Performance – Popular songs and music from the WW1 era
1:00    Historian Shannon Kelly – WW1 Living History American Soldier Portrayal
2:00    Historian Shannon Kelly – Belgium Battle Field Visit & 1914 Christmas Truce
3:00    Missouri Park / Historic Site Specialist Beth Bazal – Captain Harry S. Truman
4:00     Historian Shannon Kelly – WW1 Living History American Soldier Portrayal
5:00    Closing Ceremony       

SATURDAY, 5/9 - SUNDAY, 5/10 at the National WWI Museum, Kansas City, MO “WW1USA Amateur Radio Station”
The National World War I Museum is teaming with area amateur radio operators to host special event station WW1USA from the grounds of the Museum for 31 consecutive hours from Saturday, May 9 at 10 a.m. through Sunday, May 10 at 5 p.m. During this time, station operators will contact hundreds of other amateur radio operators across the world. Individuals are welcome to serve as a guest operator of WW1USA at any time during regular Museum hours with all guests receiving a special amateur radio operator certificate. Free to the public.
https://theworldwar.org/visit/upcoming-events

Tuesday, May 12, 10 am at Dewitt Clinton Park, Manhattan
Annual In Flanders Fields Memorial
Event memorializing the 100th anniversary of the “In Flanders Fields” poem by LT COL John McCrae (May 1915).

Sunday, 5/17, 1–2:30 p.m. at Central Library, Sacramento Public Library, CA
“The WWI Peace Movement and the Beginning of the Surveillance State”
Part of the Sacramento Public Library’s “World War One Revisited: Focus on 1915” series. Presented by WWI scholar Jolie Velazquez of the World War One Historical Association. www.saclibrary.org

Saturday, May 23, 11am EDT, US Navy Memorial, Washington DC
Rolling Thunder Wreath Laying Ceremony

Sunday, 5/24, 2 pm at Valley Forge, PA
 97th Annual 314th Memorial Day Service for The Descendants and Friends of the 314th
    The Descendants and Friends of the 314th are pleased to announce the 97th Annual 314th Memorial Day Service. Our speaker this year will be Colonel Douglas V. Mastriano, PhD, US Army Department of Military Strategy Plans and Operations, US Army War College. 
    Doug is a military historian, a graduate of the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies (SAASS) and has a PhD in History, Masters in Military Operational Art and Science, Masters in Strategic Intelligence, Masters in Airpower Theory, a Masters in Strategic Studies and a Bachelor’s degree in history. He led the effort to locate the spot where Alvin York in 1918 was awarded the Medal of Honor for eliminating a machinegun nest, and captured 132 Germans. Doug’s efforts were successful, with his work being endorsed by US and French authorities. He led, planned and organized the construction of a five kilometer historic trail, replete with monuments and historic markers in the Argonne Forest, France for all visitors to walk where Sergeant York fought. His website www.sgtyorkdiscovery.com has details and maps. Doug’s book, Alvin York: a New Biography of the Hero of the Argonne, is a groundbreaking biography on America’s greatest First World War hero.
     The service will be held in the nave of the Washington Memorial Chapel as in past years. The Chapel is located along Route 23 about two miles west of the Valley Forge exit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Admittance is free and refreshments will be served after the service.
www.314th.org
Contact: Nancy Schaff (nancy.schaff@gmail.com )

Sunday, 5/24, 1–2:30 p.m. PST at Central Library, Sacramento Public Library, CA
“The War that Launched a Genre: WWI and the Birth of Modern Fantasy”
Part of the Sacramento Public Library’s “World War One Revisited: Focus on 1915” series. writer and literary scholar Carrie Sessarego will give a presentation on the impacts of WWI on the writing careers of J.R.R. Tolkien, H.G. Wells, C.S. Lewis, Charlotte Gilman and others. www.saclibrary.org

Monday, May 25, US Navy Memorial, Washington DC
US Navy Memorial Day Events

10am EDT: Fleet Reserve Association Wreath Laying Ceremony
1pm EDT: USN Memorial Day Wreath Laying Ceremony with USN Band & Ceremonial Guard
2pm EDT: Veterans Writing Project presentation

