Bells of Peace sound at the National World War I Memorial in Washington, DC on November 11, 2022
Bells of Peace rang out at the National World War I Memorial on Washington, DC on Friday, November 11, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. EST in honor of the heroism and sacrifice of the 4.7 million American sons and daughters who served in WWI. Over 2 million deployed “Over There”. 204,000 Americans returned home wounded and 116,516 did not come home at all. The Doughboy Foundation hosted the 2022 Bells of Peace commemoration at the Memorial in Washington, D.C. The ceremony included a wreath dedication, remarks by special guest General Barry McCaffrey, the Doughboy Foundation’s Bells of Peace tolling, and “Echoing Taps” by Taps For Veterans, where multiple buglers played taps from different corners of the WWI Memorial. Click here to learn more, and watch a recording of the 2022 Bells of Peace ceremony.
Sculptor for National World War I Memorial is interviewed ahead of Veterans Day
For three years, in a cavernous studio in Englewood, New Jersey, sculptor Sabin Howard and a handful of assistants have been working on “A Soldier’s Journey,” the monumental sculpture for the National World War I Memorial in Washington, DC. This epic bronze tableau, 58 feet long and 10 feet high, with 38 figures, will be the largest freestanding high relief bronze in the western hemisphere when it is installed in 2024. Jim Beckerman of the NorthJersey.com web site recently visited the studio. Click here to read the entire interview, and learn how Sabin's archetypal model for the bronze is another Washington landmark familiar to all Americans.
Zita Ballinger Fletcher of the HistoryNet.com web site also interviewed Howard about his methods and inspiration last month, and the artist shared with the publication "some never-seen images" (like the one above) of the earlier sections of the sculpture that are now cast in bronze at the Pangolin Editions sculpture foundry in the UK. Click here to read the entire article, and learn how the creation of the monumental sculpture "has been an incredibly educating experience in humanity" for the sculptor.
Every day without fail, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time, Taps sounds at the National World War I Memorial honoring those who perished in the "war that changed the world" and all who have served in the armed forces of the United States. As a joint effort between the Doughboy Foundation, the National Park Service, and the World War I Centennial Commission, this ceremony keeps faith with the American Doughboy and pays tribute to all our service members and veterans. The Daily Taps program now provides a unique opportunity to dedicate a livestreamed sounding of Taps in honor of a special person of your choice while supporting the important work of the Doughboy Foundation. Click here to read more, and learn how you can choose a specific day to honor someone, or even establish this honor for them in perpetuity.
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Dr. Jeffrey Sammons, a professor of history at New York University (NYU), was the guest speaker at the event honoring 40 Orange County, NY residents who died in battle more than 100 years ago on the same day during World War I. The 40 Orange County residents served in Companies E and L of the 107th Regiment of the 27th Division and were killed in action during the Battle of the Hindenburg Line in Northern France. Click here to read more, and find out how Orange County "will always remember our fallen heroes.”
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Harvard University Magazine: We Remember World War I
Flying the Liberty Plane brings historic DH4 aircraft to PBS stations nationwide
"It’s been a long time coming," writes author, moviemaker, and aviator Dorian Walker, "but we have finished our film The Liberty Plane on America’s first Warbird." The new film, airing on PBS TV stations nationwide starting in the Fall of 2022, was "inspired by both the timeframe, our own DH4, and Peter Jackson’s, They Shall Not Grow Old, We have attempted to take audiences back to World War I." Click here to read more, learn how "the story of America’s first warbird, the DH-4 Liberty Plane, we found as largely unknown, yet so many innovations evolved from it," and find out where and when you can see this documentary of WWI aviation history.
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When America Became Global Power: We Have the Right Christmas Present for You!
There’s a new World War I exhibit in Fairfax, and it’s offering visitors an up-close experience with history. The “True Sons of Freedom” traveling exhibition from the Library of Virginia is now on display at the Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center. It commemorates Black soldiers from Virginia who served in World War I, fighting for freedoms they were denied at home. Click here to read more, and find out how to view this exhibit running through December 3.
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It may have taken 104 years, but one Army veteran from Sayre, PA has finally received the service medals he deserved. Federal and State officials joined at the VFW Post 1536 in Sayre, PA November 10 to award Private Raymond Jay Varner the Purple Heart and World War One Victory Medal for his service. “It’s great. He had it coming, but he never said much about it,” Robert Varner, son of Raymond, said, adding “Growing up, I always wondered what the dents were in his body, and he told me.” Click here to read more, and learn how Raymond Jay Varner was was the one man out of twelve in his company to survive the battle in which he was shot.
