The National Civic Art Society presents a talk by sculptor Sabin Howard on Friday November 15 at the Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C., 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. EST. Howard will present his magnificent classical design for the National World War I Memorial, which recently received final approval from the required government authorities. The Memorial is to be located in Pershing Park in Washington. Click here to read more about the event, and how to obtain tickets.

As the commemoration of the centennial of World War I (2014-19) continues, the National WWI Museum and Memorial serves as a fitting place to honor those who have served — and continue to serve — our country. To recognize these men and women, admission to the Museum and Memorial is free for veterans and active duty military personnel, while general admission for the public is half-price, throughout the Veterans Day weekend (Friday to Monday, Nov. 8 to 11, 2019). To observe Veterans Day, the Museum and Memorial will offer a wide variety of events November 8 to 11 for people of all ages.  Click here to find out more about the Veterans Day weekend activities at the National WWI Museum and Memorial.

By popular demand, Fathom Events and Warner Brothers will bring director Peter Jackson's remarkable World War I documentary “They Shall Not Grow Old” back to movie theaters nationwide for three days only this December, offering audiences another chance to see it on the big screen and in 3D. One of the most acclaimed and highest-grossing documentaries ever made, “They Shall Not Grow Old” is director Peter Jackson’s extraordinary look at the soldiers, the events, the sounds and the sights of World War I. The film will also be available in 2D in select locations. Click here to find out more about, and where you can get tickets for, this encore presentation of “They Shall Not Grow Old” in December.

East Side World War I Centennial Commemoration, American Red Cross, and the NYC Department of Veterans’ Services are holding a Tribute Ceremony to the Women Who Have Served America, Wednesday, November 6, 2019, 11:00-12 noon at the newly rediscovered Overseas Service League Flagstaff and Grove, Central Park at 69th Street Walk. In 1925 a Central Park memorial grove of 24 trees and flagstaff were conceptualized for a tribute to American women who died overseas in World War One. Today the living memorial of thriving trees spans the wall along Fifth Avenue from 69th to 71st Streets. Click here to find out more about the newly-rediscovered memorial, and how to attend the ceremony on November 6.

To celebrate veterans and commemorate the centennial of WWI, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture will host a book talk on the museum’s latest publication, We Return Fighting: World War I and the Shaping of Modern Black Identity, on Thursday, November 7, 7p.m., at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, 1400 Constitution Ave. N.W., Washington, DC. The book talk will feature Kinshasha Holman-Conwill, deputy director, NMAAHC, Greg Carr, chair of the Department of Afro-American Studies, Howard University; and Krewasky A. Salter, Col., USA, Ret., guest curator, and executive director of the First Division Museum. Click here to learn more about the book, the event, and find out how to attend the book discussion on November 7.

On the occasion of Veterans Day 2019, Mr. Yves Wantens, General Delegate of the Government of Flanders to the USA, kindly invites you to the Annual Flanders Remembers Concert on November 6, 7pm. Enjoy Shelter by Revue Blanche, and featuring readings from War and Turpentine by award-winning author Stefan Hertmans. Click here to read more about the event, and learn how to RSVP to attend.

If you look at a satellite image of the Potomac River, about 30 miles south of Washington you’ll see a curve in the river, packed with dozens of identical oblong shapes. At low tide, they emerge eerily from the water — a “ghost fleet” of wooden steamships dating back to World War I. It’s called Mallows Bay, and it’s one of the largest collections of shipwrecks in the world. The story of how these ships ended up in the Potomac is a tale of environmental destruction — and rebirth. The shipwrecks have recently received federal protection, as part of a new national marine sanctuary. Click here to read how WAMU’s Jacob Fenston and Tyrone Turner visited Mallows Bay, by canoe and kayak, to document the unusual waterscape the shipwrecks have created.

Etched in Memory, the latest special exhibition at the National WWI Museum and Memorial, features color etchings by British artist James Alphege Brewer published throughout the Great War as a reminder of the cultural losses it inflicted. Brewer's series of etchings were influential; some were copied and distributed widely in the United States and could be found hung on parlor walls in solidarity with the Allied cause. Click here to read more about this special exhibition exploring these graphic renderings of the many cultural landmarks that were physically damaged or destroyed in World War I, but remained etched in the memories of artists like Brewer.

A memorial service was held recently to honor Sgt. Thomas Fearn, a soldier who was killed in action in WWI. His body laid in an unmarked grave until his relatives were able to locate the grave this year and place a marker. By the time they gathered at the Old Cathedral Cemetery, Thomas Joseph Fearn Jr. had been dead for more than a century, but for his descendants, it’s never too late to pay your respects. Click here to read more about the effort to locate, identify, and honor the remains of the 26-year-old Philadelphian sergeant who perished in the Meuse Argonne Offensive in September 1918.

The United States observes National Prisoner of War / Missing in Action Recognition Day on the third Friday in September. This day allows a moment of pause to remember those who have been held as prisoners of war during our nation's conflicts and those listed as missing in action. One hundred years ago, the only Georgia Guardsmen held as a POW during World War I began his long journey home to Macon, Ga. from a prison hospital in Germany. Click here to read more about the perilous journey and eventual homecoming of the Jackson, GA native who served in every enlisted rank in the Georgia National Guard before accepting a commission as a second lieutenant.

