WW1 Centennial News: The Doughboy Podcast

CN PodcastLogo Final gray lower The Doughboy Podcast is about what happened 100 years ago during and after the War that changed the world --- and it is also about NOW - How WWI is still present in our daily lives - How it is remembered and discussed, learned and taught - but most importantly - the podcast is about why and how we will never let awareness of WWI fall back into the mists of obscurity.

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Sync Call for Wednesday December 23 at 12pm EST

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Help the WW1CC!

Donate! Go to our donations page.
Send a letter to the USPS Stamp Committee! Use this template.
Send us interns! Direct anyone you know who is interested to our Internship webpage.
Help with state and regional organization! Let Andrew McGreal know and he will send you information on how to get involved.
Shop at SMILE.AMAZON.COM! Enter the "United States Foundation for the Commemoration of the World Wars" as your charitable organization.
Wear official WW1 commemorative merchandise with pride! Head over to the Commission shop for a full selection.

News and Announcements:

Updates from the States

Volunteer for state outreach. Contact Andrew McGreal if you are willing to help.

New York City Executive Council
Commissioner Libby O'Connell has been leading efforts to stand up a WWI Centennial Committee for New York. We’re pleased to announce that Real Estate Executive Elihu Rose and Broadcaster and Educator William F. Baker have joined the Executive Council this committee.

January 07 State Outreach Collaboration Call
We will hold our third State Outreach Collaboration Call in the new format on Thursday January 7 at 12 pm EST. This call will focus on ‘Organizing a Commemorative Body’ and we will have a panel of experts from several libraries from across the country on the line. This will be a great call for all up-and-coming state commemorative bodies to attend.. Reminders will be sent out the day of the call. The call-in number will be the same as past calls - contact a State Outreach Coordination team member to get on the roster.

State Outreach Webpage
We have a brand new State Outreach webpage set up on the Commission website. It houses the State Outreach Guide and its toolbox of Commission resources, the state outreach status map, as well as the minutes and recordings from our monthly State Outreach Collaboration Calls.

The National WWI Memorial at Pershing Park- Updates

Yesterday, December 22, wrapped up the public display of the 5 finalists of the National WWI Memorial Design competition at the Wilson Building in Washington, DC. The final concepts will remain on the Commission's Stage II Design Development webpage. Read all about the concepts and examine high-definition pictures; post your comments, too.

The jury will deliberate over the winner of the design competition January 5-7 here in Washington, DC. Our formal announcement will coincide with our 10th Commission Meeting on January 25th. We will post more details on this as we get closer.

Please remember that even with the perfect design, we can’t build a memorial without donations. Every dollar donated will be matched by our founding sponsor, the Pritzker Military Museum and Library. You can make this memorial a reality by making a donation to the Memorial Fund. Our veterans deserve a memorial. We can build it.

Recent Media Attention for the Design Competition
Design Competition Manager Roger Lewis was interviewed on the Kojo Nnamdi Show on NPR on Thursday December 17. Roger discussed the process for building a national memorial in DC and the challenges that come with that. You can listen to the interview online at the Kojo Nnamdi Show webpage.

Additionally, a C-Span interview with Commissioner Edwin Fountain on the Memorial Design Competition will air on Sunday January 3 at 9:30 pm EST (6:30pm PST) on C-SPAN 3.

Diplomatic Advisory Board

The Commission continues to add former US Ambassadors to foreign countries to our Diplomatic Advisory Board. The role of the Diplomatic Advisory Board is to enhance outreach as we bring together new sponsors and partners for our commemorative activities, and to provide counsel, strategy and contacts in the countries where they served. We've added two new members to the Board:

Ambassador James Lowenstein
Ambassador Carl Speilvogel

The first meeting of the DAB will be on January 13 in Washington, DC.

Los Angeles Pershing Square Renovation Design Competition

Pershing Square Renew, the non-profit group looking to renovate downtown Los Angeles's Pershing Square, announced the four finalists for creating the public space's new look. These designs, selected from 54 entries, were selected because they “really articulated the opportunity that they saw for Pershing Square going into the future," according to Eduardo Santana, Executive Director for Pershing Square Renew. Anyone interested in checking out the finalist can visit the Pershing Square Renew competition webpage.

WW1 Commemorative Merchandise

The WW1CC merchandise store is open on our website! Go online to get your own fine-crafted piece of WW1 commemorative merchandise and to support the Commission all at once. We have an exciting and varied line of products available for purchase - check it out today!

DISPATCH Newsletter

The Commission publishes a weekly newsletter, the DISPATCH. If you’re not receiving this and want to, subscribe on the Commission's website here to be added to the distribution list.

Sync Call for Wednesday December 16 at 12pm EST

Please update your Flash Player to view content.

Help the WW1CC!

Donate! Go to our donations page.
Send a letter to the USPS Stamp Committee! Use this template.
Send us interns! Direct anyone you know who is interested to our Internship webpage.
Help with state and regional organization! Let Andrew McGreal know and he will send you information on how to get involved.
Shop at SMILE.AMAZON.COM! Enter the "United States Foundation for the Commemoration of the World Wars" as your charitable organization.
Wear official WW1 commemorative merchandise with pride! Head over to the Commission shop for a full selection.

News and Announcements:

Updates from the States

Volunteer for state outreach. Contact Andrew McGreal if you are willing to help.