Wednesday, May 27, Noon EDT at the Naval Heritage Center, Washington DC
21st Century Sims: Innovation, Education, and Leadership for the Modern Era
As part of the NHC’s “Authors on Deck” series, LCDR Benjamin Armstrong discusses his book 21st Century Sims, which examines turn of the 20^th century Adm. William S Sims role at the forefront of naval affairs. Despite his dramatic impact on the U.S. Navy, Sims’ books and articles are often overlooked. His lessons are especially important for today’s military, facing budget cuts as well as missions in transition. This book is a collection of Adm. William Sims’ written work, and it investigates his relevance in addressing the questions facing today’s military personnel and policymakers.
http://navymemorial.org/

Sunday, 5/31, 1–2:30 p.m. at Central Library, Sacramento Public Library, CA
“Defeat at Gallipoli: A Tragedy in Four Acts”
Part of the Sacramento Public Library’s “World War One Revisited: Focus on 1915” series. WWI scholar and publisher Mike Hanlon will present a detailed talk on the events surrounding the English and Anzac ordeal at Gallipoli. www.saclibrary.org

JUNE

Thursday, 6/4, 6pm at the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, Chicago, IL 
“Kenneth C. Davis, The Hidden History of America at War: Untold Tales from Yorktown to Fallujah”
Bestselling author Kenneth C. Davis shares his unique, myth-shattering, and insightful look at war—why we fight, who fights our wars and what we need to know but perhaps never learned about the growth and development of America’s military forces.
http://www.pritzkermilitary.org/whats_on/pritzker-military-presents/kenneth-c-davis-hidden-history-america-war/

Sunday, 6/7, 1–2:30 p.m. at Central Library, Sacramento Public Library, CA
“An Inevitable War? 1915, America, and WWI”
Part of the Sacramento Public Library’s “World War One Revisited: Focus on 1915” series. Presented by WWI scholar and Vice President of the World War One Historical Association Sal Compagno. www.saclibrary.org

Tuesday, 6/9, 5:30–8 p.m. at Central Library, Sacramento Public Library, CA
Lecture on Gallipoli (1981)
Part of the Sacramento Public Library’s “World War One Revisited: Focus on 1915” series. Local historian Joseph Spink will present a short lecture on, and showing of, Peter Weir’s 1981 classic Gallipoli, starring Mark Lee and Mel Gibson. www.saclibrary.org

Sunday, 6/14 at the National WWI Museum, Kansas City, MO
“Day in the Life: Medical”
Living History volunteers will be on site to share stories of the Great War era and make history come to life! The Living History volunteers will focus on medicine during the war. Included with Museum admission and free for members.
https://theworldwar.org/visit/upcoming-events

Saturday, 6/20, opening at 8:30am at the Maryland War Memorial Building, Baltimore, MD
The Spring 2015 World War 1 History Symposium
Hosted by the Western Front Association East Coast Branch
Join Us For An Exciting Day-Long Program in World War 1 History! Events and presentations include: “America’s U-Boats: Terror Trophies of World War I”; “Unfulfilled Nightmares of WW1 Bombing”; “The Lost Sketchbooks: A Young Artist in The Great War”; “Quantity AND Quality? - Your Edwardian Naval Race”; and “Gallipoli: A German Perspective.” Cost: $35 per person, $10 students. For more information on the symposium, contact Branch Chairman Paul Cora at pbcora@earthlink.net.
WFA website:www.westernfrontassociation.com.

JULY

Sunday, 7/12 at the National WWI Museum, Kansas City, M
“Day in the Life: Soldiers of the War - The Eastern Front in 1915”
Living History volunteers will be on site to share stories of the Great War era and make history come to life! The Living History volunteers will focus on what life was like for soldiers serving on the Eastern Front in 1915. Included with Museum admission and free for members.
https://theworldwar.org/visit/upcoming-events

SEPTEMBER

Saturday, 9/12 - Sunday, 9/13 at the National WWI Museum, Kansas City, MO
“WW1USA Amateur Radio Station”
The National World War I Museum is teaming with area amateur radio operators to host special event station WW1USA from the grounds of the Museum for 31 consecutive hours from Saturday, Sept. 12 at 10 a.m. through Sunday, Sept. 13 at 5 p.m. During this time, station operators will contact hundreds of other amateur radio operators across the world. Individuals are welcome to serve as a guest operator of WW1USA at any time during regular Museum hours with all guests receiving a special amateur radio operator certificate. Free to the public.
https://theworldwar.org/visit/upcoming-events