A quilt made during World War I for an American Red Cross chapter on Virginia's Eastern Shore was found recently, tucked away in storage in a British museum. The quilt was made to be sent to a wartime hospital in Europe. The Pungoteague Quilt, designed and stitched by Mrs. S.K. Martin of Harborton in 1918, bears the names of nearly 700 people who made donations — many of whom still have descendants living on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Click here to learn more about the quilt, the man who found it in Great Britain, and how he trying to find out more about the people whose names are on the historic textile from Virginia.

A black soldier who was buried in an unmarked Indiana grave is getting proper recognition for his military service in World War I nearly a half-century after his death. The memorial for Leonard Inman, who died in 1973, took place at Spring Vale Cemetery in Lafayette, IN in September with a 21-gun salute, the retiring of colors and taps by the American Legion Post 492, and a new, permanent headstone. Click here to learn how the president of the General de Lafayette Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution led the effort to obtain a headstone for Inman.

WW1 Centennial News: The Doughboy Podcast is about WW1 THEN: 100 years ago this month, and it's about WW1 NOW: News and updates about the centennial and the commemoration.  Available on our website,  iTunes, Google Play, Podbean, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio on Demand.  Spotify  listen on Youtube. 

Episode #142
Lifetime Achievement: Dr. John Morrow

Posts raising money for Nat. WWI Memorial - Derek Sansone & David Hamon  | @ 02:10

100 Years ago - Host | @ 08:55

Born in the Month of September - David Kramer | @ 16:30

Lifetime Achievement in Military Writing - Dr. John Morrow | @ 22:50

The Buzz: Selected Posts from the Internet - Host | @ 37:15

Episode #143
The New WWI Memorial

Announcement: Bells of Peace 2019 | @ 01:10

NCPC Design approval | @ 03:35
Why we MUST build this - Terry Hamby | @ 06:20

If not YOU then WHO? - Edwin Fountain | @ 08:25
Why a Nat. Memorial in KC and DC? - Dr. Mathew Naylor | @ 11:50

The Memorial in the Park - Edwin Fountain | @ 14:30

The International Design Competition - Host | @ 16:40

“And the Winner is:” - Joe Weishaar & Sabin Howard | @ 18:00

Interpretation & Education - Dr. Libby O’Connell | @ 24:20

“A Soldier’s Journey” - Sabin Howard | @ 28:35

Where Tradition and the Future Meet - Sabin Howard | @ 33:45

Dizzying Parallel Tracks | @ 42:10

“And the Bronze Metal goes to…” - Steve Maule | @ 44:20

Final Design - APPROVED - various | @ 51:10

The First Mile and the Last Mile: Fundraising - Edwin Fountain | @ 53:30

Episode #144
October 1918 & The Lost Battalion

October 1918 Overview Roundtable - Dr.Edward Legel & Katherine Akey | @02:15

Historians Corner: Lost Battalion - Ron Laplander | @18:25

Shifting sands and hard fighting - Mike Shuste | @25:10

Remembering Veterans: Story of John Foster - Mark Foster | @29:40

US Army CMH WWI Website - Dr. Erik Villard | @35:00

Spotlight On The Media 1: Dr. Edward Lengel | @40:15

Spotlight On The Media 2: Lost Battalion Documentary - Mark Fastoso & John King | @42:50

Episode #145
Overtures to Peace & Baseball

Overtures to peace - Host | @01:30

Atrocities in Syria - Mike Shuster | @08:20 

America Emerges: Sgt. Alvin York - Dr. Edward Lengel | @13:00

Remembering Veterans: Charles Edward Dilkes - Dr. Virginia Dilkes | @20:45

Speaking WWI: Teddy Bear Suit - Host | @28:05

Historian’s Corner: Baseball in WWI - Jim Leeke | @31:20

100C/100M: Springdale PA - Mayor Jo Bertoline & Patrick Murray | @37:50

Episode 146
WWl Through Many Lenses

Bells of Peace 2019 - Host | @02:05

The Cultural Impact of WWI - Dr. Jay Winter | @05:05

Japan’s Impact on WWI - Dr. Frederick Dickenson | @11:55

The Impact of WWI on the World - Sir Hugh Strachan | @19:50

Speaking WWI: Tank - Host | @27:15

WWI War Tech: Many lenses looking - Host | @28:55

They Shall Not Grow Old: A vision realized - Brent Burge | @33:10

A man is only missing if he is forgotten.

Monday's MIA this month is PFC Essel M. Maxwell. Born in Washington D.C. on April 5^th, 1891, Essel Monshuer Maxwell was a tall, thin 26 year old when he signed his draft card on May 25^th, 1917 at Painesville, Ohio. He had attended the technical high school in Washington but one year before going to work as a marine fireman on the Great Lakes before the war. An injury while on that job had led to a trepanning being done on the back of his head, where a silver half dollar was inserted (which would later figure into his story). He was also a convicted felon, serving time in the Lake County Prison at Painesville, Ohio when he signed his draft card (in advance of the national draft day of June 5^th), though the nature of his crime remains currently unknown. Despite his felony, Maxwell was inducted in the army on August 15^th, 1917 – indeed he may have asked to be allowed to go into the army – and sent to Camp Meade in Maryland that November, ostensibly when his legal situation could be resolved with the federal government. At Meade he was assigned duty with Company F, 313^th Infantry Regiment, of the 79^th Division. He was promoted to Private First Class on January 1^st, 1918 and on March 29^th, 1918 was transferred to Company A, 111^th Infantry Regiment, 28^th Division; a regiment with roots extending back to the American Revolution. With them Maxwell departed for overseas service on May 5^th, 1918 aboard the S.S. Olympic.

