Podcast appearances and mentions of lafayette escadrille

À l'occasion de la sortie de son dernier film, Juré n°2, RFI vous donne à réécouter une émission que nous avions consacrée à Clint Eastwood en 2020 pour la présentation d'un coffret regroupant tous ses films depuis Lafayette Escadrille en 1958 jusqu'à Le cas Richard Jewell sorti en 2019. Une intégrale dont nous parlait le critique Samuel Blumenfeld qui signe le livret de ce coffret.  Prononcer son nom, c'est d'abord dessiner une silhouette : haute taille 1m93, ceinturon oblique, chapeau, poncho et cigarillo. Ou alors costume gris, sourcils froncés et revolver Smith et Wesson, modèle 29, calibre 44 Magnum. Vous aurez sans doute reconnu Clint Eastwood, ou plutôt ses deux plus fameux avatars dans les westerns de Sergio Leone ou la série des films noirs de l'Inspecteur Harry.Mais Clint Eastwood, à 94 ans, apparaît dans plus de 60 films, dont de nombreux qu'il signe également comme réalisateur.Warner Bros vient de sortir le coffret ultime pour tous les cinéphiles fans d'Eastwood, 68 documents, tous ses films depuis Lafayette Escadrille en 1958 jusqu'à Le cas Richard Jewell sorti en 2019, une somme. Une intégrale dont nous parle le critique Samuel Blumenfeld qui signe le livret de ce coffret.Ainsi qu'Éric Libiot, ancien rédacteur en chef des pages cultures de L'Express, qui vient de signer une autobiographie cinéphile intitulée Clint et moi (J.-C. Lattès).

Kiffin Rockwell believed that America owed France a debt for its support during the American Revolutionary War. He was 21 years old when World War I began, and he immediately sailed to France to volunteer to fight. He initially joined the French Foreign Legion, and then joined the Escadrille Americaine (later renamed the Lafayette Escadrille). He was credited with being the first American in the Escadrille Americaine to shoot down an enemy plane. He flew dozens of patrols and saw frequent combat before being killed in action on September 23, 1916. To discuss Rockwell's life and legacy, the World War I Podcast hosted Mark Trapp, author of A Destiny of Undying Greatness: Kiffin Rockwell and the Boys Who Remembered Lafayette. Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can read texts, but we cannot respond.) Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

“Something has happened to one of the boys.” This is the story of the Great War's flyboys – particularly, Americans taking to the skies to fight for France. Long before the United States will enter the Great War, hundreds of American men head to Europe to fight for the French Republic. Some drive ambulances. Some fight in the French Foreign Legion. But come 1916, some begin to fly. In 1916, seven pilots (our “Flying Founders,” if you will) start an American squadron within France's Aéronautique Militaire. Ultimately, 38 men will fly in this squad. They'll shoot whiskey, have a pet lion cub named “Whiskey” (as well as a second named “Soda”), and risk it all, wielding machine guns amid the clouds. These are the men of the famous Lafayette Escadrille. They number among the 269 Americans who fly for France, collectively known as the Lafayette Flying Corps. It's a romanticized fight. The Great War's pilots are known as the “knights of the sky.” They're the era's heroes. Rockstars. But the death rate is steep. The heartbreak is real. That's particularly true as the beloved son of a US President goes down in flames … ___ 3 Ways to dive deeper into History That Doesn't Suck Join our growing facebook community Get our weekly newsletter, The Revolution Become part of the HTDS Patreon family Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We take to the air in this week's episode as we look back at 2006's 'Flyboys' James Franco stars as a cowboy turned pilot in this Great War aviation movie. Directed by Tony Bill and loosely based on the Lafayette Escadrille - a squadron of American pilots flying for the French air force. Does Flyboys hit the heights or does it fail to take off? Join us to find out.Follow us on Twitter @FightingOnFilm and on Facebook. For more check out our website www.fightingonfilm.comThanks for listening! Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/fighting-on-film. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's Story: Honors for General Brown.

A century ago 38 Americans from every walk of life volunteered to fly in the First World War. It was their own idea—to fight in the skies to aid our oldest ally, France, long before the United States entered the war. They were willing to pay the ultimate price. They helped move their reluctant nation to ultimately join the Allies and enter the fight. They were the Lafayette Escadrille. We'll hear from the film's director, Darroch Greer along with Paul Glenshaw.Please watch this 20-minute version of ‘The Lafayette Escadrille' in preparation for the Third Thursday program. WATCH THE PREVIEWAbout the Speakers: Darroch Greer is a documentary filmmaker and historical researcher. He's written and produced documentaries on the Civil War, Native America, and popular culture for Discovery, the History Channel, PBS and VH1.Paul Glenshaw is a co-director and co-writer of The Lafayette Escadrille. He is a lecturer and instructor on art and history for the Smithsonian Associates, and a regular contributor to the Smithsonian's Air & Space magazine. His career includes numerous projects for art and aviation museums across the country. 

Steven Tom is an aviation historian and the author of the 2019 book First to Fight, biography of Lafayette Escadrille pilot Kiffin Rockwell. In our discussion about Kiffin Rockwell and the important figures in his life, Steve outlines his process in researching and composing the book. For those who may not be familiar, Kiffin Rockwell was an early member of the French American Lafayette Escadrille squadron during WWI. Often credited as the first American pilot to shoot down an enemy craft in combat, Rockwell is a central figure in the history of the Escadrille who was shot down in September 1916 over the town of Roderen, France. His brother Paul had served in the Foreign Legion with Kiffin, and was the official historian of the squadron during and after the war. Kiffin's mother Loula played an important role in his story, at first fearing for the safety of her boys before gradually coming to terms with their idealistic investment in the French cause. Steve also discusses the importance of Alice Weeks, mother of a Legionnaire who died in combat, who acted as a “second mother” for American volunteers in the French military like Kiffin when they were granted leave to travel to Paris. Interview recorded via Zoom. Music is “Lafayette, We Hear You Calling” by Mary Earl, recording from the Library of Congress website.

Prononcer son nom, c’est d’abord dessiner une silhouette : haute taille 1m93, ceinturon oblique, chapeau, poncho et cigarillo. Ou alors costume gris, sourcils froncés et revolver Smith et Wesson, modèle 29, calibre 44 Magnum.Vous aurez sans doute reconnu Clint Eastwood, ou plutôt ses deux plus fameux avatars dans les westerns de Sergio Leone, ou la série des films noirs de l’Inspecteur Harry. Mais Clint Eastwood, à 90 ans, apparaît dans plus de 60 films, dont de nombreux qu’il signe également comme réalisateur. Warner Bros vient de sortir le coffret ultime pour tous les cinéphiles fans d’Eastwood, 68 documents, tous ses films depuis Lafayette Escadrille en 1958 jusqu’à Cas Richard Jewell sorti en 2019, une somme. Une intégrale dont nous parle le critique Samuel Blumenfeld qui signe le livret de ce coffret. Ainsi qu'Éric Libiot, ancien rédacteur en chef des pages Cultures de L'Express, qui vient de signer une autobiographie cinéphile intitulée Clint et moi (JC Lattès).  

In today's episode, we continue our discussion of the television show The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones with Chapter 12, Attack of the Hawkmen. Now working for French Intelligence, Indy joins the Lafayette Escadrille flying squadron with Raoul Lufbery and Charles Nungesser. During his next mission, Indy is tasked with persuading Anthony Fokker to work for French Intelligence as an aircraft designer. Opening music excerpt was composed by Joel McNeely and is unofficially titled "Photographic Session"

Highlights: Submarine Chasers of WWI The 1918 Sedition Act | @01:35 Darkest before the dawn - Mike Shuster | @07:45 America Emerges - Dr. Edward Lengel | @11:445 Memorial Day Parade | @15:50 Hunters of the Steel Sharks - Todd Woofenden | @17:05 Remembering Major Raoul Lufbery - Raoul Lubery III | @24:40 Centenary News website - Peter Alhadeff & Patrick Gregory | @31:20 Speaking WWI - “I’m in a flap” | @38:15 Highlights of the Dispatch Newsletter | @39:30 The Buzz: The commemoration in social Media - Katherine Akey | @41:45----more---- Opening Welcome to World War 1 centennial News - episode #72 - It’s about WW1 THEN - what was happening 100 years ago this week  - and it’s about WW1 NOW - news and updates about the centennial and the commemoration. This week: Mike Schuster, from the great war project blog tells us about the on-going German aggression, the allies desperation and Pershing’s plan to provide CERTAIN troops to be commanded Directly by the allied forces. Dr. Edward Lengel with a story about American troops that land in the UK. Todd Woofenden introduces us about the US Navy’s submarine chasers Tanveer Kalo helps us commemorate Asian Pacific Heritage Month Raoul Lufbery III tells us about a recent event in Connecticut commemorating his great-uncle, Raoul Lufbery Peter Alhadeff (AL-adeff) and Patrick Gregory join us from the WWI website “Centenary News” Katherine Akey with the commemoration of world war one in social media All on WW1 Centennial News -- a weekly podcast brought to you by the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission, the Pritzker Military Museum and Library and the Starr foundation. I’m Theo Mayer - the Chief Technologist for the Commission and your host. Welcome to the show. [MUSIC] Preface The United States constitutional Bill of rights was passed and adopted on December 15, 1791 This included the first amendment which reads: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances 126 years later, in 1917, under the pressures of entering WW1 - this constitutional right of the American people came under attack in profound ways. It began in June of 1917 with the passage of the Espionage Act, prohibiting any American from saying or doing anything to undermine the war effort, with the threat of 20 years in prison, a $10,000 fine, or both  .   4 months later, in October 1917, congress followed up with the “Trading with the Enemy Act “, which empowered the government to confiscate the property of any person who engages in trade or any other form of financial transaction with an enemy nation during wartime. Overall, about $500 million worth of property was seized by the federal government in World War I from german immigrants and companies with ties to enemy nations, an amount equal to the entire federal budget before the War. But the most onerous attack on the first amendment was coming. With that as background let's jump into our Centennial Time Machine and roll back 100 years ago this week to learn more about the new Sedition Act! [MUSIC TRANSITION] [SOUND EFFECT] [TRANSITION] World War One THEN 100 Year Ago This Week [SOUND EFFECT] Dateline: May 21, 1918 A tiny obscure 4 line article appears in the New York times with the headline: President Signs Sedition Bill The entire article reads: President Wilson today signed the Sedition bill, giving the government wide powers to punish disloyal acts and utterances. Let me read that again… “Giving the government wide powers to punish disloyal acts and utterances.” That sounds downright unconstitutional… and if I had said that in May of 1918, I could have been prosecuted, fined $10,000 (the equivalent of $180,000 today) and imprisoned for up to 30 years! Though President Wilson and Congress regarded the Sedition Act as crucial in order to stifle the spread of dissent within the country in that time of war, modern legal scholars consider the act as contrary to the letter and spirit of the U.S. Constitution, namely to the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. A part of the act also allowed the Postmaster General to refuse to deliver mail that met those same standards for punishable speech or opinion effectively blocking the mail dissemination of dissenting newspapers, pamphlets and flyers. It was directly applied to trying to control the socialist leaning organized labor movement, and one of the most famous prosecutions under the Sedition Act during World War I was that of Eugene V. Debs, a pacifist labor organizer and founder of the International Workers of the World (the IWW) who had run for president in 1900 as a Social Democrat and in 1904, 1908 and 1912 on the Socialist Party of America ticket. After delivering an anti-war speech in June 1918 in Canton, Ohio, Debs was arrested, tried and sentenced to 10 years in prison under the Sedition Act. Debs appealed the decision, and the case eventually reached the U.S. Supreme Court, in January of 1919. In March of 1919, 101 years ago this month the court ruled Debs had acted with the intention of obstructing the war effort and upheld his conviction. In the decision, Chief Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes referred to the earlier landmark case of Schenck v. United States (1919), when Charles Schenck, also a Socialist, had been found guilty under the Espionage Act after distributing a flyer urging recently drafted men to oppose the U.S. conscription policy. In this decision, Holmes maintained that freedom of speech and press could be constrained in certain instances, and that The question in every case is whether the words used are used in such circumstances and are of such a nature as to create a clear and present danger ---  which will bring about the substantive evils that Congress has a right to prevent.   