April 6, 2017 marked 100 years since the U.S. declared war on Germany, entering World War I. The war took the lives of 17 million people worldwide, and almost five million Americans served in the U.S. armed forces during the war. What's not as well-known is the role that animals played at a time when they were still critical to warfare. Hundreds of thousands of horses and mules were shipped to Europe from Newport News, Va., the largest departure point for horses and mules, during war years. Animals were sold to the British and the other Allies in Europe even before the U.S. entered the war in 1917. Horses and mules were so valuable that the Germans devised a plot to sicken some of them in the pens at Newport News as they awaited shippment. Read about this early attempt at germ warfare, and other ways the Germans tried to target America's equine assets.

On Sept. 15, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that announced that the American Junior Red Cross would encourage school children to “work in the great cause of freedom to which we have all pledged ourselves.” It went on to promise that joining the organization “will teach you how to save in order that suffering children elsewhere may have the chance to live. It will teach you how to prepare some of the supplies which wounded soldiers and homeless families lack.” 100 years later, Amanda Moniz at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History is seeking to interview any Americans alive today who participated in the Junior Red Cross during World War I.  More than 11 million American children participated in the Junior Red Cross during WWI, and Americans aged around 105 or older may have memories of participating.  If you know someone alive today who was a child during the Great War, please email Amanda Moniz at philcollections@si.edu.

At noon on April 30, 2017, in Washington DC's Pershing Park, there will be a ceremony to commemorate Lt. Col. John McCrae’s timeless poem “In Flanders Fields” and support veterans and their families.This 3rd Annual event will be sponsored by the "In Flanders Fields" Fund, a non-profit organization created at the centennial of the poem. The Fund hopes to keep the poem's message alive through education and inclusion, while delivering on its directive to continue making the world a better place. Read more about the "In Flanders Fields" Fund and the annual event here.

Welcome California! The Golden State's World War One Centennial website is now operational on the Commission web site at ww1cc.org/california.

At the new “California WW1 Task Force” web site you will find sections on the Task Force, "California in WW1 Articles," "California in WW1 Places," and  a schedule of California WW1 centennial events.

California joins a growing number of state sites hosted by the U.S. World War One Centennial Commission. To see the other states’ sites, click here.

New Format for WW1 Centennial News Podcast

Our weekly news podcast, launched in early March, is quickly building an audience.

After the launch, we received several requests to make the show an audio podcast instead of a video podcast.

Many interested subscribers want the information but are concerned that the video is going to take up a lot of memory on their mobile devices.

Additionally, people want to enjoy the podcast while driving, working out or during other activities.

So, as of episode #15, last week, WW1 Centennial News is now an audio podcast.

You can listen by going to ww1cc.org/cn or subscribe to the podcast though iTunes.

This week's post, "The Story of Our Time," comes from former Air Force pilot, award-winning writer, and actor, James Moad. Moad, with more than 100 combat sorties in the C-130, also served as an English professor at the United States Air Force Academy. As Moad explains in his post, the story of WWI is inseparable from the story of contemporary history.

If you have a news item regarding WWI and writing, please contact: jennifer.orth-veillon@worldwar1centennial.org.

The official U.S. World War I Centennial Commission flag flew proudly over the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on April 6, as the centennial of the nation's entry into WWI was observed. Now you can have your own version of the flag to show that you remember our Doughboys and the sacrifices they and other American made during the Great War. This WW1 Centennial Flag is crafted of durable nylon and measures 3'x5'.  The iconic Doughboy silhouette is digitally screened onto it, and it has 2 brass grommets to hang the flag.  A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the flag are designated to help build the national World War One Memorial at Pershing Park in Washington, DC  You can show your support, and help promote the Memorial, by proudly displaying your custom flag.

• World War One Centennial Flags $49.95
  

This and many other official commemorative products are available at the official merchandise shop.

The premiere production with moving tributes, compelling imagery and performances brought crowds to tears and to their feet as the United States World War I Centennial Commission hosted “In Sacrifice for Liberty and Peace: Centennial Commemoration of the U.S. Entry into World War I” yesterday at the National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri on April 6. From the  moving prelude that included remarks by descendants of notable WWI Generals John J. Pershing and George S. Patton, to the rousing full-cast performance of the iconic “Over There,” followed by a flyover by a B2 Spirit stealth bomber of the 509th Bomb Wing, the ceremony was a fitting tribute to the Americans who made the great decision in 1917. Read the full ceremony summary here. If you missed it last week, watch the video here

The Centennial of the US Entering into WWI was observed nationwide with many events happening in parallel with the national ceremony in Kansas City. From a wreath laying ceremony at the Father Duffy Memorial in Times Square in New York City, to an observance at the World War I Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, south to Alabama and in many other states, the nation marked the historic day with a variety of activities, as the centennial period of the US participation in the war started. Even the busy Pentagon took time out to recognize the important date in US and world history. Overseas, the U.S. Embassy in London participated in a a special commemoration event at the Guildhall, the ceremonial and administrative center of the City of London.