On July 1^st, 1918 PFC Maxwell and Company A were heavily engaged with the enemy outside Chateau Thierry at Hill 204, near the Marne River. A skilled and dependable grenadier, Maxwell and his corporal managed to clear a strong enemy machine gun emplacement that afternoon, killing or wounding all of the enemy serving the weapon and destroying the piece. (For this action he would later be awarded the French Croix de Guerre.) Some time following this action, however, PFC Maxwell was killed; the official cause listed as being by a machine gun bullet, but almost immediately there were problems with the case. An initial search by Graves Registration personnel soon after the war apparently failed to turn up a set of remains, although there is a hand written notation in his burial files that he was buried in Temporary Cemetery #754. However, that is all that was apparently known; no specific grave is noted and there is no original burial slip on file. His mother was notified of his death on July 27^th, 1918.

Inquiries among his comrades were begun and on January 29^th, 1918 PVT William Williamson of Company A stated,

“Private Maxwell was killed by a hand grenade on Hill 204 near Chateau Thierry. He was buried, but I am not sure where… No one else in the company with the same name.  He was a replacement. I had only known him three months.”

The mystery only deepened when, the following month, a statement came in from PVT John B. Phillips of the same company who recalled that Maxwell had been shot through the head by a sniper and buried where he fell. Though Phillips recalled him as being hit around six o’clock in the evening, he could only estimate the date of death as “between the 1^st and 7^th of July.”

                Then, on July 14^th, 1919, as the search for Maxwell dragged on, PVT Thomas Adams of Valeria, KY, stated from his bed in Base Hospital #79:

“(While) advancing on July 1^st, body hit by MG. Was on knees when struck, raised forward on gun. Threw up hands. Saw him afterward. Death was instantaneous. Burial detail was sent out but cannot say whether body was buried… Always laughing and very happy. Often spoke of his grandfather and how he admired him in his uniform. Very good friend of informant.”

Despite repeated attempts at locating PFC Maxwell’s remains, ultimately the army was forced to admit to Maxwell’s mother Cordelia Stewart (left)  in Lanham, Maryland that they were unable to locate her son. By that time a letter from a member of the company had reached her in which the statement was made that his head had been blown to pieces. As she was further informed that the fighting had been very severe at the time, his mother was further under the impression that his body had been blown to bits. Therefore, she was very understanding and amenable to her son remaining in France, even if he ever were recovered.

Investigation into Maxwell’s case was officially closed on December 28^th, 1922 with the recommendation that no possibility of ID existed as no unknown had been discovered with trepanning done to his head, which would have been proof positive in identification. By that time, all the records of the unknowns in Permanent Cemetery 1764 (Aisne-Marne) had been checked and a total of seven sets of remains had been disinterred and physically examined for possible ID, including one with a pocket knife with the initials E.M.M. However, none were deemed a dental match nor had trepanning to the back of the head.

In a January 18^th, 1923 form letter to his mother, the government stated that she might take comfort in the possibility that he may have been the one selected as the Unknown. How much of a comfort this would have been remains a point of speculation. In any case, she participated in the 1931 Gold Star Mothers Pilgrimage and on July 7^th of that year was able to gaze upon the name of her son on the Tablets of the Missing at Aisne-Marne American Cemetery at Belleau Wood. Her other son, Allan, had also served, but had returned home unscathed.

8" x 12"  WWI Centennial Memorial Flag

Perfect for use on Veterans Day, this WW1 Centennial Flag is made of durable nylon and measures 8 inches x 12 inches. This flag has the iconic Doughboy silhouette digitally screened onto it and is secured on a 15.75" wooden dowel with a decorative ball on top . A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this item will go towards the construction of the new National World War I Memorial in Washington, DC. You can show your support, and help promote the efforts, by proudly displaying this flag.

A Certificate of Authenticity as Official Merchandise of the United States World War One Centennial is included.

This and many other items are available as Official Merchandise of the United States World War One Centennial.

Pershing Sponsors

A new detailed document of the approved National World War I Memorial design has been issued and is available to the public. The 80-page publication provides a detailed and nuanced look at the new Memorial from broad overview down to minutia including quotes that will be inscribed, surface and stone materials, what kind of plants will grace the park areas, the lighting plan, interpretive elements, handicap access and more. The document can be downloaded as a .pdf at ww1cc.org/memorial-design and is available now.

For over a century, Clifton Park has been a hub of outdoor events in Sea Cliff. From games to concerts to picnics, the park has seen it all, as have the eight giant oak trees that stand along its perimeter. Those trees are turning 100 this year: They were planted in 1919, in honor of the eight Sea Cliff residents who died in World War I in Europe. While the trees are grand tributes on their own, on Sept. 6, 1919, the village celebrated the return of 169 soldiers with a parade and picnic. The soldiers, and their eight fallen comrades, are memorialized on a plaque on the memorial rock in the park. Hundreds of people gathered on Sept. 7 to celebrate the anniversary of the soldiers’ homecoming. Click here to read more about the centennial activities in this Long Island community and its commemoration on this historic centennial.