Eugene Debs’ sentence was commuted a few years later in 1921 when the Sedition Act was repealed by Congress. Major portions of the Espionage Act remain part of United States law to the present day, although the crime of sedition was largely eliminated by a famous libel case  in 1964, which determined that the press’s criticism of public officials was protected speech under the First Amendment — unless a plaintiff could prove that the statements were made maliciously or with reckless disregard for the truth—. Your right to free speech.. A very precious right and one that was effectively legislated against 100 years ago this week, in the war that changed the world! We have links in the podcast notes a BUNCH of articles from the NY times where the espionage, trading with the enemy and sedition acts were applied. NYTIMES Sedition Articles: https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/05/22/102703485.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/05/08/102699810.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/08/13/97017110.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/05/13/102701408.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/06/07/102707634.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/06/11/102708351.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/06/11/102708489.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/06/28/102715535.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/07/01/102715561.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/07/06/102717028.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/07/16/102722083.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/05/31/118143506.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/06/07/102707383.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/05/14/102701611.pdf Links on Sedition Act: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/u-s-congress-passes-sedition-act https://www.politico.com/story/2012/05/congress-passes-the-sedition-act-may-16-1918-076336 https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/social_conflict_and_control_protest_and_repression_usa http://cdn.loc.gov/service/ll/uscode/uscode1940-00505/uscode1940-005050a002/uscode1940-005050a002.pdf https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/us-confiscated-half-billion-dollars-private-property-during-wwi-180952144/ https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2017/06/15/defining-a-spy-the-espionage-act/ https://www.thirteen.org/wnet/supremecourt/capitalism/sources_document1.html https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/labour_movements_trade_unions_and_strikes_usa https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/wilson-eugene-debs/ https://www.oyez.org/cases/1900-1940/249us211 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-eugene-debs-socialist-bernie-sanders-per-flashback-0131-20160127-column.html [MUSIC TRANSITION] Great War Project It’s time for Mike Shuster, former NPR correspondent and curator for the Great War Project Blog. Mike, your post points out that the Germans are far from out of the fight and the allied troops are very near collapse - While Pershing, standing fast on his determination not to put American troop under British and French command turns out not to apply to all troops equally. You point to a palpable Allied desperation - It seems like, on the western front it truly is darkest before the coming dawn. [thanks Theo - The headlines read] [MIKE POST] Mike Shuster curator for the Great War Project blog. The link to the blog and the post -- are in the podcast notes. LINK: http://greatwarproject.org/2018/05/13/another-german-attack-on-the-western-front/ [SOUND EFFECT] America Emerges: Military Stories from WW1 Now for - America Emerges: Military Stories from WWI with Dr. Edward Lengel. Not all the troops landed in France - Many of them arrived “Over There” in England including a yet unknown hero-to-be… As you will hear in Ed’s story. [ED LENGEL] [MUSIC TRANSITION] Dr. Edward Lengel is an American military historian, author, and our segment host for America Emerges: Military Stories from WWI. There are links in the podcast notes to Ed’s post and his web sites as an author.   Links:http://www.edwardlengel.com/100-years-ago-alvin-c-york-arrives-great-britain/ https://www.facebook.com/EdwardLengelAuthor/ http://www.edwardlengel.com/about/ The Great War Channel From the Great War Channel on Youtube -  videos about WWI 100 years ago this week, and from a more european perspective --- New episodes this week include: The Ostende Raid and the Peace of Bucharest Another episode is Marie Curie in WW1 and Who Killed the Red Baron Finally Evolution of French Infantry during World War One See their videos by searching for “the great war” on youtube or following the link in the podcast notes! Link:https://www.youtube.com/user/TheGreatWar World War One NOW That’s the news from 100 Years ago this week  - It is time to fast forward into the present with WW1 Centennial News NOW - [SOUND EFFECT] This part of the podcast focuses on NOW and how we are commemorating the centennial of WWI! Commission News Memorial Day Parade in DC This week in Commission News -- The National Memorial Day Parade in Wshington DC is coming up on Monday, May 28th! The parade will be huge -- including marching bands, flags, celebrities, veterans of all ages, 300,000 cheering visitors, and TV cameras that will broadcast the parade across the country. This year, the parade will feature a special tribute to the American veterans of World War I, including several World War I-era military vehicles -- and for the first time ever -- a parade float to emphasise the centennial of WWI and America’s National WWI Memorial, which the Commission is building in Washington DC. Commission volunteers will walking the parade and giving out free packets of Poppy seeds as a symbol of remembrance and sacrifice of those who served in WWI. This parade is our nation’s largest Memorial Day event, drawing hundreds of thousands of spectators to the National Mall to pay tribute to those who serve and have served. Read more about the 2018 National Memorial Day Parade at the link in the podcast notes.   Links: http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/communicate/press-media/wwi-centennial-news/4441-centennial-commission-to-be-represented-in-2018-national-memorial-day-parade.html Spotlight on the Media Submarine Chasers[AUDIO CLIP] That was a 1918 radio style dramatization of a submarine attack on a US ship - from a cylinder recording we found. For a more contemporary take, and for this week’s Spotlight on the Media -- we are going to learn more about the US Submarine Chasers of World War One. Joining us is Todd A. Woofenden, editor of The Subchaser Archives website and author of the book Hunters of the Steel Sharks: The Submarine Chasers of WWI. Great book title, Todd! Welcome to the podcast! [welcome/greetings] Todd-- the submarine warfare conducted by the Germans helped push America over the brink and into war -- so, once we were in, how did the US respond to the continuing submarine threat? The fleet set out to chase the submarines was pretty unique -- Why did we pick small, wooden vessels for the job? WWI was all about new tech…. What was the TECH side of chasing and attacking submarines? What should we remember about this endeavor - and what did it lead to in the future? [thank you/goodbyes]   Todd A. Woofenden is the editor of The Subchaser Archives website and author of the book Hunters of the Steel Sharks: The Submarine Chasers of WWI. We have links for you in the podcast notes to learn more and how to get a copy of the book for yourself! Links: https://www.subchaser.org/ https://www.signallightbooks.com/hunters Events Lufbery Memorial This week we want to feature a commemoration event that took place recently in Wallingford Connecticut -- the event honored the centennial of the combat death of French  American pilot Raoul Lufbery, the 8th pilot to join the Lafayette Escadrille. Lufbery went on to command the 94th Aero Squadron when the Escadrille was disbanded in 1918, and was an Ace three times over. He was killed in an aerial dogfight over Maron, France 100 years ago this week on May 19, 1918 -- Here to tell us about his life and the commemoration in Connecticut is his great-nephew, Raoul Lufbery III. Raoul, welcome to the podcast! [greetings/welcome] Raoul, what a wonderful namesake you carry - Raoul Lufbery was quite a colorful character -- please tell us about your great-uncle -- - what’s his story? The commemoration took place in Wallingford, Connecticut -- how was it? why was it held there? what did it include? Raoul, you’ve worked on compiling and editing a couple of photo albums about your great uncle -- can you tell us about them? Raoul - Thank you for joining us! [goodbye/thanks] Raoul Lufbery III is the great-nephew of WW1 Ace and Lafayette Escadrille member Major Raoul Lufbery. Learn more about the recent commemoration of his life, and about his service in the war, by following the links in the notes. links:https://connecticuthistory.org/world-war-i-flying-ace-raoul-lufbery/ https://www.nationalaviation.org/our-enshrinees/lufbery-gervais-raoul/ http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/usa/lufbery.php International Report Centenary News This week in our International Report -- we’re going back across the pond as we’re joined by the creators of a wonderful web site “Centenary News”. it’s a super centralized resource for all things WW1 --  filled with news, articles, events listings, book reviews and more -- Joining us to tell us more are Peter Alhadeff (AL-adeff) ,  Editor for Centenary News, and Patrick Gregory, former BBC news editor, contributor to Centenary News and co-editor & author of the book ‘An American on the Western Front’. Gentlemen - thank you so much for joining us! [welcome/greetings] Let me start by saying that your site is really wonderful. It very broad in perspective and a wonderful resource - especially for our listeners. Peter, how did Centenary News start? Who is behind it? As kindred public history projects - and with WWI being and epic and vast story - how do YOU manage your editorial calendar and choices for what you publish and what you don’t? What are your most popular articles and stories? Patrick-- you’re interest, and expertise, is focused on the American experience of the war. How did you come to that topic of interest -- and has there been a tendency to neglect or downplay the role America played in WW1 from the European point of view?   The Armistice is coming up in November, Versaille the following June - what are Centenary News plans for coverage as the fighting stops?   I really want to encourage our listeners to stop by your site at www.centenarynews.com. If you listen to this podcast - you’ll like the site. Gentlemen - Thank you so much for joining us today! [thanks/goodbyes] Peter Alhadeff (AL-adeff) is the Editor for the Centenary News web  site, and Patrick Gregory is a former BBC news editor, contributor to Centenary News Visit the site at www.centenarynews.com or by following the links in the podcast notes. Link:http://www.centenarynews.com/ Speaking WW1 Welcome to our weekly feature “Speaking World War 1” -- Where we explore the words & phrases that are rooted in the war  --- If you can face chaos, uncertainty and drama without succumbing to panic or anxiety -- you might be described as unflappable -- marked by assurance and self-control. Though unflappable doesn’t enter the English lexicon until the 1950s, it is derived from a WWI era phrase, “to be in a flap”. Usually defined as “to be worried”, the phrase “to be in a flap” has its origins in the Royal Navy around 1916. Taken from the frantic flapping birds would perform as they attempted to fly, the phrase spread among the ground troops as well. And there was a lot to be in a flap about during the war -- constant artillery barrages, snipers taking shots round the clock, poor food and living conditions -- the phrase probably got a lot of use in the trenches. “To be in a flap” and Unflappable - this week’s phrases for speaking WW1. There are links for you in the podcast notes. Links: http://mentalfloss.com/article/58233/21-slang-terms-world-war-i http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4tN7cVtY2VY2sbGtX6z9Df3/12-words-from-100-years-ago-we-love-to-use-today [SOUND EFFECT] Articles and Posts For Articles and posts -- here are some of the highlights from our weekly Dispatch newsletter. [DING] Headline: Lost and found World War I medal returned to veteran's family in NJ This is an update on the recently found WW1 medal in New Jersey -- it’s original owner’s family has been found and the medal has been returned! [DING] Headline: Maryland World War I Chapel Keeping Faith in Troubled Times Read about a local community commemorative event in Odenton, Maryland -- On June 3, 2018 the public is invited to an outdoor concert and dedication of a WWI Centennial Monument at Epiphany Chapel & Church House in Odenton, MD. In 1918 the Chapel was a home-away-from-home for soldiers and included “reinforcements to the Chaplains of the colored regiments.” [DING] Headline: Annual 'In Flanders Fields' Memorial Commemorative Event in New York City For a major metro event, read about the upcoming commemoration in New York City. General Delegate of the Government of Flanders to the United States will be hosting the Annual In 'Flanders Fields' Memorial event on May 24, 10am, featuring the East Coast Doughboys Honor Guard. [DING] Headline: Harriett Louise Carfrae - our featured Story of Service Read about Harriett Louise Cafrae, a nurse who served in World War 1 with the Red Cross. [DING] Finally, our  selection from our Official online Centennial Merchandise store -   this week, it’s our U.S. Army “Doughboy” Window Decal -- An easy and inexpensive way to let the world know that it’s the centennial of WWI! Featuring the iconic Doughboy silhouette flanked by barbed wire so prevalent during WWI, you can proudly display this poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by U.S. soldiers.  