 Just one week left to order World War I Commemorative Medals from U.S. Mint
The window closes on February 20 (or sooner) to order the United States Mint's five different Silver Dollar and
Military Medal Sets. Each set includes a proof silver dollar and a proof silver
medal. The medals, available only in these sets, recognize the
contributions of the Air Service, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and
Navy during World War 1. These sets, limited to 100,000 units across the five product options,
can be ordered only until 3 p.m. on February 20,
2018, unless the limit is reached prior to that date. Production will be
based on the orders received within this window. Fulfillment of these
sets will begin in late May 2018.
Corporal Freddie Stowers awarded Medal of Honor for service and sacrifice in WWI
 Corporal Freddie Stowers was an African-American war hero born in 1896 in Anderson County, South Carolina. Despite the discrimination he faced there, he made the decision to serve
our country on the segregated 371st Infantry Regiment. He was serving
as the squad leader in Company C of that regiment, in the 93d Infantry
Division, during the attack on Hill 188, in the Champagne Marne Sector
of France. He was killed in action that day, but his exceptional bravery
and leadership lived on, earning him the Medal of Honor posthumously. Read the entire inspiring story of Corporal Freddie Stowers here.
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 The New Mexico Department of Veterans Services has announced formation of the New Mexico World War I Centennial Commission to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.The Commission, chaired by Governor Susan Martinez, will work locally on the National WWI Centennial Commission’s nationwide effort to educate Americans about the war. New Mexico’s commission will host events around the state highlighting New Mexico’s impact on the war and the sacrifices made by its citizens less than five years after becoming our nation’s 47th state. Read more about the new New Mexico Centennial Commission and its members here.
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 World War I introduced so many terrifying new ways to die, and chief among those was, of course, death by air. You didn’t even have to be a soldier. For Londoners, the threat began in January 1915, when the Germans sent Zeppelins loaded with bombs across the Channel. Eventually, they sent planes, too. The air raids, often at night, accomplished little tactically, but their true purpose was to terrorize civilians and try to sink British morale. Bringing the war to the home front, the raids intruded in the bedroom, the most private space of all. And thus, they had quite an effect on fashion. Read more about how, just days after the first Zeppelin raid over England, British women were already dressing for bed to be prepared to “meet the midnight world at a minute’s notice” -- and how those wartime bedtime wardrobe innovations still dress us for sleep a century later.
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 A service of commemoration has been held on the Scottish island of
Islay to mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the troopship SS
Tuscania, which carried more than 2,000 US soldiers at the end of World
War One when it was torpedoed by a German U-boat close to the island. Many of the soldiers on board were saved and cared for by local people but more than 200 drowned, with the bodies washed up on the beaches of the small island. Services included a wreath-laying ceremony at the American Monument, and a memorial service at Kilnaughton Commonwealth War
Graves Commission Cemetery, held at the grave of Private Roy Muncaster, the
only US soldier still buried on the island. Read more about this solemn remembrance of a century-old military tragedy here.
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 One hundred years after the sinking of the USS Tampa during World War I,
a new mural was unveiled on February 3 honoring the more than 130 men -
including 24 from Tampa Bay - who were killed when the ship was sunk by a
German submarine. During a dedication ceremony at the the Tampa Bay History Center, Robin
Gonzalez read each of the names of Tampa residents who were aboard the
USS Tampa warship when it sunk in 1918. Afterwards, city leaders and
descendants of those who died tossed memorial wreaths onto the water
across from the history center. Read more about the ceremony and the mural, all part of a community effort to ensure that the USS Tampa "will never be forgotten again."
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 So you’ve started a vegetarian, gluten-free diet, but did you remember
to complete your pledge card to send to the U.S. Food Administration?
This is — of course — no longer a reality, but 100 years ago it was,
when Herbert Hoover suggested changes to the American diet to support
the war effort. When Hoover became the “food czar” in April 1917 upon America’s entry
into World War I, the U.S. Food Administration had been created to
encourage patriotic conservation of certain ingredients for the war
effort. Since his recent stint as chairman of the Commission for Relief
in Belgium, Hoover understood the logistics behind a large-scale food
operation. Read more about how Hoover’s USFA, in order to supply hearty non-perishables — beef, wheat, and
sugar — to American soldiers and Allies overseas, asked
for cooperative (and gustatory) sacrifice from civilians.
Other Links:
Hear about this on the Podcast: Episode #58
Read President Wilson's actual proclamation from the Official Bulletin Page #3
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 Every soldier who puts his life on the line is a true hero. However,
some amazing souls go the extra mile and really reach for the stars in
their service to their country. One of them is George Kenney, a US Army Air Force General. Kenney
not only mastered his position for 30 years as a true professional, but
he took part in multiple battles – not to mention both World Wars –
with gusto, earning him a decorated military record for his efforts. Once the US entered WWI in April 1917, Kenney found himself ready to become a part of history, earning numerous decorations in two wars as he blazed a trail of innovation and combat excellence in the skies for the United States. Read more about George Kenney and his aviation exploits here.
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 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.
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Episode #58
Food Will Win The War:
Food Will Win The War - an overview | @01:55
History through the lens of Food - Dr. Libby O’Connell | @05:40
War in the sky | @10:30
America Emerges - Dr. Edward Lengel | @11:45
Great War Project - Mike Shuster | @17:25
Great War Channel on Youtube - Indy Neidell & Flo Wittig | @21:05
Family’s History - Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun | @29:25
Remembering Veterans - Dr. Richard Slotkin | @34:30
A Century in the Making - Maquette on Fox and Friends | @42:45
Speaking WWI - Hooverized Recipes | @44:45
States - Ohio web site - Amy Rohmiller | @46:10
The Buzz - Katherine Akey | @52:25
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World War I Commemorative Centennial 2018 Silver
Dollar and NAVY Medal Set
ORDER NOW. $99.95
The COIN design, titled “Soldier’s Charge,” depicts an almost stone-like soldier gripping a rifle. Barbed wire twines in the lower right hand side of the design. Inscriptions include “LIBERTY,” “1918,” and “IN GOD WE TRUST.”
 The NAVY SERVICE MEDAL design depicts a U.S. Navy destroyer on escort duty after deploying a depth charge in defense of a convoy. Above, kite balloons provide Navy personnel a platform to spot submarines and other dangers. The inscription “OVER THERE!,” is at the bottom of the design.
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 The reverse design depicts an Officer’s Cap Device* used in World War I. The inscriptions are “UNITED STATES NAVY,” “2018,” and “CENTENNIAL OF WORLD WAR I.”
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These sets are limited to 100,000 units across all five medal product options, and can be ordered only until 3 p.m. ET on February 20, 2018, unless the limit is reached prior to that date. Production will be based on the orders received within this window. Fulfillment of these sets will begin in late May 2018.
Produced by the US Mint, the World War I Centennial 2018 Uncirculated Silver Dollar, the Proof Silver Dollar and the 5 service medal combination sets are all available for a limited time directly from the US Mint.
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