Sunday, 9/13 at the National WWI Museum, Kansas City, MO
“Day in the Life: Trench Warfare”
Living History volunteers will be on site to share stories of the Great War era and make history come to life! The Living History volunteers will focus on what life was like for soldiers during trench warfare in World War I. Included with Museum admission and free for members.
https://theworldwar.org/visit/upcoming-events

Saturday, 9/19 All day at San Jose State University
Event on The First Air War.
Co-sponsored by The League of World War One Aviation Historians. This event will include leading speakers, vendors, model displays, art exhibit, evening banquet, and much more. More information to come!

Saturday, 9/26 at the Philadelphia Seaplane Base, Essington, PA
Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding  of the aviation  training facility,  as part of the Preparedness Movement , in Essington PA. The base became Chandler Field in 1917 and remains open as an FAA Seaplane Base called the Philadelphia Seaplane Base.

OCTOBER

Sunday, 10/11, All Day at the National WWI Museum, Kansas City, MO
“Day in the Life: Soldiers of the War - The Western Front in 1915”
Living History volunteers will be on site to share stories of the Great War era and make history come to life! The Living History volunteers will focus on what life was like for soldiers serving on the Western Front in 1915. Included with Museum admission and free for members.
https://theworldwar.org/visit/upcoming-events

DECEMBER

Saturday, 12/12 - Sunday, 12/13 at the National WWI Museum, Kansas City, MO
“WW1USA Amateur Radio Station”
The National World War I Museum is teaming with area amateur radio operators to host special event station WW1USA from the J.C. Nichols Auditorium Lobby for 31 consecutive hours from Saturday, Dec. 12 at 10 a.m. through Sunday, Dec. 13 at 5 p.m. During this time, station operators will contact hundreds of other amateur radio operators across the world. Individuals are welcome to serve as a guest operator of WW1USA at any time during regular Museum hours with all guests receiving a special amateur radio operator certificate. Free to the public.
https://theworldwar.org/visit/upcoming-events

Sunday, 12/13, All Day at the National WWI Museum, Kansas City, MO
“Day in the Life: Christmas During the War”
Living History volunteers will be on site to share stories of the Great War era and make history come to life! The Living History volunteers will focus on how Christmas was celebrated by soldiers during the war. Included with Museum admission and free for members.
https://theworldwar.org/visit/upcoming-events

Ongoing EVENTS/EXHIBITS: (in order of closing soonest)

Ends April 12, 2015
Over By Christmas: August-December 1914
National WWI Museum, Kansas City, MO
Many thought World War I would be over in days, surely by Christmas. To many, Christmas was a time of peace and goodwill towards others, the Celebration of the Prince of Peace. Each cause was just. God was on their side, but the war was not over by Christmas. Located in Exhibit Hall. Included with Museum admission and free for members.
https://theworldwar.org/explore/exhibitions/current-exhibitions/over-christmas

Ends April 15, 2015
Exhibit: “France Besieged During World War I and the American Women Volunteers Who Came to Its Aid”
Ritter Library, Baldwin Wallace University, Berea, Ohio
The touring exhibition includes photographs and silent film footage celebrating the work of the 350 American women who left the United States between 1917 and 1924 to assist French civilians whose communities were decimated by the war.
http://www.bw.edu/news/french-wwi-exhibition2015/

Ends April 19, 2015
“World War I: War of Images, Images of War”
Getty Research Institute Galleries, Los Angeles, CA
http://news.getty.edu/press-materials/press-releases/world-war-i-war-images-images-war.htm

Ends Apr. 29, 2015
Reading and Discussion Program: Our World Remade: World War I
Huntington Memorial Library, Oneonta, NY
Participants will come together over the course of six sessions to discuss a variety of thematically linked texts with Mark Simonson, the City Historian for Oneonta. Participants will explore the history and literature of "the war to end all wars." Reading texts will be provided by the New York Council for the Humanities. Registration is required.
-Informational Meeting: Wednesday, March 4th, 6:30 p.m.
-Series Dates: 6 Weeks, Wednesdays, March to May, 6:30 p.m.
http://hmloneonta.org/ 