The Military Aviation Museum’s Biplanes and Brews World War One Air Show soars into action October 5-6, in Virginia Beach, Va. Spectators will be transported back to the days of World War One with a weekend of live music, reenactors and aerial performances. Craft beer connoisseurs can pair the day’s entertainment with a brew in hand and food. Click here to read more about the World War I aircraft that will be seen on the ground and in the air at this annual event.

An American World War I soldier's gun and medals left in a safe deposit box were returned to his son on Monday thanks to the West Virginia Treasurer's Unclaimed Property Division. David McKee, 75, of Huntington, said he was shocked to find out his father, Mason Shelby McKee, had taken the gun, medals and other items to a Huntington bank's safe deposit box department for safekeeping. Click here to read more about how the the West Virginia Treasurer's Office brought family these artifacts of the Great War back to their rightful owner.

A Michigan colonel is hoping for some help as an eight-story tall WWI monument faces demolishing if enough money isn't raised to move it. The Michigan War Veterans Memorial was erected in 1939. The 40-foot stone monument sits at the southwest corner of the Michigan State Fairgrounds with stones from cities all over Michigan represented. Now the new owners of the state fairgrounds wants to redevelop the property, and the crumbling monument, which is owned by the state, has to go. Click here to read more about the efforts to raise funds to relocate, restore, and preserve this World War I memorial so it will continue to honor those from Michigan who served in World War I.

After nearly three years of raising money and implementing repairs, the city of Lompoc, California now has a reborn World War I monument that sits in front of the city’s museum. And now the monument has a new feature sitting atop of the revitalized structure: a bronze bald eagle. Click here to read more about the how the city and museum invested effort and money to ensure that the memorial will continue to be "a remembrance and honor to remember those who fell in this war so long ago."

Arthur Labbay of Maine was wounded twice during a fierce fight in France on July 18, 1918. The injuries were life-threatening. Labbay stayed in a French hospital for several months recovering from his wounds before he could return home. More than 101 years later, Labbay finally received the Purple Heart he earned that day. Whether through missing paperwork, the fog of war or an administrative mishap, he had never received his medal. Click here to read how Senator Susan Collins of Maine and others worked to enable Labbay's daughters and granddaughter to final receive the Purple Heart medal that Arthur earned a century ago.

The Purple Hearts Reunited Foundation has announced the return of two awards earned in World War I to the families of the soldier recipients in New York and Maine during September. The organization held ceremonies for the families of Corporal Frederick W. Beisswanger of New York, and Sergeant Erroll Wilbert Brawn of Maine.  Click here to read more about these two soldiers, the actions that earned them these awards, and about Purple Hearts Reunited and its ongoing mission.

Nearly 101 years ago, Norman Wood Finch was out to sea aboard the Coast Guard cutter Tampa, a 190-foot-long vessel that was one of six ships on convoy duty in European waters during WWI. On Sept. 26, 1918, the Tampa was  torpedoed by a German U-boat. All 130 men on the Tampa died, with Finch among the 111 Coast Guardsmen aboard. For about 20 years, the Coast Guard has been working to honor the people aboard the Tampa. On Monday, Finch finally got his due when legislators and Coast Guard officials presented a Purple Heart to his two great-nephews, Bradley and Steven Finch, who live in Brewster.  Click here to read more about Finch's service, the ceremonies, and how the Tampa casualties are receiving their deserved Purple Heart medals.

From August 26th's edition of the World War I Centennial News Podcast, Episode 137, our very own Dave Kramer kicks off a new monthly segment called Born in the Month by introducing several important people who played a role in World War I and were born in the month of August. One was a Hall of Fame pitcher who suffered a terrible malady during his war service. One went on to run an influential newspaper. Another was a woman who may have played both sides during the war. And the last eventually ascended to higher office. Think you have the right guesses? Click here to read on and find out.

In August 26th's edition of the World War I Centennial News Podcast, Episode 137, host Theo Mayer spoke with Lester Probst and Fernando Rivero from Hollywood, CA's American Legion Post 43. Started by WWI vets, Post 43 has had a distinguished membership, including many famous names from the film industry. Over time, the Post fell into disrepair. However, an effort spearheaded by Mr. Probst, Mr. Rivero, and others to remember WWI in the Los Angeles area and inject new life into Post 43 has been wildly successful; it has grown in numbers and once again become a community focal point. Click here to read on and learn more about this remarkable transformation.

In August 19th's edition of the World War I Centennial News Podcast, Episode 136, Bruce Jarvis and Steve Badgley joined the show to discuss their new book, Over There With Private Graham. Drawing on a Graham's own accounts of his service, which he intended to publishing during his lifetime, Jarvis and Badgley have assembled an impactful, first-person account of the Great War. As the authors discuss, Graham's background, including his age and police career, and Military Police role gave his writing a distinct perspective. Click here to read on and learn more about this compelling first-person account of service in the Great War.

The WW1 Centennial News Podcast is about WW1 THEN: 100 years ago this week, and it's about WW1 NOW: News and updates about the centennial and the commemoration. 