January 07 State Outreach Collaboration Call
We will hold our third State Outreach Collaboration Call in the new format on Thursday January 7 at 12 pm EST. This call will focus on ‘Organizing a Commemorative Body’ and we will have a panel of experts from several libraries from across the country on the line. This will be a great call for all up-and-coming state commemorative bodies to attend.. Reminders will be sent out the day of the call. The call-in number will be the same as past calls - contact a State Outreach Coordination team member to get on the roster.

State Outreach Webpage
We have a brand new State Outreach webpage set up on the Commission website. It houses the State Outreach Guide and its toolbox of Commission resources, the state outreach status map, as well as the minutes and recordings from our monthly State Outreach Collaboration Calls.

The National WWI Memorial at Pershing Park- Updates

The final concepts are on the Commission's Stage II Design Development webpage. Read all about the concepts and examine high-definition pictures; post your comments, too. Additionally, the design concepts are currently on easel display in the lobby of the John A Wilson Bldg, caddy-corner to Pershing Park. The the John A Wilson Bldg is at 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20004. This display will be available to the public through December 22nd. We encourage everyone to check out these design concepts online or in-person.

The Design Oversight Committee will deliberate over the winner of the design competition January 5-7 here in Washington, DC. Our formal announcement will coincide with our 10th Commission Meeting on January 25th. We will post more details on this as we get closer.

Please remember that even with these polished design concepts, we can’t build a memorial without donations. Every dollar donated will be matched by our founding sponsor, the Pritzker Military Museum and Library. You can make this memorial a reality by making a donation to the Memorial Fund. Our WW1 veterans deserve a memorial. We can build it.

Diplomatic Advisory Board

Ambassador Howard Leach, served in France
Ambassador Thomas Pickering, served in Russia
Ambassador James Blanchard, served in Canada
Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun, served in New Zealand
Ambassador Eleni Kounalakis, served in Hungary
Ambassador Francis Ricciardone, Jr, served in Turkey
Ambassador James Goodby, served in Finland

The first meeting of the DAB will be on January 13th here in DC.

Independence Seaport Museum USS Olympia

This week the Commission’s Executive Director Dan Dayton met with Mike Flynn of the Independence Seaport Museum, which is home to USS Olympia. Launched in 1892, the cruiser Olympia (C-6) is the oldest steel warship afloat in the world. She fought in the Spanish American War in 1898. During WWI, the Olympia served with anti-submarine escort convoys protecting shipping in the Atlantic from German U-boat attacks. Later, she was sent to Murmansk to engage the Bolsheviks in the newly formed USSR.

Following WWI- Olympia was the most significant commissioned US warship capable of making the journey, the Olympia was selected for the honor of bringing the Unknown Soldier home for interment in the United States. We are happy to form this relationship with the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia, and we will work together with the Museum and the Pennsylvania WWI Centennial Committee to help tell the story of Olympia.

Public Affairs Report

Chris Isleib, Director of Communications for the Commission, announced:

that a C-SPAN interview about the National WWI Memorial at Pershing Park with Commissioner Edwin Fountain will air on January 3 at 6:30 pm EST on C-SPAN 3.
a call for stories for social media’s Stories of Service feature, which presents stories and photos of WWI veterans submitted by volunteers and enthusiasts. These veterans are often ancestors of the submitter and add a personal touch and a human face to the war. Email Chris Isleib with your stories.

Join our social media community! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter - invite your friends and family, too.

WW1 Commemorative Merchandise

DISPATCH Newsletter

The Commission publishes a weekly newsletter, the DISPATCH. If you’re not receiving this and want to, subscribe on the Commission's website here to be added to the distribution list.

Sync Call for Wednesday December 09 at 12pm EST

Help the WW1CC!

Donate! Go to our donations page.
Send a letter to the USPS Stamp Committee! Use this template.
Send us interns! Direct anyone you know who is interested to our Internship webpage.
Help with state and regional organization! Let Andrew McGreal know and he will send you information on how to get involved.
Shop at SMILE.AMAZON.COM! Enter the "United States Foundation for the Commemoration of the World Wars" as your charitable organization.
Wear official WW1 commemorative merchandise with pride! Head over to the Commission shop for a full selection.

News and Announcements:

The National WWI Memorial at Pershing Park- Updates

Today is the last day of Phase II for the Memorial Design Competition! The finalists must submit their polished design concepts by 3pm today. They have spent great deal of time and effort refining these designs. The Commission has five diverse concepts and the jury will have a challenging decision ahead of it. It has been a truly remarkable process that has involved so many people and organizations and we are excited to see the final concepts.

The final concepts will be uploaded to the website by Monday, December 14. You can check them out then and post your comments. Starting also on December 14th, the design concepts will be on easel display in the lobby of the John A Wilson Bldg, caddy-corner to Pershing Park. The the John A Wilson Bldg is at 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20004. This display will be available to the public through December 22nd. We encourage everyone to check out these design concepts online or in-person.

Updates from the States

Volunteer for state outreach. Contact Andrew McGreal if you are willing to help.

State Commemorative Bodies Statuses Map 9 Dec 15

Big news! In the past week, we have made contacts with parties interested in commemorating WW1 in Nevada. With this, state commemorative body establishment efforts are underway in every US state!

Upcoming Events:

Wreaths Across America
On Saturday, December 12, Wreaths Across America will place wreaths at the Vietnam, Korea, and WWII Memorials. They will also place a wreath at Pershing Park for WWI. The ceremony will be at the Pershing statue in Pershing Park at 10am - we invite everyone to join us!