Saturdays in April, 11am
Hands-On History
National WWI History Museum, Kansas City, MO
History is brought to life during this family-friendly program, where kids of all ages are invited to handle Great War artifacts in the Museum main gallery. Included with Museum admission and free for members. https://theworldwar.org/visit/upcoming-events

April 11 to May 1, 2015
World War I Centennial Exhibit
Chan Shun Library at Southwestern Adventist University
SWAU's department of social sciences and history are partnering up with the Chan Shun Centennial library to present an exhibit commemorating the 100th anniversary of World War I. Attendees will have the chance to view artifacts and experience a trench replica. This is an interdisciplinary project that will interest both academic scholars and the general public.
https://calendar.swau.edu/EventList.aspx?view=EventDetails&eventidn=1765&information_id=4374&type=&rss=rss

Ends May 6, 2015
Exhibit: World War I with America’s March King
Sousa Archives and Center for American Music, U of Illinois
This exhibition explores Sousa’s musical contributions to America’s war effort and how this music reflected his acknowledgment of the sacrifices that were made by all Americans who fought in this military conflict.
http://illinois.edu/calendar/detail/7?eventId=32123862&calMin=201502&cal=20150217&skinId=1 

Ends June 14, 2015
“Over There! Posters from World War I”
Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
http://www.mfa.org/exhibitions/over-there

April 11, 2015 through June 2015
WWI Exhibit at the Burdett Mansion
Woburn Historical Society, Woburn, MA
http://www.woburnhistoricalsociety.com/coming-events/

Ends July 19, 2015
“World War I and the Rise of Modernism”
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Mo.
http://www.nelson-atkins.org/art/exhibitions/WWI.cfm

Ends July 22
Margaret Fish Rahill Great Hall at the CHARLES ALLIS ART MUSEUM, Milwaukee, WI
Art For The Cause: French Posters from the First World War
-As in the United States, France solicited the support of its citizenry, both moral and financial, through large-format posters displayed in the windows of publicly- and privately-owned venues. Countries on both sides of the Atlantic commissioned leading artists and illustrators to provide the poster designs and drawings. Despite their common intentions, the French posters took on a more tragic character than their American counterparts, reflecting the devastation of the landscape and on the lives of soldiers and their families. The exhibition is an opportunity for CAVT Museums, until recently a body under the War Memorial Corporation umbrella, to reflect on the turbulence of warfare and its portrayal in original works by the likes of Francisque Poulbot and Steinlen.
-Gathered by Harriet Earling Fitch during the war years and after, the collection is a physical embodiment of an American philanthropist’s longstanding relationship with a foreign country. Long before the entrance of the United States into the conflict, Harriet Fitch (later Thwaits Dake) organized and directed the Milwaukee chapter of the Fatherless Children of France and was instrumental in the founding of the Foster Mothers of America. Both organizations and Harriet Earling Fitch’s philanthropic work focused on the care and support of the millions of children left fatherless by one of the deadliest conflicts in world history. For her efforts, she was awarded the Legion of Honor from the French government; her medal will be on display in the exhibition, along with archival news clippings that outline her achievements in her charitable and philanthropic work.
-About 15 posters, generously lent by the family of Thomas Van Alyea Jr., will go on display in the museum’s great hall in this small exhibition held 100 years following WWI.
http://expressmilwaukee.com/article-permalink-25290.html 

Ends Summer 2015
“The Faces From the Great War”
The George C Marshall Museum, Lexington, VA
Artist Edwin Dooley, Jr.’s collection of pencil-on-paper portraits of well-known soldiers in WWI
http://marshallfoundation.org/newsroom/news/dooley-present-faces-great-war/

Ends August 3, 2015
Exhibit: Professor Harding and the Illinois Bands During WWI
Sousa Archives and Center for American Music, U of Illinois
This exhibit investigates the challenges that A. Austin Harding, director of U of Illinois’ band, faced as many of his band’s members enlisted in the army and navy in 1917 after America entered the war, and highlights the role that Harding and his bands played to support that nation’s war effort.
http://illinois.edu/calendar/detail/7?eventId=32123866&calMin=201502&cal=20150217&skinId=1