Available on our web site, iTunes, Google Play, Podbean, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio on Demand.  Spotify  listen on Youtube. 

RECENT EPISODES:

Episode #138
War Football & the NFL

100 Years Ago: Woodrow Wilson’s last chapter - Host | @ 02:15
A Century In The Making: From the Sabin Howard Sculpture Studio - Host | @ 12:15
Remembering Veterans: Camp Doughboy “4” - Kevin Fitzpatrick | @ 13:45
Spotlight on the Media: “War Football: World War I and the Birth of the NFL” - Chris Serb | @ 22:30
Articles & Posts: Weekly Dispatch - Host | @ 34:50

Episode #139
FOCUS ON - The Non-Combatants of WWI

Unprecedented logistics - Joe Johnson | @ 05:00
The US Army Signal Corps - Host | @ 09:15
The Hello Girls - Dr. Elizabeth Cobb | @ 11:30
Medical Support Services & the AFS - Nicole Milano | @ 15:50
The US Postal Service in WWI - Lynn Heidelbaugh | @ 22:15
The Stars & Stripes - Robert Rheid | @ 25:40
The Doughboy’s Sweetheart: Elsie Janis - Dr. Edward Lengel | @ 28:15
Bringing Soldiers to God and God to Soldiers - Dr. John Boyd | @ 32:05
Donuts and Coffee - Patri O’Gan | @ 34:25

Episode #140
The American Worker & WWI

The American Worker & WWI - Host | @ 05:15
Labor Gains & Labor Losses - Dr. Mark Robbins | @ 10:05
A Century in the Making: Article by Traci Slatton- Host | @ 19:20
Historian's Corner - Col. Michael Visconage, USMC (ret.) | @ 30:15
The Buzz: Posts from the internet - Host | @ 39:05

A man is only missing if he is forgotten.

The MIA of the Month for September is 1st LT Murray K. Spidle. Born in Wilmot, OH on 28AUG1897, Murray Kenneth Spidle was the only child of Clarence and Martha Spidle. Active in sports and school groups, he attended Mt. Union College and was there when war came to America in April, 1917. Sent to Ft. Benjamin Harrison for officer's training he volunteered for the air service and was accepted on 15AUG1917. From there he was sent for training first to Ft. Worth, Texas, then to Toronto, Canada before final training in England and assignment to a squadron at the front. In France he arrived at the 17th Aero Squadron (nick named the 'Camel Drivers' due to being equipped with the British Sopwith 'Camel' fighter plane) on 13JAN1918. Over the spring and into the summer of 1918, Spidle worked to hone his craft as a fighter pilot, suffering at least 5 forced landings due to enemy action in the process.

On 03AUG1919, while out on patrol, another squadron member last saw Spidle dive after a single German plane in the area around Dixmude. When he later failed to return from the patrol,  none of his squadron mates would believe he had been shot down - the Germans had not been aggressive on that patrol - but entertained other ideas. Prominent among these was he had suffered engine failure while diving on the German and arrowed into the ground, or that in abandoning his chase he flew too low in the combat zone and was hit and obliterated by a passing artillery shell. Either way, no trace of him or his plane was ever found.

Today LT Spidle is remembered on the tablets of the missing at the Flanders Fields American Cemetery.

YOU can help us make a full accounting of our missing Doughboys. Simply make your tax-deductible donation to Doughboy MIA and help us make a full accounting of the 4,423 American service personnel still listed as missing in action from WW1.  Big or small doesn't matter, we appreciate it, and you get the satisfaction of knowing you played a part in helping. Make your tax deductible donation now, with our thanks. And remember:

A man is only missing if he is forgotten.

Navy ¼ Zipper Fleece Sweatshirt

Inspired by the iconic image of a U.S. Doughboy, you can wear your American pride with this Made in the USA ¼ zipper fleece sweatshirt. An informal term for a member of the U.S. Army or Marine Corps, “doughboys” especially used to refer to the American Expeditionary Forces in World War One. Largely comprised of young men who had dropped out of school to join the army, this poignant lone silhouette of a soldier in trench warfare serves as a reminder of those who sacrificed so much one century ago.

Sweatshirt features: Navy with white Doughboy embroidery. 80% cotton/20% polyester,  9.5 Oz. High quality heavy weight pre-shrunk fabric. Sweatshirt has ¼  zip pullover with cadet collar and silver metal zipper. Ribbed cuffs and waistband with spandex. Cover-seamed arm holes. Mens’ sizes available Small and Medium. Proceeds from the sale of this item will help to fund the building of the national World War One Memorial in Washington, D.C.

A Certificate of Authenticity as Official Merchandise of the United States World War One Centennial is included.

This and many other items are available as Official Merchandise of the United States World War One Centennial.

Pershing Sponsors

At first Larry Fralick thought it was a scam call. A man with a French accent on the other end of the line was trying to convince him he found something that belonged to Fralick's family. Turns out he was telling the truth. "He sent us a picture of the metal detector he used to find it," Fralick said. Click here to read more about, and watch video of, the story of the mysterious caller who convinced Clifford Fralick's descendants that the soldier left something behind in France during World War I.