Army-Navy Game this Weekend- Saturday, Dec 12
Mike Williams, one of our fall social media interns, wrote a thoughtful piece for our website about the history of the Army-Navy game and rivalry. Here’s an excerpt from the article:

“When Army meets Navy on the gridiron this weekend, the two teams will be participating in one of the longest and most prestigious rivalries in American sports. The teams will face off before an American public worried about events in Europe; worried about committing forces into a long and costly war; worried about subversive agents, both domestic and international. The atmosphere in which Saturday’s game will be played echoes that of another Army-Navy Game, played exactly one hundred years ago….”

Read the full article here.

WW1 Commemorative Merchandise

DISPATCH Newsletter

The Commission publishes a weekly newsletter, the DISPATCH. If you’re not receiving this and want to, please email Meredith Carr to be added to the distribution list.

Sync Call for Wednesday December 02 at 12pm EST

Please update your Flash Player to view content.

Help the WW1CC!

Donate! Go to our donations page.
Send a letter to the USPS Stamp Committee! Use this template.
Send us interns! Direct anyone you know who is interested to our Internship webpage.
Help with state and regional organization! Let Andrew McGreal know and he will send you information on how to get involved.
Shop at SMILE.AMAZON.COM! Enter the "United States Foundation for the Commemoration of the World Wars" as your charitable organization.
Wear official WW1 commemorative merchandise with pride! Head over to the Commission shop for a full selection.

News and Announcements:

Updates from the States

Volunteer for state outreach. Contact Andrew McGreal if you are willing to help.

State Commemorative Bodies Status Map as of December 02, 2015

December 3 Collaboration Call - Tomorrow!
We will hold our second State Outreach Collaboration Call in the new format tomorrow, Thursday December 3 at 12 pm EST. This call will focus on Library Exhibitions and we will have a panel of experts from several libraries across the country on the line. Reminders will be sent out the day of the call. The call-in number will be the same as past calls - contact a State Outreach Coordination team member to get on the roster.

Iowa and Maine
Exciting news from our State Outreach Team: Thanks to wonderful volunteer, Virginia Dilkes, we now have contacts with the WWI Committee already in operation in Maine. Virginia also connected with Director of Veterans Affairs for the state of Iowa, who will lead WWI Commemorative activities for the state. Thank you, Virginia!

Oregon WW1 Veterans Memorial Highway sign in Oregon.
Highway 395 in Oregon has officially been renamed the “World War I Veterans Memorial Highway.” A dedication ceremony was held Nov. 9. Two signs, built by the Oregon Department of Transportation, are currently being installed; eight more signs will be installed along the highway, once the Bend Heroes Foundation receives the $900 in donations needed for each sign. They are ordered from ODOT, who installs them as payments are made. Donations are tax deductible. For more information, visit the Bend Heroes Foundation website.

WWICC Diplomatic Advisory Board

We are pleased to report that the WWI Centennial Commission now has a Diplomatic Advisory Board in place. The role of this board is to enhance our outreach efforts to potential sponsors, and to provide counsel, strategy and contacts in the countries where they served. As of today, three former Ambassadors have agreed to be a part of the this board:

Ambassador Tom Pickering, who served in Russia from 1993-1996
Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun, from New Zealand from 1999-2001
Ambassador Eleni Kounalakis, who served in Hungary from 2010-2013

Centennial Countdown blog

The November entry of the Centennial Countdown blog from our friend and WWICC volunteer, Dennis Cross is now posted. This blog looks at what happened last month in the war and the United States 100 years ago. Read it here.

St. Mihiel Trip-Wire

A new issue of the St. Mihiel Trip-Wire is out. Read it here now!

The National WWI Memorial at Pershing Park- Updates

Phase II of the Memorial Design Competition continues. The finalists will submit their polished designs by 9 December. These will go on public display both on the website and at a physical location to be announced. Until then, you can check out the original finalist concepts (and every other submitted concept) on our website.

Please remember that even with the forthcoming polished designs, we can’t build a memorial without donations. Every dollar donated will be matched by our founding sponsor, the Pritzker Military Museum and Library. You can make this memorial a reality by making a donation to the Memorial Fund. Our WW1 veterans deserve a memorial. We can build it.

Upcoming Events:

WWI Museum Exhibit

Rearranging History- opening Dec 15
The exhibit Rearranging History: Daniel MacMorris and the Panthéon de la Guerre addresses the question: What happened to the world's largest painting? At 402 feet in circumference and 45 feet in height, the painting was the most ambitious artistic undertaking during World War I and was the largest painting in the world in 1918. A Kansas City artist, MacMorris helped the Museum acquire the Panthéon de la Guerre in 1956. He then cut and pasted sections from the huge canvas, rearranged them, painted in new individuals and fit the newly configured composition to the north wall of Memory Hall, where it remains today. The exhibition, which opens Tuesday, Dec. 15, explores the vast fragments left behind by MacMorris – the majority having never been seen in public in their current form and not in any format since the Panthéon's last showing in its entirety in 1940. You can read more about it on the National WWI Museum events webpage.

Saturday, Dec. 26- Annual Truce Tournament
Sporting Club, The Soccer Lot and the National WWI Museum and Memorial invite the Kansas City regional soccer community to take part in the third annual Truce Tournament commemorating the Christmas Truce in World War I. This 3v3 tournament will be played on Memorial Hill with the Kansas City skyline providing an unmistakable backdrop on Saturday, Dec. 26. For more information, visit thetrucekc.com.

