One hundred years ago Wednesday morning, March 14, the USS Cyclops, a massive American World War I transport ship hailed as a "floating coal mine," should have been docked in the waters off Baltimore, fresh off a journey from Brazil. But the vessel -- reported to be the Navy's biggest and fastest fuel ship at the time -- and the 309 men onboard it never pulled into the Chesapeake Bay on March 13, 1918, and its whereabouts to this day remain unknown. "In terms of loss of life and size of ship, it's probably the last great mystery left unresolved," James Delgado, an underwater explorer, told the Baltimore Sun. Read more about the missing ship, and how recent discoveries of historical shipwrecks are renewing hopes amongst the scientific community of finally finding the Cyclops.

Women have played important roles in all of America’s wars. However, World War I marked the first time women directly participated in the war effort on a wide scale. Their contributions helped win the war, and also helped them make major strides towards equality. The World War I Centennial Commission Education Department has published extensive lessons and resources to help you you to teach/learn about the contributions of American women in the war. Check them out!

 Julia Hunt Catlin Park Depew Taufflieb (right) was no ordinary American socialite with six names. WW1CC intern Yasmin Chaudhary writes this week about  how, during the Great War, Taufflieb turned her huge French mansion into a 300-bed military hospital for the Allies. Taufflieb operated the hospital for four years, often under fire, and completely at her own expense. In honor of her actions, Taufflieb was the first American woman to be awarded the Legion d’honneur and Croix de Guerre by the government of France. Read more about Taufflieb's remarkable service here.

The American Physical Therapy Association is commemorating the 100th anniversary of the first physical therapists in the United States: the reconstruction aides who were civilian employees of the Medical Department of the US Army during World War I. Marguerite Sanderson (left) oversaw the first reconstruction aides, or "re-aides," in the newly created Division of Physical Reconstruction. Mary McMillan was appointed the first re-aide in February 1918 and organized the Physiotherapy Department at Walter Reed General Hospital. Read more about this innovative addition to military medical care in WWI that has become an integral part of American health care a century later.

The Johnson & Johnson Corporation remembers the heroics of their employee, nurse Katherine Hannan, who put her nursing skills to use on the front lines during World War I. The only known female Johnson & Johnson employee to have volunteered for military service during that time, Hannan was first sent to General Hospital #6 at Fort McPherson in Georgia, where she was quickly promoted to head nurse and superintendent, overseeing 100 nurses. A few months later, Hannan was sent to Vladivostok, Siberia, to serve with the American Expeditionary Forces as chief nurse of the Evacuation Hospital, where she and fellow nurses treated wounded soldiers and those suffering from the flu. Read more about this remarkable nurse and how her legacy of service is important to Johnson & Johnson and America.

What writers like to do most is to write — ideally in a quiet place, and most often, by themselves. So what motivated four famous woman authors — Edith Wharton, Agatha Christie, Dorothy Canfield Fisher, and Enid Bagnold — to leave their comfortable homes and writing desks, and get involved in war efforts, as nurses and refugee and relief workers? Each of them, two Brits and two Americans, has a unique story of their involvement in World War I, in Britain and France. Read more about their motivations and contributions here.

Michael Wilson is a visual artist, and a military veteran, who has created a remarkable new WWI-themed art exhibit, inspired by the service of his Great Uncle Herb, which will be showing at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, Cedar Rapids Iowa from September 15 – December 30, 2018. This show is entitled "ONE: Man, War, Hundred Years", and the project is endorsed by the U.S. World War One Centennial Commission, and the Iowa WWI Centennial Committee. We had the opportunity to ask Michael some questions about his upcoming exhibit; read his thoughtful answers here.

A century ago, Lt. Arthur Keating, who hailed from Van Buren Street on Chicago’s West Side, led an infantry platoon in a raid on enemy-held trenches in northern France. “Hey Arthur, don’t you know me?” one of the captured Germans said in the English of a Chicago street-corner boy. The two of them had been schoolmates at Austin High School. When World War I had begun in 1914, Keating’s prisoner returned to Germany, where he had been born. Keating joined the U.S. Army.

Military historians observe that all wars, whatever their scale, are essentially composed of myriad clashes between small units — like the one Keating described in a letter to his wife, written from a field hospital where he was recovering from his wounds, in November 1918. Keating’s wife passed his tale on to the Chicago Tribune newspaper, where it appeared among the daily dispatches chronicling the Great War. A century later, the Tribune takes a look back at the memories and experiences of the Chicagoans who served.

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, and TuneIn.

Episode #63
Death and Taxes:

Federal Income Tax in 1918 | @02:15

Casualty List Controversy | @05:20

America Emerges - 26th Yankee Division and rats - Dr. Edward Lengel | @07:35

War In The Sky - Personal account of Paris air raids | @13:30

US anti-war activism in 1918 - Mike Shuster | @16:10

Euro WWI Commemoration events - Dr. Monique Seefried | @21:05

Dog Tags reunited with Doughboy - James Shetler | @30:15

Spotlight in the media 1: Sgt. Stubby - Jacy Jenkins | @36:45

Spotlight in the media 2: Journey’s End - Trailer clip | @42:35

100C/100M in Ogden Utah, Terry Schow | @44:55

Speaking WWI - Penguin | @51:10

WWI Commemoration in Social Media - Katherine Akey | @52:45

A man is only missing if he is forgotten.

Monday's MIA this week is Private Francis William Neidlinger, of Indianapolis. He enlisted in the regular army on August 7th, 1917 and served with the Ambulance Service before being reassigned to the 342nd Infantry/86th Division, with whom he went to France in September, 1918. Once in France, the 86th was skeletonized and sent its men to combat divisions as replacements. Neidlinger was sent to the 56th Infantry/7th Division. He is known to have been killed in action on November 7th, 1918 at Preney Ridge near the Moselle River. He left behind a wife, Hazel.

Can you spare just ten dollars? Give 'Ten For Them' 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. Make your tax deductible donation now, with our thanks.

8" x 12" Memorial Flag $7.95

Memorial Day is not that far away! And it is a traditional all over the country to mark our veterans' graves with flags on this day to remember their service. This is a special year, that calls for a special marker flag. A WWI Centennial Marker Flag!

We will sell out - so this year get your order in early. That is why we are reminding you now.

This WW1 Centennial Flag is made of durable nylon and measures 8 inches x 12 inches and is secured on a 15.75" wooden dowel with a decorative ball on top.  Order them to mark your centennial soldiers on this special centennial year!

Best of all - with every flag you purchase, a portion of your purchase price will go to build America's WWI Memorial in Washington DC. Honor your doughboy and salute them all with this memorial flag.

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

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