The expedition “Digging Into History: WWI Trench Restoration” recently returned from three weeks in Seicheprey, France. This innovative experiential learning program brought fifteen Connecticut high school students entering grades 11 and 12 this fall to the site of the first German offensive against American troops, to help restore a section of trench once occupied by Connecticut’s 102d Infantry Regiment. Among the participating students was Lucas Rodriguez of Torrington, who researched a Torrington soldier with the historical society to prepare for the trip. He attends the Connecticut River Academy in East Hartford. Click here to read how, just as the Doughboys formed bonds with the village 100 years ago, the students formed friendships with their French peers as they worked to help restore the historic World War I battlefield site.

Two lectures on September 7 at the Knights of Columbus Museum in New Haven, CT  will be the final events in the museum’s exhibition World War I: Beyond the Front Lines, which concludes September 8. War Within War: The 1918 Influenza in America will examine the impact of the so-called "Spanish Flu" on America and the world. The Red Baron & Military Aviation Developments in World War I will examine a key figure in the rise and impact of military aviation spawned by the world conflict. Click here to read more about these two informative lectures, and learn about the award-winning WWI exhibition at the Knights of Columbus Museum.

Alan Carpenter often looks for buried artifacts in Cobb Cook Park in Hibbing, MN using his metal detector. It's something he does for fun, but he and his partner Jim Kochevar also return lost items. Last spring, Carpenter made his most important discovery, a World War I dog tag found buried under at least 6 inches of frost. "At first I didn't know what it was, I thought it was some kind of token or something until I got home and rinsed it off, then I seen the United States Marine Corps on it," said Carpenter. With Kochevar's help, this past Memorial Day Carpenter figured out the dog tag belonged to Anton Bernhardt, a World War I veteran, and former Hibbing police officer. Click here to read more and watch video, and find out how the family of the World War I soldier was reunited with the dog tag in August after it was lost for 80 years.

Writing in his "View From Swamptown" column, G. Timothy Cranston, North Kingstown, Rhode Island's town historian, explores "the seemingly inconsequential peach pit and its equally unimportant companion – the discarded nut shell – to see what historic part they played in World War I." Click here to read the entire column, and discover how "these common bits of food waste saved many an American Doughboy during the Big War."

On Wednesday, August 28, 2019 the Military Vehicle Preservation Association 100th Anniversary Convoy will travel through Kearney, Nebraska as they continue retracing the original 1919 US Army’s First Transcontinental Motor Convoy route, on the famed Lincoln Highway. Click here to visit the MVPA web site to learn more about the 100th Anniversary Convoy. (Click on the Convoy Button on the top of the page.) Click here to track the convoy's position. 

In August 19th's edition of the World War I Centennial News Podcast, Episode 136, host Theo Mayer interviewed Daniel J. Basta, Doughboy Foundation board member and accomplished scientist and diver. Mr. Basta sheds light on the Ghost Fleet of Mallows Bay, an armada of ships scuttled by the U.S. government in Maryland after the war. Today Mallows Bay is a National Marine Sanctuary, a protected area for wildlife and human recreation--and something that connects contemporary Americans to the Great War. Click here to discover this unique and powerful outdoor destination, and the grueling process undertaken to bring the proposed sanctuary to reality.

In August 12th's edition of the World War I Centennial News Podcast, Episode 135, (originally aired in Episode 66) we heard from writer and historian Mark Wilkins on the high incidence of shell shock, or PTSD, among WWI pilots. Held up as fearless and daring, these men cracked underneath the extraordinary danger of their occupation. In his research Wilkins uncovered many letters written by the pilots themselves that illustrate the toll aerial combat took on their psyches. Click here to learn more about PTSD and the effect it had on WWI pilots, in their own words. 

The WW1 Centennial News Podcast is about WW1 THEN: 100 years ago this week, and it's about WW1 NOW: News and updates about the centennial and the commemoration.  Available on our web site, iTunes, Google Play, Podbean, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio on Demand.  Spotify  listen on Youtube. 

Episode #137
American Legion Post #43: Revitalized and Relevant

Episode #137

Host - Theo Mayer

• 100 Years Ago: Headlines last week of August 1919
  - Host | @ 02:15
• Born in the Month of August
  - Dave Kramer | @ 09:05
• Remembering Veterans: American Legion Post 43 Revitalized
  - Fernando Rivero & Lester Probst | @ 14:45 
• Articles & Posts: Dispatch Newsletter
  - Host | @ 32:55

A man is only missing if he is forgotten.

Monday's MIA this week is Private Pietro ‘Peter’ Pacifici. A native of Morello, Italy, Pietro Pacifici came to America in 1906 and settled in Jefferson County, New York. He was drafted into the service at Watertown, NY, on 22FEB1918 and sent into Company A, 308^th Infantry Regiment, 77^th Division, with which he trained at Camp Upton Long Island before going overseas in April, 1918. He served all through the campaign in the Vesle Valley that summer with distinction and without incident, even though Company A was frequently under fire and took considerable casualties.