WW1 Commemorative Merchandise

DISPATCH Newsletter

The Commission publishes a weekly newsletter, the DISPATCH. If you’re not receiving this and want to, please email Meredith Carr to be added to the distribution list.

Sync Call for Wednesday November 25 at Noon EST

Please update your Flash Player to view content.

Help the WW1CC!

Donate! Go to our donations page.
Send a letter to the USPS Stamp Committee! Use this template.
Send us interns! Direct anyone you know who is interested to our Internship webpage.
Help with state and regional organization! Let Andrew McGreal know and he will send you information on how to get involved.
Shop at SMILE.AMAZON.COM! Enter the "United States Foundation for the Commemoration of the World Wars" as your charitable organization.
Wear official WW1 commemorative merchandise with pride! Head over to the Commission shop for a full selection.

News and Announcements:

Updates from the States

Volunteer for state outreach. Contact Andrew McGreal if you are willing to help.

State commemorative body status map - 24 Nov 15

December 3 Collaboration Call
We will hold our second State Outreach Collaboration Call in the new format on Thursday December 3 at 12 pm EST. This call will focus on Library Exhibitions and we will have a panel of experts from several libraries on the line. Reminders will be sent out the day of the call. The call-in number will be the same as past calls - contact a State Outreach Coordination team member to get on the roster.

Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has their state centennial webpage up and running on the national commission’s website. The Pennsylvania committee is the fourth state commemorative body to have a webpage on our site. This is a service that we’re offering to every state with an established commemorative body. We’ll link you up with our tech guys who will set up the page and show you how to operate it. Contact a state outreach team member to learn more about setting up a state page on our website.

BlackTimeMap

The West Virginia University Reed College of Media is partnering with Congressional Black Caucus Veterans Braintrust to develop an app that would allow users to travel back in history. The app, BlackTimeMap, will combine virtual and augmented reality technology with community participation to create an immersive, interactive and educational experience that preserves African American history in WWI. It will allow smartphone, tablet and Google cardboard users to visit African American war memorial sites in 360° from anywhere in the world. Audiences will be able to access historical photos, film and audio as well as pin their own images, stories and documents to a virtual “wall” at the memorial sites. For more information, check out the BlackTimeMap kickstarter page.

The National WWI Memorial at Pershing Park- Updates

Wreaths Across America

On Saturday, Dec 12, Wreaths Across America will be placing wreaths at the Vietnam, Korea, and WWII Memorials. They will also place a wreath at Pershing Park for WWI. The ceremony will be at the Pershing statue in Pershing Park at 10am - we invite everyone to join us.

WW1 Commemorative Merchandise

DISPATCH Newsletter

The Commission publishes a weekly newsletter, the DISPATCH. If you’re not receiving this and want to, please email Meredith Carr to be added to the distribution list.

Sync Call for Wednesday November 18 at Noon EST

Please update your Flash Player to view content.

Help the WW1CC!

Donate! Go to our donations page.
Send a letter to the USPS Stamp Committee! Use this template.
Send us interns! Direct anyone you know who is interested to our Internship webpage.
Help with state and regional organization! Let Andrew McGreal know and he will send you information on how to get involved.
Shop at SMILE.AMAZON.COM! Enter the "United States Foundation for the Commemoration of the World Wars" as your charitable organization.
Wear official WW1 commemorative merchandise with pride! Head over to the Commission shop for a full selection.

News and Announcements:

Updates from the States

Volunteer for state outreach. Contact Andrew McGreal if you are willing to help.

December 3 Collaboration Call
We will hold our second State Outreach Collaboration Call on Thursday December 3 at Noon EST. This Call will focus on Library Exhibitions. Subsequent calls will take place on the first Thursday of the month. Reminders will be sent out two weeks before and the day of. The call-in number will be the same as past calls - contact a State Outreach Coordination team member to get on the roster.

State Commemorative Body Status Map - 18 Nov 15

If you’ve been keeping track, you’ll notice our map of state centennial commemorative bodies (above) is much greener than it was a month ago - which is a very good thing! Currently, we have 17 states with commemorative bodies and 12 in which establishment is imminent.

Maryland
We have exciting news from Maryland! On Veterans Day, Gov. Hogan officially signed the Maryland WW1 Centennial Commission into existence. A special shout out to our Maryland volunteers for all the hard work they put in to accomplish this and to everyone in the Maryland government who made this happen.

California
After a lot of very hard work, our volunteers in California are finally seeing some forward movement in regards to establishing an official Californian WW1 commemorative body. Stay tuned for more information on that in the future, and - to our volunteers in California - keep up the good work!

Veterans Day

Countdown to Veterans Day Campaign
This year’s Countdown to Veterans Day Campaign wrapped up last week. It was a widespread success with people and organizations across the country taking a ‘day on’ to support our veterans. More than 60 veteran service organizations participated and our social media campaign garnered over 36 million impressions. We here at the Commission are glad to have played our small part in all of this and look forward to making next year an even bigger success! Read more about this year's campaign here.

Rebekah Wilson and the WW1 Memorial for the District of Columbia
This past Veterans Day, like on every other Veterans Day and Memorial Day, our Director of Operations, Rebekah Wilson, organized and lead a group of volunteers in decoration the District of Columbia’s WW1 memorial. This year, Full Measure - a nationally-aired, investigative broadcast program - ran a piece on it, which included an interview with Rebekah. Here's a link to the story for those interested.