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A few years ago, Gina McVey of Elk Grove, CA discovered a piece of world history in her family’s past. It all started with a chance encounter at a car dealer. “There was a gentleman in military uniform and we were both sitting in the waiting room. So, as we’re sitting there I told him, ‘Thank you for your service,’” McVey said. In the conversation that followed, McVey mentioned that her own grandfather had fought in World War I, and left her family “a French medal” he had won. She said the man perked up and asked if the medal could possibly be one called the Croix de Guerre. When she confirmed it was, she said the man replied, “Do you know what you have? You have history.” Click here to read more, and learn how Gina’s grandfather Lawrence Leslie McVey was one of the few African American men to ever receive the medal.
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WWI Veteran’s Gravestone Corrected
“Today’s War Writers Owed a Debt Not Only to the Service of WWI Soldiers but also to the Unprecedented Way They Wrote About War.”
NCSC Reveals Newest Exhibit: World War I Espionage In The USA
Tradition Lives On At Hindenburg Line Dinner
"…gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy during the operations against the Hindenburg line, east of Ronssoy, France, 29 September 1918,” begins the Medal of Honor citation for Pvt. Michael Valente, but he would describe it more plainly. “I was pissed that my men were getting killed,” he would reply when his grandson, Ralph Madalena, asked him about that fateful day on the Western Front. Rushing on a German machine gun nest, Valente and a comrade killed or captured the entire crew, before turning their attention toward another position, and doing it again. Valente would be wounded shortly thereafter, but lived on until 1976. The notion of legacy was a conspicuous theme on the night of October 22, as the Veterans of the Seventh Regiment hosted a commemorative “Hindenburg Line” dinner at the Park Avenue Armory. Click here to read more about Pvt. Valente, the Veterans of the Seventh Regiment , and why the “Hindenburg Line” dinner takes place.
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Meaux’s Museum of the Great War, World War I Reenactors, and Brie
The Armchair Historian: World War I From The American Perspective
The Armchair Historian LLC specializes in producing educational and entertaining animated history videos, primarily 20th-century military history. Writes founder Griffin Johnsen: "I started this channel in June of 2016, but our first video came out in November of 2017. I was 18 at the time and did all of the research, animations, editing, and some of the art myself. As our channel grew I brought on more and more experts to improve our animation, scriptwriting, and illustrations. Now we are a team of around 70, and create videos on YouTube, run our streaming service “Armchair History TV,” and design historical strategy games with our new studio “Armchair History Interactive.” Now The Armchair Historian has a new animated video: WW1 From The American Perspective. Click here to learn more about The Armchair Historian, WW1 From The American Perspective, and where you can find the video.
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A man is only missing if he is forgotten.
This month we are featuring something different for our MIA of the Month: an ‘Unknown’ buried in France.
The remains we are focused on here were originally discovered in early-1938 by members of the British Imperial War Graves Commission. How they had come into the information is unknown. The remains were recovered by US personnel in April 1938 from an isolated grave in an open field on Cravancon Farm outside the commune of Chaudun in the Aisne Department.
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The man was most likely a 2nd Division soldier killed in the July 1918 offensive fought there. Interestingly however, the area where he was discovered is actually well within the area of operations of the French 1st Moroccan Division, who were on the left of the 2nd during the fighting.
The remains were taken to the Oise-Aisne American Cemetery where they were to await identification. However, when the effects found with the remains were mailed to the Administrative Officer at the Corps of Engineers – the closest thing to Graves Registration still in France at the time – they were lost in transit and never found. This meant that material evidence that might have been used for identification was gone, leaving only medical evidence. The extent that that medical evidence was compared to MIA files for soldiers lost in that area during that time period is unknown, as all the paperwork dealing with those remains recovered and buried as Unknown has been lost and thus far we at Doughboy MIA have been unable to locate it.
So it was that in May 1938 it was determined the remains could not be identified and an ‘Unknown’ number was assigned them; in this case the man became U-4228 and a file for him was begun. He was transferred in June 1938 to the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery where he was permanently interred in Block H, Row 44, Grave 33.
The point here is to illustrate a bit of what we are up against when we tackle a case. While we may never be able to identify who U-4228 is, we at least owe it to him to try and do so, as well as to the others who remain lost to that war.
How about giving us a hand? Make your tax-deductible donation to our non-profit organization today. Doing so helps ensure these men are never forgotten. Simply go to www.doughboymia.org and give what you can, with our thanks. Every dime goes to our mission.
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.
Remember: A man is only missing if he is forgotten.
Merchandise from the Official Doughboy Foundation WWI Store
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