Dr. Monique Seefried, a Commissioner of the United State World War I Centennial Commission, penned a guest editorial that appeared in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In it, she notes that "As a French-born woman, I always felt a debt of gratitude to the United States. It is a gratitude shared by generations of Europeans who still remember the Americans as our liberators in two World Wars." The nation's entry into the war caused profound changes both at home and abroad--as Seefried asserts, the decision "changed the course of history." Read more about "America’s historic sacrifice, service and progress" during and after WWI in the guest editorial here.

Welcome Florida and Indiana! The Sunshine States and Hoosier State World War One Centennial websites are is now live at ww1cc.org/florida and  ww1cc.org/indiana, respectively.

At the new “Florida In World War I” web site you will find articles, sections on "Floridians who Served Over There," "Floridians who Served Over Here," "Florida After the War," a "Florida WWI Timeline," and more.

On the "Indiana World War I Centennial Committee" site, you will find  detailed map of the state’s ‪World War One monuments, memorials, and historic sites, as well as "Indiana WWI Stories," "Indiana WWI Resources," and much more.

The FL and IN development teams will be joining us on upcoming WW1 Centennial News Podcast shows to tell us more about their state programs. To be sure you get those reports, register for the WW1 Centennial News live show.

Florida and Indiana join a growing number of state sites hosted by the U.S. World War One Centennial Commission. To see the other states’ sites, click here.

Think Tsingtao is just a tasty Chinese beer? Think again!

Learn about the Siege of Tsingtao/Tsingtau in the new WWrite blog post. The post was written by Mark Facknitz,  the James Madison University Roop Distinguished Professor of English, Member, Historical Advisory Board of the World War I Centennial Commission, WWI scholar, and writer.

This post extensive will broadens the American perspective of WWI participation with an impressive photo essay about his German grandfather's internment in a Japanese prisoner of war camp from 1914-1919. The post features, for the first time, amazing and rare photos from the Japanese/Chinese front and the Siege of Tsingtao/Tsingtau.

Don't miss this disarming tale from a small corner of the Great War.

If you have a news item regarding WWI and writing, please contact: jennifer.orth-veillon@worldwar1centennial.org.

Commemorate the WW1 Centennial from head to foot.

We have official commemorative merchandise that covers it all.

Start the conversation. Be the WW1 Centennial Commemoration ambassador.

• Commemorative Hat: $19.95
  
• Centennial Commemorative Lapel Pin: $4.95
  
• Centennial Commemorative Cufflinks: 18.95
  
• World War One Centennial Limited Edition 1917 U.S. Army Trench Boots $295
  

This and many other official commemorative products are available at the official merchandise shop.

The United States Centennial Commission today announced program participants and special guests for “In Sacrifice for Liberty and Peace: Centennial Commemoration of the U.S. Entry into World War I” on April 6 at the National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, MO. The Commission will welcome some 4,000 attendees from 26 U.S. states, and representatives from 27 nations worldwide. Honorary Hosts for the ceremony include Missouri Governor Eric Greitens, Missouri U.S. Senators Claire McCaskill and Roy Blunt, Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II and Kansas City Mayor Sylvester “Sly” James. Special guests and participants include Acting Secretary of the U.S. Army Robert M. Speer; Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Paul J. Selva USAF; Governor Sam Brownback and Lt. Governor Jeff Colyer of Kansas. Descendants of many notable World War l leaders and soldiers will be in attendance. Click here to read more about the roster of attendees and participants.

The First World War had a profound impact on the history of Belgium and of the whole world. It is only fitting, therefore, that Belgium will play a central part in the centenary commemorations. These will include a number of national commemorative ceremonies with international scope. In addition, Belgium’s various levels of government will oversee a range of cultural, artistic, historical and scientific initiatives throughout the centennial period. Colonel Brion Patrick is part of Belgium's centennial commission, and he talked to us about how the centennial period will be marked, and what activities the Belgian government is planning over the next two years.  Click here for more on the historical heritage that Belgium wants people to learn about.

As the nation celebrated Women’s History Month in March, The United States World War I Centennial Commission saluted the indispensable role women played during World War I. The entry of the United States into the Great War had a significant impact on women, their standing in society, and their civil rights. United States World War I Centennial Commissioner and Chief Historian Emeritus at the History Channel, Dr. Libby O’Connell noted that “The Great War was transformative for women, it served as a catalyst for women’s suffrage, professionalized women in the military and helped women prove they were capable of doing work typically done by men.” Read more about American women and World War I here.