Hey, it’s only 4 bucks and a great add on item when you’re getting other merchandise! And those are some of the headlines this week from the Dispatch Newsletter Subscribe by going to ww1cc.org/subscribe or follow the links in the podcast notes Link: http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/communicate/2015-12-28-18-26-00/subscribe.html http://www.ww1cc.org/dispatch The Buzz And that brings us to the buzz - the centennial of WW1 this week in social media with Katherine Akey - Katherine, what did you pick? Mothers Day and the Harlem Hellfighters Hi Theo -- Last weekend was Mother’s Day -- a holiday dear to doughboys in europe a hundred years ago as much as it is to us today. This week we shared an article from historian and WW1 Centennial Commission Historical Advisor Mitchell Yockelson published in the New York Times. The article entitled “Dear Mom, the War’s Going Great” surveys Mother’s Day correspondances during war time, from General Pershing down to the humblest of doughboys. The Army promoted what it called Mothers Letters, joined in a campaign by the YMCA and Red Cross. Read the article at the link in the podcast notes.   Finally -- this week was the centennial of a harrowing incident that helped establish the reputation of the Harlem Hellfighters. On the night of May 15, 1918, Pvt. Henry Johnson and Needham Roberts, members of the all-black 369th Infantry Regiment, found themselves fighting for their lives against 20 German Soldiers out in front of their unit's trench line. Johnson fired the three rounds in his French-made rifle, tossed all his hand grenades and then grabbed his Army-issue bolo knife and started stabbing.   Both survived the incident -- and Johnson earned himself the nickname Black Death for his ferocious stand. The question of whether the African American unit would fight as well as any other was answered by his actions in the darkness of May 15th. Read more about the intense engagement, and the Hellfighters’ subsequent struggles upon returning to civilian life, by following the link in the podcast notes. That’s it for this week in the Buzz. Link:https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/12/opinion/sunday/dear-mom-the-wars-going-great.html https://www.army.mil/article/204920/ny_national_guardsman_henry_johnson_fought_for_his_life_with_a_knife_on_may_15_1918 Outro And that wraps up this  week in May for WW1 Centennial News. Thank you for listening. We also want to thank our guests...   Mike Shuster, Curator for the great war project blog Dr. Edward Lengel, Military historian and author Todd Woofenden, editor of The Subchaser Archives website and author of the book Hunters of the Steel Sharks: The Submarine Chasers of WWI. Tanveer Kalo, graduating Ronald E. McNair Scholar from St. Lawrence University and a former WW1 Centennial Commission Intern Raoul Lufbery III, great-nephew of WW1 Ace Major Raoul Lufbery Peter Alhadeff (AL-adeff) and Patrick Gregory join us from the website Centenary News Katherine Akey, WWI Photography specialist and line producer for the podcast Many thanks to Mac Nelsen our sound editor and to Eric Marr for his great input and research assistance...   A small retraction from last week.. We mistakenly referred to the  co-founder of the Boy Scouts of America as Ernest Thomas Seton [see-ton] rather than Ernest Thompson Seton [see-ton] And I am neither Thomas, nor Thompson - I am Theo- Theo Mayer - your host.   The US World War One Centennial Commission was created by Congress to honor, commemorate and educate about WW1. Our programs are to-- inspire a national conversation and awareness about WW1; Including this podcast! We are bringing the lessons of the 100 years ago into today's classrooms; We are helping to restore WW1 memorials in communities of all sizes across our country; and of course we are building America’s National WW1 Memorial in Washington DC. We want to thank commission’s founding sponsor the Pritzker Military Museum and Library as well as the Starr foundation for their support. The podcast can be found on our website at ww1cc.org/cn  - now with our new interactive transcript feature for students, teachers and sharing. Just a note to listeners, the transcript publishes about 2 days after the show. You can also access the WW1 Centennial News podcast on  iTunes, Google Play, TuneIn, Podbean, Stitcher - Radio on Demand, Spotify, using your smart speaker.. By saying “Play W W One Centennial News Podcast” - and now also available on Youtube - just search for our WW1 Centennial youtube channel. Our twitter and instagram handles are both @ww1cc and we are on facebook @ww1centennial. Thank you for joining us. And don’t forget to share the stories you are hearing here today about the war that changed the world! [music] So long!

While the Battle of Verdun raged on the ground, it raged in the sky as well. Control of the airspace over the battlefield shifted hands several times during the course of the fighting.   All of the famous pilots met and fought at Verdun: the great Guynemer, Navarre, Nungesser, the Lafayette Escadrille on the French side and  and the magnificent Oswald Boelcke as well. Planes dived, clashed and shot at each other over the trenches as the German and French air services fought for control of the skies.   The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.   Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

Highlights - War in The Sky The Mystery of the USS Cyclops | @ 02:40 Submarine Stories | @ 04:55 Learning to command on the front - Mike Shuster | @ 07:20 The 2nd Division: Army and Marines - Dr. Edward Lengel | @ 11:40 War In The Sky: Including the Red Baron goes down | @ 17:00 Midway Village reenactment - Dave Fornell | @ 20:25 Stars & Stripes newspaper - Robert H. Rheid | @ 27:25 "The Great Forgotten" Play - Karen & Kacie Devaney | @ 34:00 Speaking WWI: Pillbox | @ 39:25 Education Newsletter: Issue #12 | @ 41:05 WWI War Tech: Interrupter Gear | @ 42:05 Dispatch Newsletter: Headline Highlights | @ 44:30 The Centennial Buzz in Social Media - Katherine Akey | @ 47:05----more---- Opening Welcome to World War 1 centennial News - episode #68 - It’s about WW1 THEN - what was happening 100 years ago this week  - and it’s about WW1 NOW - news and updates about the centennial and the commemoration. This week our guests include: Mike Shuster, from the great war project blog. Mike updates us on the American Expeditionary Forces as their inexperienced officers struggle with the challenges of  battle command. Dr. Edward Lengel with the story of the 2nd Division as they enter combat at Maizey Dave Fornell shares the experience of organizing the largest WW1 reenactment event in the country Robert H. Reid tells us about the Stars and Stripes and how it was revived for troop morale in WWI Kacie and Karen Devaney with, The Great Forgotten: A stage play about WW1 Nurses - Not just during the war but after and continuing through the roaring 20’s Katherine Akey with the commemoration of world war one in social media   All this and more... on WW1 Centennial News -- a weekly podcast brought to you by the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission, the Pritzker Military Museum and Library and the Starr foundation. I’m Theo Mayer - the Chief Technologist for the Commission and your host. Welcome to the show. [MUSIC] Preface This week’s focus is on the War in The Sky. You’ll learn about some new action up there, the death of one of the most prominent aces of the era, new educational materials arriving this week for teachers about the WWI air war, and a story about the tech that kept pilots from shooting off their propellers as they engaged the enemy. But first… as we jump into our centennial time machine and go back 100 years this week - we are going to start --   not in the sky but with a mysterious story about the war on the seas and also Germany’s claims about the success of their u-boats! [SOUND EFFECT] [TRANSITION] World War One THEN 100 Year Ago This Week It’s the middle of April 1918 and in the pages of the Official Bulletin, the government’s daily war gazette, published for President Wilson by George Creel, his propaganda chief --  this week we find articles of a missing ship - A big one ! [SOUND EFFECT] Dateline: Monday April 15, 1918 The headline in the bulletin  reads: Naval Collier Cyclops Overdue Since March 13 at Atlantic Port; Left West Indies. Personnel on Board Consisted of 15 Officers, 221 Men of Crew, and 57 Passengers - Searched for, by Radio and Ships, But No Trace is to Be Found. An the story reads: The U. S. S. Cyclops, a navy collier of 19,000 tons displacement, loaded with a cargo of manganese, is overdue at an Atlantic port. She last reported at one of the West Indian Islands on March 4, and since her departure from that port no trace of her nor any information concerning her has been obtained. Radio calls to the Cyclops from all possible points have been made and vessels sent to search for her along her probable route and areas in which she might be - all with no success. Weather Has Not Been Bad. A Collier is a Coal Carrier and The Cyclops is a massive one. She is 540 feet long and 65 feet wide. It is so big it is often referred to as a “floating coal mine,” The ship should have been docked in the waters off Baltimore after she  was sent to Brazil to pick up a load of manganese. Now, manganese is pretty valuable stuff right now. It is a mineral of great strategic importance to the war and used in the production of both iron and steel. In fact the lack of this mineral is a major problem facing the German steel makers and iron makers and the Cyclops had just picked up a 12,000 ton load of it. Nothing from the ship will be found. No wreckage, oil slicks or debris. Not even a distress call. And speculation will rage throughout history, leading to wild theories involving everything from a mutiny and a secret sale to the Germans, sinking by U-boats near Puerto Rico and even giant skids dragging her under. The mystery of the USS Cyclop will span a century without resolution.   There is also news this week about the war UNDER the sea [SOUND EFFECT] Dateline: Tuesday, APRIL 16, 1918 The headline in the NY Times reads: CREW OF U-85 HERE ARE PRISONERS - THIRTY-EIGHT GERMANS CAPTURED BY DESTROYER FANNING, TO BE INTERNED IN GEORGIA Captain Lieutenant Amberger, the German commander of the craft, which was sunk last november heads the party. And the story reads: Franklin D. Roosevelt acting Secretary of the Navy has given out tonight the names of the German prisoner of the submarine u-38. When the craft was wrecked by a depth bomb dropped by the Destroyer Fanning, on November 17 last, the crew of the Fanning picked up several life buoys which bore on one side the word "kaiser" and on the other the word "Got". The prisoners were taken to an English port and turned over to British authorities. By agreement between the British, the US Navy and the US Army the prisoners are being taken to Camp McPherson near Atlanta Georgia. Meanwhile another article this week presents the claims of the German Commander of the Navy that U-boats are winning the war on the sea. [SOUND EFFECT] Dateline: Amsterdam - April 18, 1918 A  headline in the NY Times reads: CAPELLE ASSERTS U-BOATS IS WINNING Tells Reichstag Three to Six times as Many Ships Are Sunk as Are Built. AMERICAN DESTROYERS FAIL CONVOYS ALSO A FAILURE And the story reads: Vice Admiral Von Capelle, German Minister of the Navy, discussing submarine warefare before the main Committee of the Reichstag delcared that the new U-Boat construction exceeded the losses and that the effectiveness of the submarines had increased. The Minister declared that the American Destroyers, "Which had been so much talked about" had failed in their objective. Admiral von Capelle described as a base lie the statement made by Sir Eric Geddes, First lord of the British admiralty, that German U-boat crews were unwilling to put to sea and that claims by British statesmen that there had been extraordinarily big losses of U-boats were grealy exagerated. Claims of fake news from the war on the seas 100 years ago this week!   USS Cyclops and UBoat News https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/04/16/102690731.pdf   https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/04/15/98261516.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/04/16/102690586.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/04/18/98262008.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/04/19/102691763.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/04/19/102691804.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/04/19/102691823.pdf https://timesmachinenytimes.com/svc/tmach/v1/refer?pdf=true&res=9806E4DE1F3FE433A25754C1A9629C946996D6CF   Contemporary Cyclops news: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/03/14/more-than-100-years-later-great-mystery-vanished-uss-cyclops-remains-unsolved.html http://www.navyhistory.org/2013/06/unanswered-loss-uss-cyclops-march-1918/ http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-uss-cyclops-20180312-story.html   Fighting in France: https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/04/15/98261538.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/04/15/98261525.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/04/16/102690556.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/04/16/102690562.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/04/17/102691147.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/04/17/102691155.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/04/18/98261912.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/04/18/98261915.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/04/18/98261916.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/04/19/102691733.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/04/19/102691736.