Highlights

• WW1 Poppy Program web site goes live
  
  
• Colorado web site goes Live
  
  
• Mathew Naylor President/CEO of WW1 Museum in KC on April 6 event
  
  
• Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun - African-American heroes are a part of a vanishing World War I legacy
  
  
• American Legion Post 196 in Brownwood, Texas submission to 100C/100M program
  
  
• Feb. 2017 Education Newsletter comes out.

February 22, 2017

Intro

Welcome to World War One Centennial News. It’s about WW1 news 100 years ago this week  - and it’s about WW1 NOW - news and updates about the centennial and the commemoration.
WW1 Centennial News is brought to you by the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission and the Pritzker Military Museum and Library. Today is February 15, 2017 and your host is Theresa Sims…

World War One THEN

100 Year Ago This Week

Q-Ship Farnborough Sinks U-83
On February 17th, the HMS Farnborough (also known as (Q-5) of the British Royal Navy used a daring strategy to defeat U-83 of the German Imperial Navy. Instead of engaging the U-boat, the Farnborough intentionally allowed itself to get hit by a torpedo and sink. The crew then pretended to abandoned ship, and when the submarine emerged from the sea, the ship open fired and sunk it. The Allies had had few victories over the submarines since the start of the new U-boat campaign, the defeat of U-83 was the third.
Link: http://today-in-wwi.tumblr.com/post/157359106413/q-ship-farnborough-sinks-u-83

Arabs Begin Raiding Hejaz Railway
On February 20th, a Hashemite (HasheMITE) Arab force attacked the Hejaz (Heyjaxx) Railway and destroyed a nearby bridge. The railway served as the only reliable connection between the Turkish garrison in Medina and the rest of the Ottoman Empire. This was the first of many raids that would hamper the Turkish forces in Medina, which would soon run short on food.
Link: http://today-in-wwi.tumblr.com/post/157510518768/arabs-begin-raiding-hejaz-railway

The Great War ChannelCut some

This week on the Great War Channel, they have three new episodes.

1. Medical Treatment in World War 1
2. French Railway Guns
3. Russian Bombing On The Eastern Front

Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheGreatWar

War in the Sky

Feb. 26, 1917 in anticipation of a possible entry World War I by the US, Marine Corps aviator Alfred A. Cunningham receives orders to head to the the Philadelphia Navy Yard and to establish, equip, and command an aviation company for a Marine Corps advance base force.
Rolling back in time, The military history of aviation in the US started with the Army. The Aeronautical Division of the Signal Corps was set up in August 1907; its first plane was acquired from the Wright Brothers in 1909.
The Navy constructed a platform on a cruiser, the Birmingham where a civilian pilot flew the first time in 14 November 1910; the Navy's first three planes were delivered in July the next year in 1911.
One year after that, in 1912, Cunningham was ordered from Annapolis for flight training at the Burgess aircraft plant at Marblehead, Mass., and soloed in August...  after just 2 hours and 40 minutes of flight instruction.
He became a member of the Chambers Board along with six naval officers, assuring the Marines of a representative in naval aviation almost from the beginning.
In an interesting twist of love and love of flying, in 1913 Cunningham asked to be detached from flying duty because his sweetheart and fiancee declined to marry a flyer; he was detached and then he was attached by marrying her.  But, remember he is a Marine so in 1915 after two years, he went back to flying duty. Ouch - LOVE takes a loop-dee-loop and the airplane wins!
And one hundred year ago this week Cunningham puts together a USMC aviation company for the Great War in The Sky.
LINK: http://ww1cc.org/warinthesky

Great War Project

LINK: www.greatwarproject.org/

World War One NOW

Commission News

Poppy Seed Program
The U.S. World War I Centennial Commission has launched its nationwide "WW1 Poppy Program" to support construction of the new National World War One Memorial at Pershing Park in Washington, DC. The website is now live.
Link: http://ww1cc.org/poppy

Activities and Events

New York WW1 Doughboy Swap & Sale
Dates: Saturday, February 25, 2017 11:00am - 04:00pm
The Doughboy Swap & Sale: Announcing the first one-day event in New York City for World War I reenactors to find uniforms and equipment, and to meet others who are passionate about living history. A proper Doughboy impression starts with a basic uniform: At this event, we’ll bring together reenactors and vendors with items specific to World War I, from boots to helmets. There is no cost for admission and no charge for dealer/vendor tables. The event is hosted at the historic Samuel Young Jr. American Legion Post 620 in the Bronx. In one room look for collar discs, overseas caps, haversacks, ...
Contact: Kevin Fitzpatrick: kfitz@bway.net
Samuel Young Jr American Legion Post 620
New York, NY
Link: http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/commemorate/event-map-system/eventdetail/11444/new-york-ww1-doughboy-swap-sale.html

France and the Memory of the Great War Conference
Dates: Thursday, March 02, 2017 - Friday, March 03, 2017
Join keynote speaker Dr. Annette Becker and special guest Dr. Monique Seefried, Commissioner on the United States World War One Centennial Commission, for a conference that will explore the military, political, social, and cultural history of France in the Great War, as well as connections between France and other combatant nations. Held at the University of South Alabama, the conference will feature presentations by dozens of scholars from all relevant disciplines. Call for Papers: http://www.southalabama.edu/departments/research/warandmemory/resources/cfp.pdf
Contact: Dr. Susan McCready
University of South Alabama
Mobile, AL

Updates From The States

Colorado
As we speak, the Colorado State Commission’s website is now live! It is the first Mountain state to go live and the website will be a great resource for people looking to get involved. You can check it out at ww1cc.org/colorado. We are going to have someone from the Colorado team on the show next week to tell us more.
Link: http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/colorado-in-wwi-home-page.html

Andrew McGreal
The commission’s own Andrew McGreal is also here with us today. Andrew, what other updates do you have for us today?