OVER THE TOP

Our wonderful Sync Call historian, Mr. Mike Hanlon, publishes an excellent monthly magazine called OVER THE TOP. Mike does a lot to commemorate the First World War, to include organizing battlefield tours and publishing a free online newsletter. Support him by subscribing to next year’s issues of Over The Top - for information on how to subscribe, please see this document.

In addition to his Over the Top magazine, Mike Hanlon also runs a monthly internet report on WWI called the Trip Wire. This month, the Trip Wire will focus on the recent Veterans Day celebrations, including stories of volunteerism from around the US. If you volunteered, or knew someone who volunteered this past Veteran's Day, please email Mike so that he can add you to the Trip Wire!

The National WWI Memorial at Pershing Park- Updates

We’re excited to welcome a new staff member to our team - Dale Archer. Dale has been involved with the Commission for a while now, serving as a volunteer project manager for the WW1 memorial project. Now that that project is ramping up, we’re dropping the ‘volunteer’ part of his job description. Welcome aboard, Dale!

Please remember that even with an excellent Project Manager like Dale, we can’t build a memorial without donations. Every dollar donated will be matched by our founding sponsor, the Pritzker Military Museum and Library. You can make this memorial a reality by making a donation to the Memorial Fund. Our WW1 veterans deserve a memorial. We can build it.

WW1 Commemorative Merchandise

DISPATCH Newsletter

The Commission publishes a weekly newsletter, the DISPATCH. If you’re not receiving this and want to, please email Meredith Carr to be added to the distribution list.

Sync Call for Wednesday November 04 at Noon EST

Please update your Flash Player to view content.

Help the WW1CC!

Donate! Go to our donations page.
Send a letter to the USPS Stamp Committee! Use this template.
Send us interns! Direct anyone you know who is interested to our Internship webpage.
Help with state and regional organization! Let Andrew McGreal know and he will send you information on how to get involved.
Shop at SMILE.AMAZON.COM! Enter the "United States Foundation for the Commemoration of the World Wars" as your charitable organization.

News and Announcements:

No Sync Call on November 11

We will not host a Sync Call on November 11 (the call after next), which is Veterans Day. We hope you’ll all take the opportunity to have a “day-on” on your day off and volunteer for a veterans service organization.

Update from the States

Volunteer for state outreach. Contact Andrew McGreal if you are willing to help.

November 5 Collaboration Call
Tomorrow, November 5, at Noon EST, we will hold our first State Outreach Collaboration Call in the new format. The focus of this call will be veterans history projects and their letter and artifact collection programs. We have three expert panelists for this topic: Bob Patrick from the LOC, Andrew Bullen from the Illinois State Library, and Christine Pittsley from the Connecticut State Library. Subsequent calls will take place on the first Thursday of the month. Reminders will be sent out two weeks before and the day of. The call-in number will be the same as past calls - contact a State Outreach Coordination Team member to get on the roster.

Virginia
The VA WWI Centennial Committee met Monday at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond. It is in the process of finalizing their 501 c 3 status. The Committee has formed subcommittees on Education, Programming and Fundraising, and already has representation from across the entire state.
One of their main initiatives is to restore the Carillon, Virginia’s WWI Memorial in Byrd Park. If you are in the Richmond area on Veterans Day, there will be a concert on the Carillon bells by Carillonneur Larry Robinson, and will continue with patriotic music by The Bellini Sisters, recognition of The Memorial Rifles, and a presentation titled “The Last Mission of World War II” by Dr. Dean Decker. The program is free and open to the public.

Mississippi
Carole Lynn Meadows and Tonya Hayes are hard at work standing up the Mississippi Committee. They are continuing to finalize their membership. They are reaching out to:

Mississippi Humanities Council
Mississippi Oral History Project at the University of Southern Mississippi
the National Geographic Alliance at The University of Mississippi
State Board of Education
partners to conduct a poppy planting program in Mississippi (the Committee is currently searching for a variety that will grow there)
Mississippi Public Broadcasting
Mississippi Honor Flight group

Michigan
A team from the Michigan National Guard, Historical Societies, Museums etc., gathered together on Monday to discuss the Michigan’s path forward in commemorating the centennial of WWI. Our PMML colleague, Susan Mennenga was present.

Idaho, Washington, New Mexico & Texas
Idaho, Washington, New Mexico, and Texas have all identified solid paths forward towards building state commemorative bodies - we cannot wait to see what they plan to do for their respective states! Thank you so much to all the volunteers and state representatives who have worked so hard to do this.

Upcoming Events - This Weekend!

You can check out all the below upcoming events on the Commission Calendar.

Tennessee Great War Commission Kick Off (November 7)
On November 7, the Tennessee Great War Commission will hold its 2015 Kickoff Commemoration events across three venues in Nashville. Events at these venues will include lectures, a symposium, a living history programs, and the opening of a new exhibit at the Tennessee State Museum. All of these events are free and open to the public. Check out this flyer for more information.

Connecticut and the Great War Symposium (November 7)
The Connecticut and the Great War Symposium will take place on November 7 at Central Connecticut State University. This day long conference will examine the people and events that made the First World War a transformative experience for Connecticut's peoples, its industries, and its communities. Registration and a fee is required.

National WWI Museum Symposium (November 6 - 7)
On November 6 & 7, the National WWI Museum in Kansas City will host its 2015 Symposium--Global War, 1915: Empires at War, Churchill’s Gallipoli & America Divided. This event will explore the rising tensions in America and the globally escalating conflict that defined the world in 1915. It will feature several prominent WWI scholars. Registration and a fee are required.