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/04/20/102692321.pdf [MUSIC TRANSITION] Great War Project Now moving to the story on land and in the trenches and fields of the western front, It is time for Mike Shuster -- former NPR correspondent and curator for the Great War project Blog…. Mike: Your post last week ended on a note of the American troops moving to the front and Ed Lengel followed with the hard lessons the Yankee division received as they engaged in Seicheprey. This week, you continue with the incredible challenges the Americans face - not from the courage or spirit of the fighting men, but from the lack of experience of the American field commanders - few of whom have had any actual battle command and they are facing the desperate fierceness of the enemy. What is the next chapter of the story Mike? [MIKE POST] Mike Shuster from the Great War Project blog. The links to Mike Shuster’s Great War Project blog are in the podcast notes. LINK: http://greatwarproject.org/2018/04/15/more-americans-reach-the-battlefieldunprepared/ [SOUND EFFECT] America Emerges: Military Stories from WW1 Welcome to our segment - America Emerges: Military Stories from WWI with Dr. Edward Lengel. This week, Ed introduces us to the 2nd Division - a mix of army and Marine brigades, interesting leadership, and a destiny to play key roles in the upcoming battles of the war. These are army soldiers and marines learning to fight an enemy determined to understand them, devastate them and destroy them… but this time the doughboys turn the tables.. Of course we, the audience, already know the outcome of the war. The American eventually figure it out and prevail… but the lessons continue to hurt! [ED LENGEL] [MUSIC TRANSITION] Dr. Edward Lengel is an American military historian, author, and our segment host for America Emerges: Military Stories from WWI. There are links in the podcast notes to Ed’s post and his web sites as an author.   Links:http://www.edwardlengel.com/2nd-division-goes-army-first-combat-maizey-1918/ https://www.facebook.com/EdwardLengelAuthor/ http://www.edwardlengel.com/about/ War in the Sky Ok… Now we are moving to the War in the Sky -- it’s mid-April of 1918 and America’s newly minted US Army Air Corps has joined the fighting front above the trenches. This week - 100 years ago -- Two U.S. Army Air corps pilots of the First Aero Squadron shoot down two enemy German planes over the Allied Squadron Aerodome in France. The encounter as lightning fast; just six minutes after the front line signaled that German airplanes were crossing the American trenches and heading towards the aerodome,  Lieutenant A.S. Winslow of Chicago and Lieutenant Douglas Campbell of California had brought two enemy aviators down. It was the first U.S. Army Air corps dogfight in history. One of the German planes was set on fire, and the other was knocked out but landed pretty much undamaged -- and their German pilots taken prisoner.   Both American aviators eventually received the Croix de Guerre, and Lt. Campbell, went on to shoot down five enemy aircraft, making him the first U.S. flying ace. As the Americans rose to the challenge this week, the great Red Baron fell. On April 21st, German ace Manfred von Richthofen, a living legend called the "Red Baron" and "ace of aces," was shot down and killed in aerial combat. By the time of his death, he had accrued 80 victories. Credit for his kill was given at the time to Canadian Captain Roy Brown.  During the fateful scrap, the Red Baron's cousin Lt. Wolfram von Richthofen was being fired upon when the Red Baron flew to his rescue and fired on the attacker, saving Wolfram's life. Richthofen pursued the enemy across the Somme where he was spotted and briefly attacked by a Camel piloted by Canadian Captain Roy Brown. At the time, it seems a single bullet hit Richthofen in the chest, causing a quick death. But-- who exactly killed the Red Baron is up for debate. Current evidence is that he was killed by ground fire from Australian troops -- but there are many theories. No matter who was the one to take him down, RIchthofen left behind a legacy of true aerial mastery and terror. His victory total will not be exceeded until June 1941. Link: https://www.upi.com/Archives/1918/04/14/American-flyers-down-pair/9481523634159/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manfred_von_Richthofen#Death https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015075629603;view=1up;seq=46 The Great War Channel For videos about WWI 100 years ago this week, check out our friends at  the Great War Channel on Youtube. New episodes this week include: The Battle of La Lys -- Operation Georgette Stalin in WW1 -- Scottish Home Rule -- Out of the Trenches Storm of Steel -- Author and Officer Ernst Jünger See their videos by searching for “the great war” on youtube or following the link in the podcast notes! Link:https://www.youtube.com/user/TheGreatWar World War One NOW Alright  - It is time to fast forward into the present with WW1 Centennial News NOW - [SOUND EFFECT] This part of the podcast focuses on NOW and how we are commemorating the centennial of WWI! Remembering Veterans Midway Village Reenactment For  Remembering Veterans -- We are going to do a follow up on the big reenactor event in Rockford Illinois we told you about a couple of weeks ago. The Midway Village Museum is a 137 acre living history park, and the host of the 6th annual Great War event, that featured over 225 re-enactors portraying soldiers and civilians from the United States and Europe. It’s the nation’s largest public WW1 re-enactment -- and a massive undertaking! If you were there - you had a blast - if you weren’t there - we will point you to great pictures and videos - AND… we have invited Dave Fornell, the reenactor coordinator for the event and member of the Illinois WWI Centennial Commission to tell us the story. Welcome, Dave! [greetings] [Dave -- there are three things I’d like to touch on today… The event and the experience of attending it -- Reenactors and the reenactor community at large And third - future plans] [Let’s start with the 6th Annual Great war event - how did it go! How many people showed up and what kind of comments did you get?] [So Dave - I am personally totally fascinated by the reenactor phenomena --- here is my chance to ask about it.. So…. you are a WWI reenactor - Why? ] [Are you only WWI?  I mean… do reenactors specialize in a specific historical period? - or is it more of a chronic avocation - Are reenactors organized? By historical period or by regional area? And based on a conversation I had with Katherine about this - what about women in this community?] [Finally - are there plans for a 2019 Midway Village Great War event?] [goodbyes/thanks] Dave Fornell is the re-enactor coordinator for the Midway Village Museum WWI reenactment and a member of the Illinois WWI Centennial Commission. Learn more about the Commission and the Midway Village Museum at the links in the podcast notes. Links:http://www.midwayvillage.com/ http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/illinois-wwi-centennial-home.html Spotlight in the Media Stars and Stripes 100 years ago, in February 1918, a new weekly publication found its way into the hands of Doughboys now arriving in France in ever greater numbers: The Stars and Stripes newspaper. Although the classic periodical was originally produced by Union Soldiers in the Civil War, when they found an abandoned printing press - they only ran 6 one-page issues at the time. The publication was revived for World War 1, produced by an all-military staff and aimed directly at the doughboys of the American Expeditionary Forces. Stars and Stripes is filled with cartoons and articles by and for doughboys, making light of everything from living covered in lice in the trenches to struggling to communicate with their new “Francai”  comrades. We reported on the relaunch in Episode #59 and ever since, we have been looking forward to the opportunity of inviting someone from the paper to come on the show and tell us more about it. So I am especially excited to welcome Robert H. Reid, senior managing editor of the Stars and Stripes newspaper. Robert - so nice to have you on the show! [welcome/greetings] [OK - first of all - Robert for our listeners - We need a context - could you briefly frame up what the Stars and stripes paper is? ] [When we saw in our research that the paper had re-emerged for the doughboys arriving in france --- we quickly started to read through issues - and what struck me immediately was the humor… tongue in cheek, irreverent, good natured, and wry -- How did that happen!? Was that planned or just what happened?] [Clearly the AEF decided they wanted this…. Do we know how the papers ROLE was framed by the command in 1918? Did it have a mission statement?] [Full disclosure - I grew up with the paper and the people who made it in post WWII Germany. We lived as Americans near frankfurt in the early 50’s and my mom wrote for the paper…. So here we are today in the THIRD generation of the paper’s life - What is the Stars and Stripes today?] [goodbyes/thank you] Robert Reid is the senior managing editor of Stars and Stripes. You can learn more about the paper, and see archival copies at the Library of Congress, by following the links in the podcast notes. link:https://www.loc.gov/collections/stars-and-stripes/?sb=date https://www.stripes.com/ The Great Forgotten To wrap up Spotlight in the Media this week -- we’re turning the focus back onto the service of women in the war with the play The Great Forgotten. Set during WWI and through the Roaring Twenties, the play follows two sisters --- American nurses in France during WW1, and their adjustment to a whole new world after the end of the conflict. This segment actually kicks off a conversation that will become ever more important on the podcast… looking at the profound post-war experience in America With us to tell us about their original production are mother-daughter playwriting team Karen and Kacie Devaney. Welcome! [welcome/greetings} [Kacie -- the play was initially your idea, and you ended up getting your mother involved. Tell us about that? ] [Karen -- The two main characters embody the experience of so many women who served in the war -- Did you base the characters on real individuals?] [Back to you Kacie -- This is obviously a real passion project for you -- why do you think the stories of these women in, and after, WW1 matter so much?] [A quick one phrase answer from each of you… In a phrase - what was the biggest realization for you personally in doing this project?] [In closing - are you going to be performing the play again soon?] [goodbyes/thank you] Karen and Kacie Devaney are a mother daughter playwriting team. Learn more about their play The Great Forgotten by following the links in the podcast notes. link:https://www.facebook.com/Thegreatforgotten/ https://twitter.com/KarinDevaney https://twitter.com/Kaciedevaney Speaking WW1 Now let’s head into our weekly feature “Speaking World War 1” -- Where we explore the words & phrases that are rooted in the war  --- The war torn landscape of Belgium and the Western Front is often described as being nearly featureless-- mud, shell holes, stumps and a tangle of trenches. But one feature stood out -- and was a highly coveted tactical position. Low, grey structures dotting the muddy landscape-- the Germans began constructing these steel-reinforced concrete bunkers in order to enhance their defenses against British artillery on the Hindenburg Line. With walls and ceilings several feet thick, the bunkers could easily withstand all but the highest caliber shells, and were often obscured with debris to prevent detection. They were built most often in the Ypres salient, where a high rainfall and water table made trenches an near-impossibility. As the British and Commonwealth troops stared out at these little buildings in the moon like world of Flanders-- they noted their similarity to the small medicine boxes carried by civilians -- earning the structures the name of “pillbox” - which is our speaking world war I word this week. Nowadays, according to the Department of Defense - the word defines small, low fortified outpost that houses machine guns and anti-tank weapons… or that thing you carry your meds and vitamins in! Pillboxes -- created by the Germans, and named by the British-- and this week’s word for speaking WW1. Links:https://www.historyextra.com/period/first-world-war/10-first-world-war-slang-words-we-still-use-today/ https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/blog/pillbox-fighting-in-the-ypres-salient https://www.militaryfactory.com/dictionary/military-terms-defined.asp?term_id=4092 [SOUND EFFECT] Education In Education news this week -- The latest WW1 education newsletter just came out! Issue #12 is “Air War and Weapons Technology” and features articles on the development of aerial warfare and the incredible technological boom that accompanied and supported it. This issue includes resources for teaching about the history of unmanned drones; the life and service of the only African American member of the Lafayette Escadrille, Eugene Bullard; the role of zeppelins in the war; and the changing military technology of the war. The newsletter is published by the National WW1 Museum and Memorial in partnership with the WW1 Centennial Commission. Go to our new education website at ww1cc.org/ e d u where you can sign up for the education newsletters and connect with the commission education program - or follow the link in the podcast notes. Link: www.ww1cc.org/edu WW1 War Tech Interrupter Gear This week for WW1 War Tech -- we’re headed back into the Sky to take a look at a technological development that helped usher in the age of the aerial dogfighting. Early in the war, planes were used exclusively for observation -- but to get clear images of the enemy lines, you had to fly “low and slow” and in a fairly straight line, which left you pretty easy pickings  if an enemy plane with a gun came along. This started an arms race in the sky as each side tried to outgun the other --- in order to protect their observation planes. The first attempt to mount a machine gun on an airplane, ended after the nose-heavy prototype crashed on its first experimental flight. Some guns were mounted and shot over the wings, and “pusher planes” with their props behind the pilot were developed, allowing for them to shoot ahead of themselves without hitting the blades of the propellers. Dutch aircraft designer Anthony Fokker came up with the ultimate answer for the Germans! His mechanism, referred to as the interrupter gear, connected the firing of the machine gun to the turning of the propeller, allowing the bullets to pass through the brief gaps in between the blades. Yet despite the tests on both the ground and the air proving his design worked, German generals remained skeptical. They demanded that Fokker fly into the air and shoot down an enemy plane himself. He did as he was told, and although a French plane soon came within his sights, he found himself unable to pull the trigger. Fokker returned to Douai flying field to vocalize his refusal, demanding that someone else test the plane instead. And so the famous Lieutenant Oswald Boelcke was the first pilot to successfully use the interrupter gear, making his first kill on August 1, 1915. German planes would continue to dominate the skies, a phenomenon known as the ‘Fokker Scourge’, until mid-1916. The interrupter gear-- a technological marvel that brought air combat into the future-- and the subject of this week’s WW1 War Tech. We have put links in the podcast notes to learn more including a link a video from the YoutUbe channel The Slow Mo Guys where you can watch an interrupter gear operate in very, very slow motion. Links: http://www.firstworldwar.com/airwar/earlyfighters.htm          http://www.firstworldwar.com/airwar/deflectorgear.htm          http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/fokker.htm          https://www.uh.edu/engines/epi1369.htm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysB-SH19WRQ Articles and Posts For Articles and posts -- we are going to continue with the idea we launched last week of highlighting the features of the weekly dispatch newsletter.  