International Report

War stories come to town
WWI Stories of Service are being collected around the world. From Australia, the headline reads: War stories come to town. There is a new World war one photo exhibit in Gannawarra themed around the Victorians who served. Entitled “Australia Will Be There – Victorians in the First World War” this exhibit features more than 100 images and outlines what servicemen and women experienced during the four-year conflict. Particularly, it focuses on Gallipoli, the Middle East and Europe's Western Front. Check out the link in the chatroom to see more.
Link: http://www.gannawarratimes.com.au/story/4479964/war-stories-come-to-town/

National Eisteddfod's World War One commemoration
In the UK, the headline reads: National Eisteddfod's  (I-sted-fud) World War One commemoration. (So what’s an eisteddfod? it’s the most important of several eisteddfodau festivals that are held annually, mostly in Wales. eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Europe.) The National Eisteddfod choir will mark 100 years since World War One's battle of Passchendaele with a special performance. Organisers say the war's first battle had particular relevance to Welsh history.
Link: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-39014396

Posts and Articles

Four Questions for Matthew Naylor
Our WW1 centennial event on April 6th, 2017,  will be held at the National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri. Dr. Matthew Naylor, President and CEO of the Museum, is also a World War One Centennial Commissioner. He talks with us this week about the event, the significance of WW1, and why the Museum and Memorial is the right location for this commemorative event.
Link: http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/communicate/press-media/wwi-centennial-news/1909-four-questions-for-matthew-naylor.htm

Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun - African-American heroes are a part of a vanishing World War I legacy
Interesting story tied to Black History Month. We have an oped on our site written by Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun recently published in the Military Times. Nearly 350,000 African-Americans served during World War One, and the Ambassador examines the paradox in how these soldiers fought overseas for freedoms they did not have. (She talks about her own grandfather, Thomas Davie, attached to the Army’s 10th Calvary Regiment, famously known as the “Buffalo Soldiers,” was posthumously awarded a U.S. Victory Medal and fought in the battle at Meuse-Argonne. His cousin, who volunteered at the same time, was not so fortunate; his name is memorialized on a statute in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood.)
Link: http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/communicate/press-media/wwi-centennial-news/1906-african-american-heroes-are-a-part-of-a-vanishing-world-war-i-legacy.html

100 Cities / 100 Memorials
This week on our 100 cities 100 memorials blog, we take a look at American Legion Post 196 in Brownwood, Texas submission to 100C/100M program The Memorial was originally located behind a bush, and most people had forgotten about it. With the help of the Central Texas Veterans' Memorial committee, the Memorial was moved from its old location to a new Central Texas Veterans' Memorial location in the 36th Division Memorial Park in Brownwood. Catch the full story on the blog.
Link: http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/100-cities-100-memorials-blog/114-matching-grant-project-profile-brown-county,-texas.html

WWrite Blog
(Part of Black History Month and relates to Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun story)

This week on the WWrite Blog, Jennifer Orth-Veillon, offers her post entitled "On A Boat Alone.” She discusses the "Gold Star Pilgrimage," a U.S.-government sponsored program that brought wives to burial sites and battle grounds in Europe post WWI. She focuses on the African American women who took these trips and discovered equality, not in their own country, but on the other side of the ocean.
Link: http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/articles-posts.html

Spotlight In the Media

‘The Ottoman Lieutenant’ Trailer Starring Game of Thrones’ Michiel Huisman
The official trailer’s arrived for Paladin’s dramatic film, The Ottoman Lieutenant. Directed by Joseph Ruben, The Ottoman Lieutenant is the first movie to explore the eastern front of World War I. It tells the story of a strong-willed woman, who, leaves the United States after meeting Jude, an American doctor who runs a remote medical mission within the Ottoman Empire.  The film will be released in theaters on March 10, 2017. We’ll post a link to the trailer in the chatroom.
Link: http://www.showbizjunkies.com/movies/ottoman-lieutenant-trailer/

Teaching and Learning

Education Newsletter
There is a new education newsletter over at theworldwar.org/education. This issue focus on the US’ entry into the war. It features stories on German U-boat campaign, the war with Mexico, and a lesson plan about the reasons that drove our nation to war. We’ll leave a link to the site in the chatroom, but we encourage you to register so that you can get the newsletter directly when it’s out. Keep an eye out for a special edition of the March Education newsletter US Entry into War.
Link: http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/educate/education-resources.html

Social Media - The Buzz

Moving on, let’s see what was going in the world of social media this week. We have Kathy Akey with us again, Kathy, what’s going on our social media conversation wall?
http://ww1cc.org/social

Closing

WW1 Centennial News is brought to you by the US WW1 Centennial Commission and the commission’s founding sponsor the Pritzker Military Museum and Library. The videos can be found at ww1cc.org/cn. Don’t forget to sign up for our weekly eNewsletter the Weekly DISPATCH.
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Our founding sponsor is the Pritzker Military Museum and Library
Thanks for joining us. and….
Don’t forget to commemorate!
So long.