News from the National WWI Museum

In addition to the National WWI Museum's symposium (announced above), Lora Vogt, the Museum's Curator of Education, announced a record-breaking 800,000 people on the Museum's grounds for the Kansas City Royals' World Series Championship Celebration. Congratulations to everyone at the Museum!

WW1 Commemorative Merchandise

St. Mihiel Trip-Wire - New Edition Now Available

Mike Hanlon of WorldWar1.com has just released the newest issue of his online publication - the St. Mihiel Trip-Wire. The Tripwire explores a whole range of topics related to the First World War. Check it out!

Centennial Countdown October 1915

Dennis Cross has posted the October installment of Centennial Countdown to the Great War, reviewing the news of the world 100 years ago. In October 1915 the War continues to go badly for the Allies. Read more here.

#CountdownToVeteransDay

Head over to CountDownToVeteransDay.org. It’s a Commission supported one-stop shop for Veterans Day volunteer activities and opportunities. You can go there to add volunteer opportunities - just click “Link In My Organization” - or to plan your own day of service on November 11.

Remember to use the handle #CountDownToVeteransDay on your social media to get the word out. One day isn’t enough to honor our veterans. We encourage everyone to look at Veterans Day not as a ‘day off’ but as a ‘day on’ to volunteer for a Veterans’ organization and to help the community.

The National WWI Memorial at Pershing Park- Design Competition Update

Phase II of the Memorial Design Competition proceeds apace. Next week, our finalists will be back in Washington, DC for their second phase II meeting with our Design Oversight Committee. As always, you can check out the finalists (and every other submitted design) on our webpage.

Please remember that even if we get the perfect design we can’t build it without donations. Every dollar counts double thanks to the generosity of our founding sponsor, the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, which will match your donation. You can make this memorial a reality by making a donation to the Memorial Fund. The veterans of this bygone war deserve a memorial. We can build it.

Sync Call for Wednesday October 28 at Noon EDT

Please update your Flash Player to view content.

Help the WW1CC!

Donate! Go to our donations page.
Send a letter to the USPS Stamp Committee! Use this template.
Send us interns! Direct anyone you know who is interested to our Internship webpage.
Help with state and regional organization! Let Andrew McGreal know and he will send you information on how to get involved.
Shop at SMILE.AMAZON.COM! Enter the "United States Foundation for the Commemoration of the World Wars" as your charitable organization.

News and Announcements:

No Sync Call on November 11

Update from the States

Volunteer for state outreach. Contact Andrew McGreal if you are willing to help.

November 5 Collaboration Call
On November 5 at Noon EST, we will hold our first State Outreach Collaboration Call in the new format. The focus of this call will be veterans history projects and their letter and artifact collection programs. We have three expert panelists for this topic: Bob Patrick from the LOC, Andrew Bullen from the Illinois State Library, and Christine Pittsley from the Connecticut State Library. Subsequent calls will take place on the first Thursday of the month. Reminders will be sent out two weeks before and the day of. The call-in number will be the same as past calls - contact a State Outreach Coordination Team member to get on the roster.

Virginia
The next Virgnia WW1 Centennial Committee meeting will take place on Monday, November 2 at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond. Contact Meredith Carr for more information.

Illinois
Susan Mennenga and the Pritzker Military Museum & Library hosted a meeting of Upper Illinois volunteers and interested parties today to plan their way forward for commemorating the state's contributions to and experience of World War 1.

Upcoming Events

You can check out all the below upcoming events on the Commission Calendar.

#CountdownToVeteransDay

Storm the Hill 2.0

Yesterday, thanks to Congressman Ted Poe and his staff, our staff met with key leaders in both the House and Senate. Commission volunteer Major General Bill Matz (USA Ret.) accompanied Congressman Poe and Rebekah Wilson on these calls. Next week we will have a senior delegation from the Commission on Capitol Hill calling on of our friends with an updated briefing.

The National WWI Memorial at Pershing Park- Design Competition Update

Sync Call for Wednesday October 21 at Noon EDT

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You Can Help the WW1CC!

Donate! Go to our donations page.
Send a letter to the USPS Stamp Committee! Use this template.
Send us interns! Direct anyone you know who is interested to our Internship webpage.
Help with state and regional organization! Let Andrew McGreal know and he will send you information on how to get involved.
Shop at SMILE.AMAZON.COM! Enter the "United States Foundation for the Commemoration of the World Wars" as your charitable organization.

News and Announcements:

Update from the States

Volunteer for state outreach. Contact Andrew McGreal if you are willing to help.

November 5 Collaboration Call
On November 5 at Noon EDT, we will hold our first SO Collaboration Call in the new format. The focus of this call will be veterans history projects and how you can use them for collection of WWI artifacts. We have three confirmed panelist: Bob Patrick from the LOC, Andrew Bullen from the Illinois State Library, and Christine Pittsley from the Connecticut State Library. Subsequent calls will take place on the first Thursday of the month. Reminders will be sent out two weeks before and the day of. The call-in number will be the same as past calls - contact a SO Coordination Team member to get on the roster.

State Outreach SOS
If you’re a state outreach volunteer who needs help, let us know! You’re not in this alone! contact a SO Coordination Team member.

#CountdownToVeteransDay

Our Countdown to Veterans Day campaign continues to grow! We now have the National Museum of the U.S Air Force, The MacArthur Memorial, the Dallas Foundation, and a host of American Legion & VFW posts across the country on board.