So here we go. [DING] VMI and VA Commission present WWI Commemorative Symposium April 27th Conference attendees will hear from national and regional experts, who will explore the political and military leadership of World War I, the experiences of the soldiers and generals on the front, and the role that Virginians played in the Great War. . [DING] Treasure trove of Army Major Amos J. Peaslee and the first Diplomatic Courier Service Major Peaslee’s led the first ever Diplomatic Courier Service during WW1 -- and now his personal documents and artifacts related to the Diplomatic Courier Service, including a personal engraved copy of the Treaty of Versailles, are on their way to the State Department. [DING] "until very recently, we had forgotten a tremendously important aspect of the U.S. experience that eventually changed this country forever." Read the essay by scholar Keith Gandel as he explores the literature of WW1 -- and what we can learn from it today. [DING] Very small ships make very large impact Read about the U.S. Navy Submarine Chasers in WWI -- on the cutting edge of anti-submarine warfare. [DING] Robert Frost: A poet for whom life and war were trials by existence The WWrite blog  this week focuses on the iconic American poet Robert Frost and his insight into connections between war and the human condition. [DING] Finally, our selection from our Official Centennial Merchandise store - Lest We Forget: The Great War is available through our store. The book features nearly 350 high-quality images, an introduction by Sir Hew Strachan and text by historian Michael W. Robbins. Importantly, when you get this visual remembrance of the "War that Changed The World"  - a full ½ of the proceeds go to building the Memorial! Sign up for the Weekly Dispatch newsletter at ww1cc.org/subscribe check the archive at ww1cc.org/dispatch or follow the link in the podcast notes. Link: http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/communicate/2015-12-28-18-26-00/subscribe.html http://www.ww1cc.org/dispatch The Buzz And that brings us to the buzz - the centennial of WW1 this week in social media with Katherine Akey - Katherine, what did you pick? Famous Fighters, the Friends of Jenny and Barbara Bush Hi Theo -- Last week we talked a lot about the Liberty Loans-- and during the third loan drive, celebrities were drafted to help hype the program as they traveled across the country, including the movie stars Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin. But they aren’t the only darlings of the silver screen that helped the war effort -- and this week on our Facebook page at facebook.com/ww1centennial-- we shared photographs and draft registrations cards of two other familiar faces. Buster Keaton, known to the army by his given name, Joseph, was assigned to the 40th Division, 159th Infantry-- a division that did not wholly see battle but did serve on the Western Front. There’s also Walt Disney-- who was just 16 years old when he joined the American Red Cross and arrived in France as a paramedic, serving near Neufchateau. You can see photos of them by following the links in the podcast notes. Two more nods from the Buzz-- this week, the Friends of Jenny, a historical aviation restoration group, shared an album of images updating  us on the progress of one of their major restoration projects -- their Curtiss Jenny rebuild is receiving its new engine! Check it out at the link in the notes, and follow their facebook page as the project continues to pick up speed. Finally this week, the nation was sad to hear  of the passing of former First Lady, Barbara Bush. But you may not know that she was the daughter of a World War One Veteran-- her father, Marvin Pierce, enlisted in the US Army Reserves in 1918, was promoted to Lieutenant and served as an Engineering Corps officer in France from September 1918 to May 1919. Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones, and you can read more about her long and storied life at the links in the podcast notes. That’s it for this week in the Buzz. Link:https://www.facebook.com/lesamericainsdegondrecourt/posts/590840027940871 https://www.facebook.com/DedicatedDoughboy/posts/1047277248744614 https://www.facebook.com/friendsofjenny/posts/819085468278037 https://www.stripes.com/news/us/former-first-lady-barbara-bush-dies-at-age-92-1.522583 https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/17/opinion/barbara-bush-a-first-lady-without-apologies.html Outro And that is our episode this third week of April. Thank you for listening to WW1 Centennial News. We also want to thank our guests... Mike Shuster, Curator for the great war project blog Dr. Edward Lengel, Military historian and author Dave Fornell, re-enactor coordinator and member of the Illinois WWI Centennial Commission. Robert H. Reid, senior managing editor of the Stars and Stripes newspaper Karen and Kacie Devaney, playwrights Katherine Akey, WWI Photography specialist and the line producer for the podcast Many thanks to the newest member of our team - Mac Nelsen our sound editor--- a shout out to our researchers John Morreale and Eric Marr... And I am Theo Mayer - your host.   The US World War One Centennial Commission was created by Congress to honor, commemorate and educate about WW1. Our programs are to-- inspire a national conversation and awareness about WW1; Including this podcast! We are bringing the lessons of the 100 years ago into today's classrooms; We are helping to restore WW1 memorials in communities of all sizes across our country; and of course we are building America’s National WW1 Memorial in Washington DC.   We want to thank commission’s founding sponsor the Pritzker Military Museum and Library as well as the Starr foundation for their support.   The podcast can be found on our website at ww1cc.org/cn   Or search WW1 Centennial News on  iTunes, Google Play, TuneIn, Podbean, Stitcher - Radio on Demand, Spotify or using your smart speaker.. Just say “Play W W One Centennial News Podcast”. Our twitter and instagram handles are both @ww1cc and we are on facebook @ww1centennial. Thank you for joining us. And don’t forget to share the stories you are hearing here today about the war that changed the world! [music] Legend of Snoopy and the Red Baron From all of us and Snoopy - So long!

Highlights April 1918 Preview Roundtable - Dr. Edward Lengel & Katherine Akey | @ 02:50 Spring Offensive on Easter - Mike Shuster | @ 14:50 War in The Sky - Pilots and PTSD - Mark Wilkins | @ 18:30 Basketball in WWI - Dr. Lindsay Krasnoff | @ 27:05 100 Cities / 100 Memorials - Round#2 awardees announced | @ 32:50 Speaking WWI - “over the top” | @ 36:05 WWI War Tech - The Paris Guns | @ 37:15 Dispatch 4/3/18 highlights | @ 39:20 Centennial Social Media - Katherine Akey | @ 41:00----more---- Opening Welcome to World War 1 centennial News - episode #66 - It’s about WW1  THEN - what was happening 100 years ago this week - and it’s about WW1 NOW - news and updates about the centennial and the commemoration. Today is April 6th, 2018. 101 years ago on April 6th 1917,  the United States declares war on Germany which starts us on a path that will change our nation, our people our industry, and our position in the world forever. [clip from April 6th Event] On this one year anniversary: Dr. Edward Lengel, Katherine Akey and I sit down for our April 1918 preview roundtable Mike Shuster, from the great war project blog updates us on the German Spring Offensive Mark Wilkins introduces us to WW1 pilots and PTSD Dr. Lindsay Krasnoff tells us about basketball in WW1 Katherine Akey brings a story from the WW1 commemoration in social media Plus a lot more... on WW1 Centennial News -- a weekly podcast brought to you by the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission, the Pritzker Military Museum and Library and the Starr foundation. I’m Theo Mayer - the Chief Technologist for the Commission and your host. Welcome to the show. [MUSIC] Preface Several months ago during a podcast editorial planning session for an upcoming month, it occurred to us that our planning roundtable might be something our audience would enjoy listening to… We tried it - you liked it - and now we do it! So here is the conversation Dr. Ed lengel, Katherine Akey and I had earlier this week… The question on the table was: “so what are the big stories and themes in April 1918…  in the War the Changed the World? [MUSIC TRANSITION] World War One THEN Preview Roundtable: April 1918 Dr. Edward Lengel, Katherine Akey, Theo Mayer [Closing Sting] Great War Project Next, we are going to go to Mike Shuster former NPR correspondent and curator for the Great War project Blog…. Mike: Your post is a perfect introduction to the month of April as you dive right into the situation on the ground… for Easter Sunday, April 2nd 1918. What was happening on the front?   [MIKE POST]   Mike Shuster from the Great War Project blog. LINK: http://greatwarproject.org/2018/04/01/german-offensive-stalls/ [SOUND EFFECT] War in the Sky PTSD and Flying in ww1 This week for the War in the Sky -- we’re turning inwards with a look at the psychological challenges for those “daring and do” warriors in the sky during World War 1. Joining us is Mark Wilkins, historian, writer, museum professional, and lecturer. Mark is the author of the recently published article in the Smithsonian’s Air and Space magazine called “The Dark Side of Glory: An early glimpse of PTSD in the letters of World War I aces.” Welcome, Mark! [greetings] [Mark -- To start with - how did you get the trove of letters you used for your research?] [How many letters did you go through to start your research?] [OK.. In WWI malady was equated with physical issues, but your article deals with the psychological stresses of the pilot’s experience. Just a year prior they were executing trench soldier with shell shock on charges of cowardice. How did that play out for the pilots?] [Look - the stress for these aces makes a lot of sense… To be an Ace you need to fly a lot of missions. The mortality rate of your buddies is off the charts… and unlike foot soldiers - you don’t have the courage of the guys on your left and right to bolster you.. This is a white knuckle, cold sweat, daily solo experience… sounds like traumatic stress is inevitable.. How common was this?] [What did the men - and what did the command do about this? ] [So after immersing yourself in this aspect of the war in the sky - what is your biggest take away?] [We just had a great question come in from our live audience - Frank Krone wants to know: Did Richthoven - Germany’s Red Baron appear to suffer from PTSD] [You have an upcoming book -- tell us about it -- When is it coming out?] [Before we wrap up - last December we had filmmaker Darroch Greer on the show about his upcoming The Lafayette Escadrille documentary. Was is your involvement with the project?] [thanks/goodbyes] Mark Wilkins is a historian, writer, museum professional, and historical aeronautics expert. You can read his article in the Air Space Magazine, and learn more about his work from the links in the podcast notes. Link:https://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/world-war-i-pilot-ptsd-180967710/#0VKtyZX7JLXCy3JU.01 http://thelafayetteescadrille.org/ http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/communicate/press-media/wwi-centennial-news/4084-four-questions-for-mark-wilkins.html The Great War Channel For videos about WWI 100 years ago this week, check out our friends at  the Great War Channel on Youtube. New episodes this week include: German Armoured Cars in WW1 The Neutral Ally - Norway in WW1 See their videos by searching for “the great war” on youtube or following the link in the podcast notes! Link:https://www.youtube.com/user/TheGreatWar World War One NOW Alright  - It is time to fast forward into the present with WW1 Centennial News NOW - [SOUND EFFECT] This part of the podcast focuses on NOW and how we are commemorating the centennial of WWI! Remembering Veterans Re-enactment For  Remembering Veterans -- a small village hosts a big event this weekend! The Midway Village Museum is a 137 acre living history park located near Rockford, Illinois. This weekend, the Victorian village will host the 6th annual Great War event, featuring over 225 