In September, 1918, A/308 was assigned as one of the "point" units leading the 308^th into the Argonne Forest, alongside Company D. The summer on the Vesle had been hard on the 308^th as a whole, and as they were preparing to enter the Argonne, a large draft of replacements were sent forward for the regiment (1,250 of them), and Company A received their fair share. Among them was a young Private from Washington State named Lee McCollum (who would later go on to write the popular book "History and Rhymes of the Lost Battalion" about his experiences in the Argonne). On the night of September 25^th, 1918, as Company A was preparing to move up to the front lines for the jump off the next morning, McCollum found himself assigned to carry a heavy bag of hand grenades. Nearby was a fellow with a strange accent, complaining about the clumsy stretcher that he had been assigned to carry. It was Peter Pacifici. McCollum did not hesitate to offer to exchange loads, feeling the lighter, and far less lethal, stretcher would be a much more welcome burden. Pacifici, used to such loads as the grenades and knowing from experience how welcome they would soon be, readily agreed and the two swapped responsibilities just before the unit moved out.

About a half an hour later, as they were treading forward through the rainy, dark night with artillery flying overhead, McCollum heard an explosion up ahead. Everyone was sure it was return fire from the Germans. Then the cry came back for stretcher bearers forward and McCollum and a pal rushed up. What they found was a rude introduction to the war; Pacifici had tripped and one of the grenades in the bag he had been carrying went off, setting off the rest and blowing him and several others to bits. McCollum carried back one of the wounded.

At the time of the accident, the company was about 1 kilometer north of the hamlet of La Harazee. What remained of Pacifici was buried on 01OCT1918 next to the trench in which he was killed by Chaplain Lockhart of the 53^rd Pioneer Infantry. Despite coordinates for the burial being reported at the time and the grave having initially been marked by a cross, when searchers went to locate it after the war, nothing was ever found. Pietro Pacifici remains missing on the battlefield to this day.

Want to help us make an attempt at locating Pacifici using today’s technology? Then consider making a donation to Doughboy MIA at www.usww1cc.org/mia. It takes only a moment and your tax deductible contribution will help us make a difference for Pacifici, as well as helping us make a full accounting of ALL of our US MIA’s from WW1 and keep these lost men from being forgotten. Remember: A man is only missing if he is forgotten.

White Ceramic WWI Centennial Mug

Featuring the iconic Doughboy silhouette flanked by barbed wire so prevalent during WWI, you can enjoy your favorite beverage in this 15-ounce ceramic mug and honor the sacrifices made by U.S. soldiers.  

Proceeds from the sale of this item will help build the new National World War I Memorial in Washington, DC.

A Certificate of Authenticity as Official Merchandise of the United States World War One Centennial is included.

This and many other items are available as Official Merchandise of the United States World War One Centennial.

Pershing Sponsors

At N.C. A&T, like at most universities, the buildings are named for people who played important roles on campus. The original main building is named for a past A&T president. So, too, are the library, the current administration building and four academic buildings. And then there’s Campbell Hall, home of A&T’s ROTC programs since 1955. The building’s namesake, Robert Campbell, served in World War I, but that is only the beginning of his amazing story.  Click here to read more about how Campbell was " the definition of an officer and a gentleman” and an inspiration to many with his life and service.

The somewhat disorienting five-way intersection located at the top of Center Street in downtown Middleboro, MA, known locally as Everett Square, is due to be redesigned in 2020, but before that, Everett Square had to be renamed, or better yet, reestablished, as John F. Glass, Jr. Square, as it was always supposed to be. Click here to read the entire story of how members of American Legion Post 64 and other local veterans fought a decade-long campaign to have the square rededicated in keeping with a 1929 Town Meeting vote which established the spot as Glass Square, in honor of the last serviceman from Middleboro to be killed in action in World War I.

Retired Army Sgt. Mark Ounan drives his restored 1918 Army staff car (left) as the Military Vehicle Preservation Association’s convoy of historic military vehicles made its way through northwest Ohio. Ounan noted that “Five of these cars went on the original convoy in 1919, and Eisenhower was on that trip with the Army so he probably rode in one just like it.” The convoy honoring the 1919 US Army's Transcontinental Motor Convoy reaches Iowa this week, heading west toward San Francisco. Click here to read more about the Clinton, IA stop, and how to track the convoy's position on its way to the West Coast.

The U.S. government put its own version of the Big Bang Theory into action during 1917 when it established the town of Nitro, West Virginia, to manufacture nitrocellulose (also known as “guncotton,” because of its explosive characteristics) to support the war effort in WWI. Click here to read more about how the government wanted the residents and plant employees there (like those pictured at left) to do a bang up job of supplying explosives to the U.S. armed forces, but also hoped that living and working in Nitro didn't end up being too much of a blast.

Denny Robison wasn’t sure why the grave of his grandfather — a World War I veteran — was unmarked for 45 years. Now, together with his wife, Carolyn Robison, and the Pottawattamie County, IA Veterans Affairs office, that has been corrected. Robison figured it was just an oversight that his grandfather — WWI U.S. Army veteran Dan Robison — remained buried in an unmarked grave, and that oversight was buried with time. Click here to read more about how teamwork helped get the World War I veteran's grave properly marked at Walnut Hill Cemetery.

The Springfield, MO World War I memorial may soon be moved from its longtime home in Grant Beach Park following an act of vandalism in April this year. The monument was defaced when multiple people or a vehicle pushed over the top portion of the obelisk.  It wasn't damaged, but park board spokeswoman Jenny Edwards said that was the second time in her seven years of working with the board that the monument had been pushed over.  Click here to read more about the move to a new and more secure location in Springfield for the monument erected in 1924.

