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.