re-enactors portraying soldiers and civilians from the United States and Europe. Visitors will have the opportunity to enter encampments, tour a reproduction 150 yard trench system, and watch large-scale narrated battle reenactments. It is the nation’s largest public World War One reenactment -- and we’ll get to speak with some of the event’s organizers right here on the podcast in a couple of weeks to hear how it went. For now, especially if you are in the region - visit the link in the podcast notes for a full list of scheduled events at Midway Village Museum near rockford Illinois . Link: http://www.midwayvillage.com/ Basketball in WW1 Also this week for remembering veterans -- something I did not know much about --- from the world of sports a century ago. Now, I’ve got clear images in my mind of baseball in the era - I also see leather helmets and pig skin warrior on the football grid-iron -- but today we’re going to be looking at another great American institution that - as it turns out - that made a big splash in France during the WWI -- basketball! To tell us about it, we’re joined by Dr. Lindsay Sarah Krasnoff, a historian, sports writer, consultant, and author. Her website says: Historical Insights COMMUNICATING GLOBALLY -- Sports - Diplomacy & Storytelling Lindsay! Sounds like you fit right in here. Welcome to the podcast! [greetings] [Lindsay For our non-basketball experts - Like me - could you start us off with a brief history of basketball? When did it first develop, and how widespread was the sport in America circa 1918?] [Did the Americans bring hoops to France or were they already playing?] [If Doughboys and the YMCA helped reignite French interest in basketball, was it only in France that this occurred?] [You’re working on a new book about basketball in France -- how popular is the sport there now?] [goodbyes] Dr. Lindsay Sarah Krasnoff is a historian, sports writer, consultant, and author of several books. Learn more about her and her writing by following the links in the podcast notes. Link: https://www.lindsaysarahkrasnoff.com/ https://rowman.com/ISBN/9780739175095/The-Making-of-Les-Bleus-Sport-in-France-1958-2010# https://twitter.com/lempika7 100 Cities 100 Memorials Update on Round 2 For 100 Cities / 100 Memorials - Today on the anniversary of America’s declaration of war in 1917, the final 50 awardees have been announced. Here is a section from the press release: CHICAGO, IL, April 5 – On the eve of the 101st  Anniversary of the United States entering World War 1, the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission and the Pritzker Military Museum and Library announced today the final 50 WW1 Memorials to be awarded grants and honored with the official national designation as "WW1 Centennial Memorials". All 100 memorials, in all 100 cities have now been designated including such national landmarks as: Chicago’s "Soldier Field", LA’s "Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum", San Francisco’s “War Memorial Veterans Building and Opera House”, Honolulu’s "Natatorium" and Washington, D.C.’s “National World War I Memorial at Pershing Park”. In addition, many smaller local community projects are being recognized such as: Scranton Pennsylvania’s “Col. Frank Duffy Memorial Bridge and Park”, Cape May, New Jersey’s "Soldier and Sailors Monument", Ocean Springs, Mississippi’s "Emile Ladnier WWI Memorial," and North Carolina's NC State University “Memorial Belltower”, to name just a few. The newly-designated memorials are in 37 different states and each will receive a $2,000 matching grant, towards the restoration, conservation and maintenance of these local historical treasures. Here is John Schwan the Interim President and CEO of the Pritzker Military Museum and Library from the livestream announcement. [insert clip] THEO: So this has been a nearly two year effort to get the 100 memorials designated… But this is not the end of the program - for example, we are going to continue to profile the project on the podcast, we are going to accelerate our Memorial Hunters program to identify and create a national register of WWI memorials around the nation. We are going to continue to encourage and support communities around the country to commemorate their local WWI heroes through their memorials that are all over America - many hidden in plain sight! As Dan Dayton, Executive Director of the U.S. World War One Centennial Commission noted in the press release: "I am impressed by the community involvement that has sprung from this project. By focusing on restoring these community treasures, local cities, veterans groups, historical society and citizens have come together to remember the community’s heritage - and that was really a key goal of the program." See a searchable listing of all 100 cities and memorials at ww1cc.org/100Memorials or follow the link in the podcast notes. Link:www.ww1cc.org/100Memorials [SOUND EFFECT] Speaking WW1 Here is our weekly feature “Speaking World War 1” - Where we explore the words & phrases that are rooted in the war  --- When you encounter something that is exaggerated, major, melodramatic, big, HUGE -- ahhh maybe too much!? --  we sometimes describe it as being “over the top”. Which is our Speaking WW1 phrase this week. During WWI, as the soldiers sat in the muddy trenches in anxious anticipation…  preparing to take the offensive… that dramatic moment when the whistles blew - and the men climbed up and over the berms of the trench, rushing out into no-man’s land facing the enemy, shells, gas and machine gun fire, well that was known as… you guessed it - “going over the top”. At the time it was a literal, physical description of what you did - but - appropriately remains in our lexicon today as something seriously radical. “Over the top” - something you might toss off lightly about someone or something - but a phrase with a very heavy history - and this week’s phrase for speaking WW1. Links:https://www.thoughtco.com/going-over-the-top-2361017 [SOUND EFFECT] WW1 War Tech Paris Gun This week for WW1 War Tech -- we turn our attention back to late March and early April of 1918. Paris is under attack as behemoth canon shells -- some weighing as much as 230 pounds fall on the city, killing dozens, creating panic and initially confusing city officials. Where were the guns? The Paris Guns as they came to be known, were sitting 80 miles away, and were responsible. This German supergun was not meant for the battlefield. It was specifically designed to terrorize and demoralize civilian populations. It was so massive that it could only be moved around by rail.. It was created by extending a 380 mm naval gun barrel to a length of 112 feet. that and 550 Lbs of gunpowder gave the beasts their extreme firing range. Ed Lengel mentioned that en route to their target,  the shells literally arced into earth’s stratosphere 24 miles up -- up there, there is almost no atmospheric drag - again increasing the range. The weapon began its assault on Paris late March in 1918, continuing periodically for over three months, until early August. The panic and fear that spread after the initial attacks was short lived and the terror weapon never proved to be much of a threat to French strategy or the population’s morale. Nevertheless, the Paris Guns proved to be a domestic propaganda hit in Germany, as the ability to strike the French capital directly did much to stem the public’s anxiety over the course of the war. The Paris Gun -- It was an engineering marvel -- and it was a terror weapon aimed at Parisians one hundred years ago-- and it is the subject of this week’s WW1 War Tech. Learn more, and see images of the mobile monsters, at the links in the notes. Link: https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/03/24/121603152.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/03/30/102683655.pdf https://www.britannica.com/technology/Paris-Gun https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/paris_guns https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/paris-hit-by-shells-from-new-german-gun Articles and Posts For Articles and posts -- We are going to try something new this week. Many of the new posts are featured in our weekly Dispatch Newsletter… so we are going to give you the highlights from the Dispatch as an overview. [DING] A feature in Politico outlines how president Trump’s parade this year, which looks like it is going to fall on or near Veteran’s Day may have special WW1 meaning. It’s an interesting article and an interesting read. [DING] News about Sgt Stubby -- a follow up on the film’s recent premiere, a street fair honoring the pup in his hometown of Hartford, Connecticut, and a new Sgt Stubby statue planned in Middleton, Connecticut. [DING] Test yourself on your WW1 knowledge by taking a quiz from the National Archives, [DING] Check out a new illustrated battlefield travel guide. [DING] Read a bittersweet story about easter in 1918, [DING] A new exhibition highlights Anglo-American relations during the war -- on view in Bath, England. [DING] Doughboy MIA features Private Edwin C. Kitterman of New Middletown, Indiana [DING] and this week’s featured Story of Service is that of Private Wayne Minor, an Illinois native who was killed in action just three hours before armistice. Sign up for the Weekly Dispatch newsletter at ww1cc.org/subscribe check the archive at ww1cc.org/dispatch or follow the link in the podcast notes.   Link: http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/communicate/2015-12-28-18-26-00/subscribe.html http://www.ww1cc.org/dispatch The Buzz And that brings us to the buzz - the centennial of WW1 this week in social media with Katherine Akey - Katherine, what did you pick? New Jersey Ordinance Hi Theo -- A really interesting article popped up on Facebook this week about ordnance from WW1 that continues to surface and pose a threat -- but not in Europe, right here on the east coast of the United States! Listeners may be familiar with the Zone Rouge -- a 460 square mile area of France centered around Verdun that has been determined to be too physically and environmentally damaged for human habitation as a direct result of the Great War. There is even an entire department in France, the Département du Déminage or department of de-mining, that has been tasked with safely disposing of ordinance from the world wars. Since its establishment in 1946, more than 630 members of that force have been killed in the line of duty. We have no such force here in the US -- so when seven rifle grenades from WW1 were discovered recently on the coast of New Jersey, explosives experts had to be called in to safely dispose of the munitions. So, how did these grenades end up in New Jersey? It turns out, disposing of unneeded munitions by dumping them into the sea was a commonplace practice -- as recently as 1970. As a result, there are an estimated millions of tons of potentially explosive ordinance on the seafloor -- and every once in a while, some makes its way onto shore. Read more about the Zone Rouge and the intermittent discovery of World War weapons on American shores by visiting the links in the podcast notes. That’s it for this week in the Buzz. Link:https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a19641774/a-century-after-wwi-the-weapons-of-old-wars-keep-turning-up-on-beaches/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/08/13/the-bombs-beneath-us-unexploded-ordnance-linger-long-after-wars-are-over/?utm_term=.924447a3268d https://www.nationalgeographic.org/news/red-zone/   Outro And that is the first week of April for WW1 Centennial News. Thank you for listening. We also want to thank our guests... Dr. Edward Lengel, Military historian and author Mike Shuster, Curator for the great war project blog Mark Wilkins, historian, writer, museum professional, and lecturer Dr. Lindsay Krasnoff, historian, sports writer, consultant, and author Katherine Akey, the commission’s social media director and line producer for the podcast A shout out to our intern John Morreale for his  great research assistance. And I am Theo Mayer - your host. The US World War One Centennial Commission was created by Congress to honor, commemorate and educate about WW1. Our programs are to-- inspire a national conversation and awareness about WW1; Including this podcast! We are bringing the lessons of the 100 years ago into today's classrooms; We are helping to restore WW1 memorials in communities of all sizes across our country; and of course we are building America’s National WW1 Memorial in Washington DC. We want to thank commission’s founding sponsor the Pritzker Military Museum and Library as well as the Starr foundation for their support. The podcast can be found on our website at ww1cc.org/cn   Or search WW1 Centennial News on  iTunes, Google Play, TuneIn, Podbean, Stitcher - Radio on Demand, Spotify or using your smart speaker.. Just say “Play W W One Centennial News Podcast”. Our twitter and instagram handles are both @ww1cc and we are on facebook @ww1centennial. Thank you for joining us. And don’t forget to share the stories you are hearing here today about the war that changed the world! [music] You know ginormous canon that was shooting at Paris - well - man - that was really over the top! [Big boom] So long!

In August 1914, as decade-old diplomatic crises erupted into war on the European continent, a group of American citizens, in defiance of US President Woodrow Wilson’s declaration of neutrality, volunteered for French military service. Of those Americans who volunteered during neutrality, thirty-eight uniquely distinguished themselves not as ambulance drivers or Foreign Legionnaires, but as part of an all-American aero squadron flying for the French Air Service. Dubbed the Lafayette Escadrille, the formation of this all-American squadron in the French Air Service provided a foundation for a strategic alliance between the US and the Allied Powers, established a core of experienced pilots for the US Air Service upon its entry into the First World War, and developed a uniquely American flying culture and identity that continues to exist today.