Through Aug. 16
Over Here: WWI and the Fight for the American Mind
New York Public Libraries, New York, NY
http://www.nypl.org/events/exhibitions/overhere

Ends August 31, 2015
“Fancy Flying: Aviation at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition”
San Francisco Airport, Departures Level 3.
Free admission. More info at:  http://www.flysfo.com/museum/exhibitions/fancy-flying

Opening June 1, 2015
“The Lost Generation: Orleans County's Contribution to World War One”
The Cobblestone Society & Museum, Albion, NY
http://cobblestonemuseum.org/content/museum-exhibits

Opening June 1, 2015
“ARE YOU 100% AMERICAN?”
The Cobblestone Society & Museum, Albion, NY
An Exhibition Featuring World War One Propaganda Posters and Newspaper Headlines
http://cobblestonemuseum.org/content/museum-exhibits

May 9–September 20, 2015
Mine More Coal: War Effort and Americanism in World War I Posters
University of Michigan Museum in Ann Arbor, MI
-During World War I, the American Government used a powerful poster campaign to rally all troops and farmers, housewives and shipbuilders, “old-stock Americans” and immigrants to the cause. Propaganda, commodity, and art came together in WWI posters. This exhibition presents rarely displayed WWI posters from UMMA’s collection.
-The focus of the exhibition is posters directed at coal miners. These works explore the larger themes of supporting the war effort and Americanism. Coal mining communities were microcosms for the social and economic pressures when the United States entered the Great War in 1917. Coal was a central resource for the war, yet the immigrant workforce was considered unreliable because of increasingly frequent workers’ strikes. Posters also addressed anxieties about the definition of American culture and its readiness for war.
http://www.umma.umich.edu/view/exhibitions/2015-mine-more-coal.php

Ends September 25, 2015
Exhibit: Many Voices: The Great War in America's Songs
Sousa Archives and Center for American Music, U of Illinois
This special exhibition from the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History depicts the diverse portrayals of soldiers’ lives, recruitment of African-American soldiers, women’s support for the war effort, and the country’s financial and personal sacrifice through the melodies, lyrics and graphic illustrations of sheet music that were produced between 1917 and 1919.
http://illinois.edu/calendar/detail/7?eventId=32123867&calMin=201502&cal=20150217&skinId=1

Ends October 2015
The Making of the Great Humanitarian: Herbert Hoover and World War I
Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum, West Branch, IA
This special exhibition includes exhibits on: World War I Trench; Stranded Overseas: Americans at the Savoy Hotel; SS Hannah Ship Replica Leads the Way; and a Belgian Village
http://www.hooverassociation.org/newsevents/hoovercookie.php

Ends December 6, 2015
“City Rising: San Francisco and the 1915 World's Fair”
California Historical Society
Admission $5. Info at: http://www.californiahistoricalsociety.org/exhibitions/current_exhibitions/
Archival video footage at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQm6ttaHtcc

Through April 2016
Exhibit: “The Year of Navy Reserve Centennial”
Naval Heritage Center, Washington DC
http://navymemorial.org/yonr

IU Art Museum
Dada and Constructivism: World War I and Radical Modernism
This exhibition showcases the art world’s transformation in the wake of World War I. Many Russian artists sought orderly, rational responses to the chaos of the war. Their work came to be known as Constructivism and was characterized by clean lines, geometric structure, and an absence of violent imagery. Many artists on the Continent, particularly in Germany, rejected traditional aesthetic values and espoused antiwar philosophies. These artists formed the Dada movement and experimented with new materials and techniques, often relying on shocking imagery to convey their political messages. This exhibit is free and open to the public during regular museum hours.
http://rememberingworldwari.indiana.edu/calendar/index.html#

UPCOMING Exhibits

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts
“World War I and American Art” -November 2016 – April 2017
http://www.pafa.org/wwi/

New York Historical Society, May – Sept. 2017
(third venue: Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville, TN, October 2017- January 2018)