August 24 will mark the 101st anniversary of Louis Bennett Jr.’s death during WWI. Bennett, Jr. served in the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom. At the time of his death Bennett had flown 25 maneuvers against the Germans. He formed the West Virginia Flying Corps, which was commissioned by then WV Governor Cornwell on July 26, 1917. The U.S. Army, however, refused to accept the corps, which led Bennett Jr. to enter flight school with the British Royal Air Force in Canada. Click here to read more about Bennett's unfortunate death in combat, and how the aviator is now honored by memorials in three nations.

In August 12th's edition of the World War I Centennial News Podcast, Episode 135, we reprised an earlier interview about a heroic but largely unknown American serviceman. As the Lost Battalion fought for their lives in the fall of 1918, a group of Airmen risked their lives to relocate and resupply them--the first such mission in American military history--including 2nd Lieutenant Erwin Bleckley. Click here to read his remarkable story, as told by historian Lieutenant Colonel Doug Jacobs, U.S. Army (Ret.), former command historian and curator for the Kansas National Guard Museum.

From August 12th's edition of the World War I Centennial News Podcast, Episode 135 (originally aired in Episode 68): At the beginning of World War I the airplane had yet to realize its lethal potential as a weapon of war. One major hindrance to aerial combat was the difficulty of firing a forward-mounted machine gun on a propeller plane without destroying the propeller itself. Then in 1915, a Dutch engineer named Anthony Fokker changed the world with his revolutionary "Interrupter Gear." Click here to learn more about this deadly invention by which German planes would dominate combat in the WWI skies until mid-1916.

The WW1 Centennial News Podcast is about WW1 THEN: 100 years ago this week, and it's about WW1 NOW: News and updates about the centennial and the commemoration.  Available on our web site, iTunes, Google Play, Podbean, TuneIn, Stitcher Radio on Demand.  Spotify  listen on Youtube. New - Comment and ask questions via twitter @TheWW1podcast

Episode #136
Highlights: The Ghost Fleet of Mallows Bay.

Host - Theo Mayer

100 Years Ago: The Turning Tide - August 1918 - Host | @ 02:10

100 Years Ago: The Aftermath - August 1919 - Host | @ 07:20

Remembering Veterans: The Ghost Fleet of Mallows Bay -
Daniel J. Basta | @ 09:25 

Commission News | @ 22:05

Spotlight on the Media: “Over There with Private Graham” -
Steve Badgley, Bruce Jarvis | @ 24:55 

Articles & Posts: Weekly Dispatch - Host | @ 35:55

“Making History”: The Hello Girls Cast Album -Music Snippet | @ 42:55 

Our MIA this week is a report. As we have been poring over the information we collected from the NPRC a couple of weeks ago, we have zeroed in on several targets.

First, we are working on the cases of our missing from the Russian expedition of 1918 - 1921 (the 'Polar Bears'). In this we have approached the Polar Bear Association in Michigan for assistance, as their expertise in this theater is the first and foremost in the world. The expedition to Russia was a confusing and difficult affair and in order to insure accuracy in our determinations, we believe that the Association's assistance will be a deciding factor. There is A LOT of information to sift through and we are painstakingly moving forward. News will be forthcoming.

Second, we are working on a small group of men buried together in July, 1918 from the 2nd Engineers during the Soissons battle who were never recovered. However, we were approached by an individual whose grandfather was one who assisted in the burials and left behind his memories of the event and his impressions. There is a possibility this information may make a difference in making a determination, or even an investigation with an eye toward a recovery effort. Much data has been gathered already, and once we have combed through it, we have two 2nd Division experts who will be assisting with additional advice. Stay tuned!

Besides those investigations, we continue working a case of a man from Montana whose name remains in doubt, and investigating the Doughboy MIA's from Oregon at the request of their highway commission, who are dedicating a stretch of highway in honor of the state's POW's/MIA's. So you can see we have many irons in the fire. And it is with that in mind that we will be forced to delay the new newsletter we have planned, 'The Silent Sentinel', until further notice. But fear not, it will be worth the wait, we assure you!

Lastly, do you believe you possess skills we could use here at Doughboy MIA and would you like to volunteer to help? Drop us a line and we'll see what we can do together. Otherwise, your donations make all the difference - as you can see by the above, ONE trip to the NPRC got us this far. How far could we still go? Only time and generous donations will tell!  Visit the website at www.ww1cc.org/mia to give today. Your tax deductible donations DO make a difference and know that every dollar IS appreciated!

A man is only missing if he is forgotten.

"Lest We Forget: The Great War"

World War I Prints from the Pritzker Military Museum & Library 

As the United States commemorates the centennial of World War I, one of the nation’s premier military history institutions pays tribute to the Americans who served and the allies they fought beside to defeat a resourceful enemy with a lavishly illustrated book.  It is an official product of the United States World War One Centennial Commission. The story of WWI is told through the memorable art it spawned―including posters from nations involved in the conflict―and a taut narrative account of the war’s signal events, its major personalities and its tragic consequences; and the timely period photographs that illustrate the awful realities of this revolutionary conflict. Most importantly, this book is a tribute to those who served in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and what would become the Air Force. Proceeds from the sale of this book help fund the new National WW1 Memorial in Washington, DC. 

This and many other items are available as Official Merchandise of the United States World War One Centennial.

Pershing Sponsors