"On this week's centennial marking America's entry into WWI, First Persian Gulf War veteran writer and poet, Seth Brady Tucker, gives us "Dulce et Decorum Est: Discovering WWI Poetry in an Iraqi Foxhole." Tucker talks about how he discovered WWI poetry–He first read "Dulce et Decorum Est," by Wilfred Owen...in an Iraqi foxhole. Thus began Tucker's lifelong commitment to reading and writing poetry about war. In his post, he says he learned that Owen and all other WWI soldier poets were  "...brave in words. In this, they did not shirk their responsibilities, in this they did not turn away from the horrors, the obscenity, the awful trench warfare that gifted some of them to us as martyrs, returned some of them to us broken and ill-used but willing to speak of war honestly." Don't miss this eloquent tale about writing and war.

If you have a news item regarding WWI and writing, please contact: jennifer.orth-veillon@worldwar1centennial.org.

This nicely weighted and durable key tag is a quality product.

Inspired by an original World War One poster, this key tag features the dramatic image of a bayonet advance on the enemy, with the United States flag in the upper corner. A functional way to show your patriotism, this  1-1/4” long, custom key tag has a bright gold finish, with color-fill, and is offered exclusively through the World War One Centennial Commission.

This and many other official commemorative products are available at the official merchandise shop.

In April 1917, the America that was nearing the decision to enter the Great War was an utterly different place from the nation we know now. In a fascinating article, reporter Jim Garamone of DoD News looks back at where our nation and its people stood weeks away from the Declaration on War on April 6, 2017. To say the nation wasn't ready for war is very much an understatement, but the United States was a country of tremendous potential, and so was its military. As Garamone writes: "It would take time for American military power to grow, learn and mature, but it would be decisive in The Great War." Read this in-depth review of the situation in America and the world when we made the decision to go to war on April 6, 1917.

In preparation for the 100-year anniversary of the United States entering WWI in April, 2017, the US National Archives recently launched Remembering WWI, an iPad and Android application that invites audiences to explore, collaborate, and engage with the Archives’ extensive collection of World War I moving and still images. The app is now available for free in the iTunes and Google Play stores. The app provides an unprecedented collection of WWI content digitized and preserved as part of the larger Wartime Films Project, much of it never-before-seen by the public. This includes photographs and films originally shot by the US Signal Corps on behalf of various armed forces units during the 1914–1920 timeframe. Using the archival content within the app, you can create your own collections and build and share new narratives around the people, events, and themes you’re exploring. Read more about the app here.

On the day of that the United States marks the centennial of the nation's entry into the Great War, the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, DC will open four new exhibits on World War I. The new exhibits will look at Women in Uniform, Gen. John J. Pershing and World War I, Modern Medicine and the Great War, and Artistic Expression in the Great War (in the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum). The ongoing exhibit on "Advertising War: Selling Americans on World War I" continues at the museum. Check out all, the exhibits here.

WW1 Centennial News is going to broadcast live from KCMO on April 5, 2017 at 12 noon EDT.

We are going to give you a behind the scenes, sneak peek at the people and the talents that have put this event together.

Join us live and you can ask our guests questions via the chatroom.

Subscribe to the video podcast on iTunes and get the show delivery automatically to your mobile device to enjoy at you convenience.

Episode #12 is posted now - Check it out online or subscribe.

This Week's post features Fulbright Scholar, writer, and WWI poetry expert, Connie Ruzich. Her blog, "Behind Their Lines," introduces readers to lesser-known poetry of the Great War, which she calls lost voices and faded poems. This week, she will present "Rain on your old tin hat," a narrative about Lt. John Hunter Wickersham, poet and WWI Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient."

If you have a news item regarding WWI and writing, please contact: jennifer.orth-veillon@worldwar1centennial.org.

These WW1 Poppy Kits contain 60 Poppy seed packs each.

Raise money for your organization by getting $2 or more per seed pack.

The red poppy has become the internationally recognized symbol of remembrance for veteran sacrifice. It all began on a war-torn battlefield during World War One, when the crimson petals caught the eye of a soldier named John McCrae, inspiring the poem – “In Flanders Field”.  The flower celebrates the service of more than 4.7 million Americans who served during WW1, and honors the 116,516 who died on the battlefields of Europe. 

When assembled, WW1 Poppy Kits are 4 x 4 x 5" and feature McCrae's poem, as well as an area where you can brand the kit to your organization for fundraising, with a label you can print yourself. 

Each poppy seed packet contains approximately 100mg of seeds.

Shipping for the kits is free with your support of the program

This and many other official commemorative products are available at the official merchandise shop.