USO Gala

The USO Gala was held last night, and we want to send out congratulations to the USO Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine, Coast Guardsman, and National Guardsman of the year. We also want to extend a special thank you to our founding sponsor, the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, for inviting us to join them at the gala.

Upcoming Events

You can check out all the below upcoming events on the Commission Calendar.

The National WWI Memorial at Pershing Park- Design Competition Update

Phase II of the Memorial Design Competition proceeds apace. As always, you can check out the finalists (and every other submitted design) on our webpage.

Finally, if you’re in the DC area, we invite you to come over to Marvin’s at 14th and U St. on October 27 at 5:30 pm. All of us from the Commission will be there to showcase the 5 final design concepts. We hope to see you there!

Sync Call for Wednesday October 14 at Noon EDT

You Can Help the WW1CC!

Make a donation to the Memorial Fund for the National WWI Memorial at Pershing Park We can't build this Memorial without your help!.
Send a letter to the US Post Office Stamp Committee to encourage them to make a WW1 stamp series. Please feel free to use this template for your letter. Contact Andrew McGreal with any questions.
We're looking for interns for the Spring semester. If you or someone you know would like to intern, please visit our Internship webpage.
If you are interested in helping with state and regional organization, please let Andrew McGreal know and he will send you information on how to get involved.
Shop at SMILE.AMAZON.COM! Enter the "United States Foundation for the Commemoration of the World Wars" as your charitable organization. Amazon will donate .5% of your purchase to us at no cost to you!.

News and Announcements:

9th Meeting of the WWI Centennial Commission

The 9th Meeting of the WW1 Centennial Commission was held today, October 14, from 10 am to noon. Several requests for support were approved and future plans for the Commission were solidified. Thank you to everyone who participated. Minutes from the meeting will be available upon requests at a future date.

Update from the States

Volunteer for state outreach. Contact Andrew McGreal if you are willing to help.

New York
Exciting news from New York! We have an anonymous donor who will match donations supporting WWI activities in New York - dollar for dollar - up to $10,000! With the Pritzker match, that means your donations will count TRIPLE (!!!) up to the match limit. (If that isn’t a fantastic deal, I don’t know what is!) If you wish to donate by check, simple specify “For New York” on the check; if you wish to donate online, select 'New York’ from the dropdown menu on the Commission Donation Webpage. Thank you to our anonymous donor and to everyone who takes advantage of this offer!

Georgia
Larry Osheim of the American Legion Otranto Post 115 did a very nice job coordinating the Otranto Memorial Ceremony. Between 50 and 75 people attended the ceremony held at the VFW hall after heavy rains forced it indoors. Additionally, the American Legion Otranto Post 115 has been contacted by Caledonia TV in Scotland in regards to making a film for the BBC and US TV to mark the 100th anniversary of the Otranto Disaster. Congratulations to Larry Osheim and American Legion Otranto Post 115!

Reminder: Collaboration Call Reformatted
Our State Outreach Collaboration call is changing format- It will be monthly rather than weekly and each call will now have a main topic with guest speakers (our first call will be on Veterans History Projects). Our next Collaboration Call will be held Thursday 05 November at noon eastern. Subsequent calls will take place on the first Thursday of the month. Reminders will be sent out two weeks before and the day of.

Upcoming Events

Connecticut and the Great War Symposium
The “Connecticut and the Great War” symposium will take place on November 7 at Central Connecticut State University. The conference will examine the people and events that made the First World War a transformative experience for Connecticut's peoples, its industries, and its communities. The conference will feature Dr. Edward Gutiérrez, author of “Doughboys on the Great War: How American Soldiers Viewed Their Military Experience,” as its keynote speaker. It will, additionally, present new scholarship focusing on many unique aspects of the home front during the war, and will close the day with a screening of the American Battlefield Monument Commission's film “Never Forgotten,” followed by a discussion with the filmmaker.Doors will open at 8am. Registration is required. For more information, check out the Commission Calendar.

Tennessee Great War Commission events
The Tennessee Great War Commission will hold its first annual commemoration of the Tennesseans and WWI on November 6 and 7. Stories of men and women, many of whom have long been forgotten, will be presented in a variety of ways at six different venues in Nashville. Events include lectures, presentations, exhibitions, and re-dedications. For more information visit the TGWC webpage.

History, Memory, and Authenticity in the Art of Horace Pippin
In Washington DC on October 28, there will be a public lecture on the war art of Horace Pippin - a decorated and disabled WWI US veteran. Doors open at 7pm. Registration is required to attend. Visit the Commission Calendar for more information and registration instructions.

#CountdownToVeteransDay

Our #Countdown participant numbers are expanding dramatically -- we are getting re-posted by Wounded Warrior Project, Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans Association, documentary producer Ric Burns (brother of Ken Burns), and a host of media outlets. We also have a number of new military commands helping every day, including the Fort Sill Center Warrior Transition of Excellence. So far, we have made over 2 million unique social media impressions!

This week Roger Fisk visited CBS News Radio at the Washington Bureau on M Street- . CBS invited us for an interview that will air between now and Veterans Day in their 700+ Network of radio stations. Roger Fisk was in the live booth this evening to record it -- Keep an ear out for it!

CountDownToVeteransDay.org is a WW1CC supported one-stop source for 2015 Veterans Day volunteer and activity opportunities. Any national, regional, state or local Veterans organization can link their Veterans Day activity, event or opportunity to this #CountDownToVetreransDay resource. All you need to do is go to CountDownToVeteransDay.org, click on the “Link In My Organization” button, fill out the simple form and submit it. A site admin will review the submission and it will publish within 24 hours. Go online and check out the Veteran service volunteer opportunities already posted, and link in any volunteer opportunities you know of that are not up already.

The National WWI Memorial at Pershing Park- Design Competition Update

Check out the the five final design concepts for the National WW1 Memorial at Pershing Park on the Stage II Finalist webpage.Additionally, if you are in the DC area, we invite you to come to Marvin's on October 27 at 5:30 pm. - 14th and U Streets. All of us from the Commission will be there and we will showcase the 5 final design concepts. Hope to see you there!

Please remember that even if we get the perfect design we can’t build it without donations. We encourage everyone on this call to consider donating. Every dollar counts double thanks to the generosity of our founding sponsor, the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, which will match your donation. You can make this memorial a reality by making a donation to the Memorial Fund. Our Great War men and women deserve a memorial. We can build it.

Sync Call for Wednesday October 07 at Noon EDT

Please update your Flash Player to view content.

You Can Help the WW1CC!

Make a donation to the Memorial Fund for the National WWI Memorial at Pershing Park We can't build this Memorial without your help!.
Send a letter to the US Post Office Stamp Committee to encourage them to make a WW1 stamp series. Please feel free to use this template for your letter. Contact Andrew McGreal with any questions.
We're looking for interns for the Spring semester. If you or someone you know would like to intern, please visit our Internship webpage.
If you are interested in helping with state and regional organization, please let Andrew McGreal know and he will send you information on how to get involved.
Shop at SMILE.AMAZON.COM! Enter the "United States Foundation for the Commemoration of the World Wars" as your charitable organization. Amazon will donate .5% of your purchase to us at no cost to you!.

News and Announcements:

9th Meeting of the WWI Centennial Commission

The WWICC Commissioners will meet next Wednesday, October 14 at 10 am EDT. The meeting will be held via teleconference. The general public is welcome to dial in on the listen-only line. Dial 712-432-1000 and enter access code 474-845-614#

Update from the States

Collaboration Call Reformatted
Our State Outreach Collaboration call is changing format- It will be monthly rather than weekly and each call will now have a main topic with guest speakers. Our next Collaboration Call will be held Thursday 05 November at noon eastern. Subsequent calls will take place on the first Thursday of the month. Reminders will be sent out two weeks before and the day of. The first call will be on Veterans History Projects.

Volunteer for state outreach. Contact Andrew McGreal if you are willing to help.

#CountdownToVeteransDay

Listen to our PSA!

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Our Countdown to Veterans Day campaign continues to grow! CountDownToVeteransDay.org is a WW1CC supported one-stop source for 2015 Veterans Day volunteer and activity opportunities.

This week we have added the ability for any national, regional, state or local Veterans Day connected organization to link their Veterans Day activity, event or opportunity to this #CountDownToVetreransDay resource. All you need to do is go to CountDownToVeteransDay.org, click on the “Link In My Organization” button, fill out the simple form and submit it. A site admin will review the submission and it will publish within 24 hours. Go online and check out the Veteran service volunteer opportunities already posted, and link in any volunteer opportunities you know of that are not up already.

Centennial Countdown to the Great War - New Blog Entry

Dennis Cross, one of our fantastic Kansas state outreach volunteers, publishes a monthly blog called Centennial Countdown to the Great War. As the name suggests, this blog covers events that took place a hundred years ago this month. This month’s entry covers the continuing Allied slog at Gallipoli as well as events taking place in the US and Latin America. Read the full blog here.

Upcoming Events

National World War I Museum

Telling: KC
From October 15 through October 24, the WW1 Museum will be hosting several performances of Telling: KC. This is part of the Telling Project which works across the country to deepen our understanding of the military and veterans’ experience by putting veterans and military family members in front of their communities to share their stories, giving them the opportunity to speak and communities the opportunity to listen.

The World Remembers
From October 6 through November 11, the WW1 Museum will host The World Remembers. This is an international education project whose purpose is to remember and honor the 9 million combatants (the most in any war at that time) who perished in WW1 by displaying their names in more than 100 locations throughout Europe and North America. For 1915, More than 500,000 names from 12 nations are represented for 1915. The WW1 Museum is the only location for the display in the United States.

“In the Know”
On Sunday, Oct. 18, the Museum continues its free In the Know series with Landon Rowland presenting a discussion titled “World War I and the American “Mandate” in the Middle East and their ISIS Inheritors.”

More information on all the above events can be found on the WW1 Museum events webpage.

We Need Volunteers - Next Week!

We are looking for folks to help us man a table at the Association of the US Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting that's taking place October 12-14 - that's next week! - at the Washington DC Convention Center. The meeting is the largest of its kind, with over 25,000 attendees, and promises to be an exciting show. Volunteers would talk to visitors about WWI, Commission programs, and the WWI Memorial. Any amount of time you would be willing to volunteer would be immensely helpful.
Email Chris Isleib to get involved.

The National WWI Memorial at Pershing Park- Design Competition Update

Check out the the five final design concepts for the National WW1 Memorial at Pershing Park on the Stage II Finalist webpage. Our finalists are hard at work refining their concepts. They were back in DC today and yesterday to meet with Design Oversight Committee, the first of two Phase II Reviews.

If you are in the DC area, we invited you to come to Marvin on October 27- 5:30 pm. - 14th and U Streets. All of us from the Commission will be there and we will showcase the 5 final design concepts. Hope to see you there!