Highlights The African American saga in WW1 @ | 01:30 11th Engineers Cambrai follow up @ | 08:55 Brits capture Jerusalem from Turks - Mike Shuster @ | 09:40 Millionaire’s Unit & Lafayette Escadrille documentary film producer - Darroch Greer @ | 13:55 AmazonSmile for the holidays @ | 21:35 Speaking WW1- Foxhole, Dugout and Cubbyhole @ | 22:35 100C/100M profile - Carmel By The Sea memorial arch - Ian Martin @ | 23:25 The American in Paris documentary - Antony Easton @ | 30:05 Mexican born, illegal immigrant most decorated Texan soldier in WW1 @ | 38:15 WWrite Blog - German songwriter/soldier found from rediscovering his music @ | 39:05 The Buzz - Katherine Akey  @ | 40:20----more---- Opening Welcome to World War 1 centennial News - It’s about WW1 THEN - what was happening 100 years ago this week  - and it’s about WW1 NOW - news and updates about the centennial and the commemoration. Before we get going - we’d like to send our thoughts and warm wishes to all the people of southern california who are experiencing the devastation of fires raging through your communities. Our thoughts are with you.   Today is December 6th, 2017. Our guests this week include: Mike Shuster, updating us on events in the middle east    Darroch Greer telling us about his films, The Millionaire’s Unit and The Lafayette Escadrille Ian Martin from the 100 Cities/100 Memorials project in Carmel-by-the-sea California Antony Easton sharing his experience making the film The American in Paris And Katherine Akey, the shows line producer and the commission's social media director...   WW1 Centennial News is brought to you by the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission and the Pritzker Military Museum and Library. I’m Theo Mayer - the Chief Technologist for the Commission and your host. Welcome to the show. [MUSIC] Preface The African American saga in World War 1 is both inspiring and terrible … Less than a generation after the civil war, this is a time where black american men and women are considered second class citizens at best. Chad Williams is the chair of the African & Afro-American Studies Department at Brandeis University and author of “Torchbearers of Democracy: African-American Soldiers in the World War I Era,”. quote: "In many ways, World War I marked the beginning of the modern civil rights movement for African-Americans. Their service in the military had dramatic implications for African-Americans. Black soldiers faced systemic racial discrimination in the army and endured virulent hostility on returning to their homes at the end of the war. At the same time, service in the army empowered soldiers to demand their individual rights as American citizens and laid the groundwork for the future movement for racial justice."   So…  let's jump into our wayback machine and learn more about the African American experience in the war that changed the world!   World War One THEN 100 Year Ago This Week [MUSIC TRANSITION] It's the first week of December 1917 - Just a note to our audience - that the language of the times, which we have kept in our reports, refers to African Americans as negroes and colored.   [SOUND EFFECT] Dateline: December 4, 197 A headline in the New York times reads ARMY IS FAIR TO NEGROES - Policy of War Department is to discourage race discrimination.   The article reads - Secretary of War Baker today announced that he had ordered an investigation of the allegation that there had been discrimination against negro Draftees. Quote: "As you know, it has been my policy to discourage discrimination against any persons by reason of their race. This policy has been adopted not merely as an act of justice to safeguard the institution which we are now enagaged in defending -  and which any racial disorder must endanger.   The charges stem from accusations that the military is not allowing negro units into combat roles, but relegating them to Service Battalions for labor jobs. And there is a lot of truth to it. Racism is as endemic in the armed forces as it is in the rest of America at this time. Southern Democrats try to block negroes from inclusion in the draft, few colored men served in the Navy and none in the Marine Corps, and the Army’s four segregated units—the 24th and 25th Infantry and the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments are assigned guard duty on the Mexican border and never go abroad. African Americans comprised 13 percent of active-duty military manpower, but make up only seven-tenths of 1 percent of the officers. Around 200,000 African Americans are deployed to Europe and serve with distinction in the AEF - the American Expeditionary Forces - as well as with the French Army. While, as per the complaints, the vast majority of these troops are relegated to Services of Supplies (SOS) units and labor battalions, some 40,000 soldiers see combat in two new black units, the Ninety-second and Ninety-third Divisions. Fighting alongside the French, the Ninety-third serves heroically throughout the war and experiences greater acceptance and more equal treatment than that found in the U.S. Army. The division's 369th Infantry Regiment, "the Harlem Hellfighters," spend more than six months on the front lines — longer than any other American unit — in part because General Pershing, contrary to his policy of having American soldiers under American Command, gives the 369th to French commanders who take them to the front immediately -  bypassing much of the training the other combat soldiers undergo... Regardless.. the 369th distinguishes itself as an awesome fighting force that never surrenders an inch of Allied territory nor loses a single soldier through capture. From this regiment alone, 171 officers and men receive either Croix de Guerre or Legions of Merit from the French government. The sacrifice of African American soldiers such as these certainly did not end racism at home or abroad, but it showed the world that their patriotism and heroism unquestioningly matches that of their white counterparts in the war that changed the world! Links: Sources: http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9F02EFDD1E3AE433A25756C0A9649D946696D6CF https://armyhistory.org/fighting-for-respect-african-american-soldiers-in-wwi/ http://exhibitions.nypl.org/africanaage/essay-world-war-i.html http://time.com/4681227/great-war-clip-black-history-month/ https://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/exhibit/aopart7.html http://www.brandeis.edu/now/2014/july/worldwar.html http://www.oxfordaasc.com/public/features/archive/0508/index.jsp http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/african-americans-in-combat/   [SOUND EFFECT] Dateline December 7 The headline in the NY Times reads: PRESIDENT SIGNS DECLARATION OF WAR ON AUSTRIA-HUNGARY AFTER CONGRESS ACTS WITH ONLY ONE DISSENTING VOTE The story reads: The United States went to war against Austria-Hungary at 5:03 this afternoon when President Wilson approved a joint resolution, adopted by congress, declaring a state of war exists!   Wait a minute… I thought we did that on April 6!?? Well that is what makes this such an interesting event. On April 6, 2017 we declared war on Germany… but not the other axis powers. Though we declared Austria Hungary an ENEMY through the “Trading with the enemy act of 1917” which we told you about in episode 42… we did not formally declare war on them until 100 years ago this week. Links:http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9906E4DD1E3AE433A25757C0A9649D946696D6CF http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9903E1DD1E3AE433A25756C0A9649D946696D6CF http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9A02E1DD1E3AE433A25756C0A9649D946696D6CF http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=940DE0DC1E3AE433A2575BC0A9649D946696D6CF   [SOUND EFFECT] Do you remember the story from last week about the 11th engineers who were caught in a German counter attack during the battle of Cambrai - and went at it with shovels, pick axes and wrenches because they were engineers not set up as combatants - well - this week the story has some interesting fallout as the French, the Engineers and the combat troops each are featured in an article in the NY times with a Rashomon style point of view on the issue. First the French… Dateline December 3, 1917 Headline: France gives high praise to our engineers at cambrai The story reads: “There is not a single person who saw them at work who does not render warm praise to the coolness, discipline, and courage of these improvised combatants”   From the seemingly - slightly jealous Pershing troops still waiting and ready to fight…. [SOUND EFFECT] Headline: Pershing’s troops envy the Engineers And the story includes: An infantry Sergeant remarked: ‘We stay in these muddy trenches for a spell and let Fritz shoot his artillery at us and have never really had a chance to use our rifles except to snipe and pot at Fritz out in No Man’s Land on dark nights. Meanwhile - These railroaders managed to run their trains right into a good, thick scrap, and if this isn’t luck, I don’t know what it is.’”   And from the somewhat still astounded engineers [SOUND EFFECT] Headline: Engineers jest over first battle In the story they describe the chaos of sudden, unexpected action, “‘I hadn’t a steel hat handy” ‘so i picked up a petrol tin and put that on my head, and thought it might be better than nothing.”   The  journalist writes, “They are a splendid body of men,” “Hard, keen and good humored, who made a joke of their thrilling adventure and of their present danger.”   And from another soldier, “‘It was the doggonedest experience I ever had, and a mighty close call!’   And that’s how it was this week, one hundred years ago in the war that changed the world! Links http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9806E4DD1E3AE433A25757C0A9649D946696D6CF http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9907E0DD1E3AE433A25756C0A9649D946696D6CF http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9B04E3DD1E3AE433A25757C0A9649D946696D6CF [SOUND EFFECT] Great War Project Jerusalem is a city with massive significance to all the major religions of the world - Christians, Jews and Muslims. So as 1917 comes to a close, the British determine that they want to - even need to - win the city from the Ottoman Turks - and they wanted to do it before Christmas! They felt that the  psychological impact was desperately needed in these otherwise dark days.   Here to tell us about the campaign is Mike Shuster, former NPR correspondent and curator of the Great War Project blog. [Mike Shuster]   Mike Shuster from the Great War Project blog.   We also came across a very good 7 minute documentary clip about these event in the middle east 100 years ago this week - you’ll find it on Youtube called “Blood & Oil: Jerusalem Falls”  by Janson Media. We have included the link to it in the podcast notes LINK: http://greatwarproject.org/2017/12/03/ottomans-surrender-jerusalem/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qApUFVHREo   [SOUND EFFECT] War in the Sky The Millionaire’s Unit FILM And speaking of documentaries -  in a special War in the Sky segment this week, we are speaking with Darroch Greer, co-producer and director of multiple films on aviation in World War One, including the recently released The Millionaire’s Unit and the upcoming documentary The Lafayette Escadrille.   Welcome, Darroch!   [greetings]   [Darroch, we recently had the author of the Millionaire’s Unit book on the show - Marc Wortman. How did you translate the book into a documentary?]   [We had a lot of interest from our listeners after Marc was on - how can people see the documentary? [the dvd is being released shortly and includes special other shorts]   [Your next project sounds great - the Lafayette Escadrille… Probably one of the most interesting pack of adventurers and daredevils of the 20th century - can you give out an overview?]   [So this week, is the in fact, the centennial of the Lafayette Escadrille getting its orders releasing its American pilots from the French Military - in preparation for transferring them to the US forces-- how did that transition go and what role did these guys play in the new US Army Air Service?]   [Darroch - When can we see a trailer and when does the film come out?  ]   [Will you come back and visit us here when the film publishes?]   [goodbyes/thanks]   Darroch Greer is the producer and director on documentary films about the WWI air war. You can find links to his documentaries -- The Millionaire’s Unit and The Lafayette Escadrille in the podcast notes.   Links:http://www.millionairesunit.org/ http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/darroch-greer-the-millionaires-unit.html http://humanusdocumentaryfilms.org/portfolio/the-lafayette-escadrille/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOtGBfAMotE http://thelafayetteescadrille.org The Great War Channel For weekly videos about WWI  - join host Indy Neidell at the Great War Channel on Youtube.   The episodes this week include: Invasions, Naval Battles and German Raiders - WW1 in the Pacific All Quiet on the Eastern Front Shell Recycling And finally - Origins of the German Alpenkorps Follow the link in the podcast notes or search for “the great war” on youtube. Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheGreatWar World War One NOW It is time to fast forward into the present to WW1 Centennial News NOW - this section is not about history, but rather - it explores what is happening to commemorate the centennial of the War that changed the world!   [SOUND EFFECT] Commission News: The holiday shopping season is here and as you shop to bring cheer to you and yours --- you can also bring a little cheer to us with AmazonSmile.What is AmazonSmile?It’s an easy, simple and automatic way to support our many activities, including this Podcast, the national WWI memorial, our education programs and more… If you designate United States Foundation for the Commemoration of the World Wars (USFCWW) as your charity on smile.amazon.com, Amazon will donate ½ a percent of everything you spend on Amazon to us. It costs you nothing and it helps us a lot! So thank you… just go to Smile.Amazon.com and remember the US Foundation for the Commemoration of the World Wars or even easier -- just follow the link in the podcast notes! link:http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/3723 http://smile.amazon.com/ch/46-3321814 Speaking WW1 And now for our feature “Speaking World War 1” - Where we explore the words & phrases that are rooted in the war  --- When people think WWI the image that comes to mind for many is barb wire and trenches. Life at ground level generally toxic and lethal. So, soldiers spent much of their time living in the ground. Besides the word Trenches, other related words also came into common use - several of which are still with us today. Fox hole, Dug Out and Cubby Hole are three of them! The history of Fox Hole and Dug Out are pretty obvious and the term Cubby was probably derived from the old english word cub - for shed, coop or hutch Today we still have dugouts in baseball and cubbyholes in the office - terms that got popular 100 years ago when the motto was “get down, dig in and stash yourself in a hole”. See the podcast notes to learn more! link: https://www.amazon.com/Tommy-Doughboy-Fritz-Soldier-Slang/dp/144563 7839/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1508848013&sr=8-1&keywords=tommy+doughboy+fritz 100 Cities/100 Memorials [SOUND EFFECT Carmel-by-the-sea, CA 100 cities Moving on to our 100 Cities / 100 Memorials segment about the $200,000 matching grant challenge to rescue and focus on our local WWI memorials. As you listen to our guest tell us about the project, remember that we are taking grant applications for the second round of awards - the deadline to submit the applications is January 15, 2018 - go to ww1cc.org/100Memorials to learn all about it.’   This week we are profiling the World War I Memorial Arch in Carmel-by-the-sea California-- One of the first 50 grant awardees. with us tell us about the project is Ian Martin, a resident of Carmel and a member of the Carmel Patriots, the American Legion Post 512's non-veteran volunteer organization.   Welcome Ian! [exchange greetings]   [Ian, the Carmel By the Sea memorial was designed by a renown resident of the city Charles Greene - can you tell us a little about him and his decision to build this really beautiful arch?]   [The arch is made out of sandstone - instead of granite - and I understand that this has posed some challenges in restoration. Why and What are those? ]   [How did you Patriots and American Legion Post 512 get involved in this restoration?]   [Are you planning a rededication?]   Ian - Thank you and congratulation to your team for getting this incredible WWI memorial designated as a WWI Centennial Memorial! Ian Martin, a resident of Carmel-by-the-Sea and a member of the Carmel Patriots, the American Legion Post 512's non-veteran volunteer organization If you have a local WWI memorial project you want to submit for a grant - go to ww1cc.org/100 memorials or follow the link in the podcast notes to learn more about how to participate in this program! Link: www.ww1cc.org/100memorials https://www.facebook.com/events/438048213017354/   [SOUND EFFECT] Spotlight in the Media The American in Paris For our Spotlight in the Media segment this week, we are speaking with Antony Easton, director of the documentary film The American in Paris-- which tells the story of the L’hopital Americain during the course of the great war.   Welcome Antony!   [greetings] [So Antony, can you give us a brief introduction to the American Hospital in Paris - which got involved in the war in 1914, three years before America declared war?]   [Antony - give us an overview of the film and how you got involved in it?]   [Here is a clip from the trailer…] [Run clip]   [In the trailer, it mentions that the French are recognizing the service of the hospital more and more in recent years-- Why is that? ]   [You recently premiered the documentary in both the US and in France? Do you think it is seen differently in each country?]   [So how can I see the film?]   Thank you Antony.   [thanks and goodbye] That was Antony Easton--director of the documentary film The American in Paris. Learn more at the links in the podcast notes. Link:https://vimeo.com/231687152 http://frenchculture.org/events/6473-americans-paris   Articles and Posts Our website at WW1cc.org is the home and archive for lots of things WW1 - with over 3700 articles on WWI, 2,000 locations listed in our map database and nearly 1400 WWI related events in our national events register - its a great place to explore and new articles are published weekly. This week we will highly a few of them for you. Brooke Kroeger interview First from ww1cc.org/news-- A remarkable new book has appeared on the World War I scene, one that traces the origins of the Women's Suffrage movement in America to the war effort 100 years ago. It explores why, a group of prominent and influential men in New York City, and beyond, came together to help women gain the right to vote. Brooke Kroeger is the author. She is a journalist, author of five books, a professor of journalism at the NYU Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and director of the Global and Joint Program Studies, which she founded in 2007. You can read the interview where she speaks about this book, and what she found in writing it, by following the link in the podcast notes. link:http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/communicate/press-media/wwi-centennial-news/3772-four-questions-for-brooke-kroeger.html   Marcelino Serna Next is a story about Mexican-born Marcelino Serna. When the U.S. entered World War One in 1917, it is estimated that roughly 500,000 people who joined the United States armed services were immigrants. According to the National Park Service, this amounted to 18 percent of U.S. troops. One of these was a Mexican-born, illegal immigrant named Marcelino Serna, who volunteered to join the US Army and was the first Mexican American to collect a Distinguished Service Cross. Read more about the heroism and the man who returned from ‘Over There” as the most highly-decorated Texan soldier to serve in World War I by visiting ww1cc.org/news or following the link in the podcast notes.   Link: http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/communicate/press-media/wwi-centennial-news/3779-marcelino-serna-most-decorated-texan-of-world-war-one.html Wwrite Blog In our WWRITE blog, which explores WWI’s Influence on contemporary writing and scholarship, this week’s posts reads “Soon, All Too Soon” When British musicians Patricia Hammond and Matt Redman found and performed German sheet music written by a soldier killed in Verdun, they had no idea the song, "Soon, Too Soon," would also lead to the discovery of the composer's body, which had been buried in an unmarked grave in France's Meuse-Argonne region. Read about the captivating hunt for a man behind a melody. Here is a clip from the song performed by Patricia Hammond and Matt Redman [run clip] The post including a video are at ww1cc.org/WWRITE or follow the link in the podcast notes. Link:http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/articles-posts/3783-soon-all-too-soon.html www.ww1cc.org/wwrite   The Buzz - WW1 in Social Media Posts And that brings us to the buzz - the centennial of WW1 this week in social media with Katherine Akey - Katherine, what did you pick to tell us about?   Hi Theo! Iron Harvest This week, we shared an article from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission on the Iron Harvest. It is estimated that more than a billion shells were fired during the First World War, and that as many as 30 percent of those failed to explode. Specialty bomb-disposal units in France and Belgium collect and defuse the unexploded ordinances, which are often found by farmers as they do their work. These local farmers are the ones who coined the name Iron Harvest, as they come across literal tonnes of shells every year. It’s estimated that it will take another 500 years of the Iron Harvest before the area is fully safe again. Read more about this constant reminder of the war, and watch a video of the disposal units in action, by following the link in the podcast notes. link:https://www.cwgc.org/learn/news-and-events/news/2017/11/28/16/47/the-iron-harvest-a-warning-from-history   Women Photographers Finally this week, a story close to my heart. Hyperallergic put out a piece this week which we shared on facebook featuring and reviewing a new exhibition at Impressions Gallery in Bradford, England. The show is titled No Man’s Land: Women’s Photography and the First World War and features the work of some very talented and brave women photographers who served during the conflict. Some of the artists included served as official photographers, while others photographed while serving as nurses or in other auxiliary roles. One photographer was a motorcycle and ambulance driver who volunteered at 18 and whose photos range from graphic and distressing to coy and humorous. Three contemporary artists’ work is shown as well, complimenting the work done by the women a century ago. Follow the link in the podcast notes to see some of the images and to read the stories of the photographers. And that’s it this week for the Buzz! link:https://hyperallergic.com/410238/no-mans-land-women-photographers-wwi-impressions-gallery/   Thank you for having listened to WW1 Centennial News for the first week of December, 1917 and 2017   We want to thank our guests... Mike Shuster from the great war project blog,    Director and Producer Darroch Greer Ian Martin from the 100 Cities/100 Memorials project in Carmel-by-the-sea California Director Antony Easton Katherine Akey the shows line producer and the commission's social media director...   Thanks to Eric Marr for his great help on our story research… And I am Theo Mayer - your host.   The US World War One Centennial Commission was created by Congress to honor, commemorate and educate about WW1. Our programs are to-- inspire a national conversation and awareness about WW1; Your listening to this podcast is a part of that…. Thank you! We are bringing the lessons of the 100 years ago into today's classrooms; We are helping to restore WW1 memorials in communities of all sizes across our country; and of course we are building America’s National WW1 Memorial in Washington DC.   This week’s featured web page is ww1cc.org/subscribe - where you can subscribe to our various communications products including our weekly newsletter - the Dispatch, the Education newsletter and of course this podcast if you happen not to be a regular subscriber.   We want to thank commission’s founding sponsor the Pritzker Military Museum and Library for their support.   The podcast can be found on our website at ww1cc.org/cn   on  iTunes and google play ww1 Centennial News, and on Amazon Echo or other Alexa enabled devices. Just say: Alexa: Play W W One Centennial News Podcast. Our twitter and instagram handles are both @ww1cc and we are on facebook @ww1centennial. Thank you for joining us. And don’t forget to share the stories you are hearing here today about the war that changed the world! [music]   I am going to climb into my cubby and pull the blankets over my head!   So long!

Highlights Moving the goods - The railroads and the war effort |@ 01 :00 Lynn Heidelbaugh - The postal service in WW1 |@ 08:20 The “Hat in the ring Gang” - Centennial of the 94th Aero Squadron |@ 13:40 Mike Shuster - Dissent in the German forces |@ 15:15 Richard Rubin & Jonathan Bratten - Being German ain't easy in 1917 |@ 19:50 Speaking WW1 - This week’s word “Strafe” |@  29:30 John Motley - 100C/100M project in Fort Towsen, OK |@ 30:20 Andrew Carroll - Center for American War Letters |@ 36:45    And more…----more---- Opening Welcome to World War 1 centennial News - It’s about WW1 100 years ago this week  - and it’s about WW1 NOW - news and updates about the centennial and the commemoration. Today is August 23rd, 2017 and our guests this week are: Lynn Heidelbaugh, Curator at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum Mike Shuster from the great war project blog, The Storyteller and the Historian, Richard Rubin and Jonathan Bratten    John Motley from the 100 Cities / 100 Memorials project in Fort Towson, Oklahoma And Andrew Carroll, Founding Director of the Center for American War Letters at Chapman University WW1 Centennial News is brought to you by the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission and the Pritzker Military Museum and Library. I’m Theo Mayer - the Chief Technologist for the Commission and your host. Welcome to the show. World War One THEN 100 Year Ago This Week [MUSIC TRANSITION] We’ve gone back in time 100 years to explore the war that changed the world! It is 1917 and America is preparing a war effort that is transforming her more quickly than any previous event in her short history. For example, 100 years later people will simply take for granted, the country’s ability to move huge volumes of goods, resources and people across the vast land. But there is no highway system in 1917… There are few canals… but there is a large and even transcontinental infrastructure - The railroads! So it is not surprising, that trains quickly becomes a key strategic element in the war effort, 100 years ago. Following are some the headlines and notes from the Official Bulletin - America’s War Gazette published daily by the Committee on Public Information, the US government propaganda ministry headed by George Creel. We’ll track the story about the railroads through its headlines and pages starting just a month after war is declared.   [SOUND EFFECT] Dateline: May 15, 1917 Headline: BILL TO GIVE PRESIDENT POWER OVER FREIGHT SHIPMENTS INTRODUCED The story reads: "As war conditions develop It is certain there will be times when the shipment of arms and ammunition may be of prime importance ; at another time the movement of provisions may be more important; yet at another, the movement of coal and Iron ore may become the most Important of all.   Under these conditions It is thought essential that the President should have the power to determine what particular freight shall have priority and for how long this priority should continue.   Less than a month later --  the scope of the challenge is outlined in the Bulletin:   [SOUND EFFECT] Dateline: June 5th, 1917 Headline: THE MOBILIZATION OF RAILROADS FOR THE NATION'S WAR NEEDS ARE DEFINED The story reads: Freight cars are lacking… There are 2,500,000 freight cars in the United States and their capacity is barely sufficient for current commercial needs. The railroads in the near future will use 120,000 cars to transport material for the construction of the ' new army ' training camps, and a continuous flow of cars to keep those camps in supplies. They estimate that It will take 200,000 cars to carry the material used for the construction of the Government merchant ships, whether of steel or of wood. They will require an enormous number of cars to move the steel for the ships under construction for the Navy, and no estimate whatever can be made of the number of cars which will be needed to carry the material used in the manufacture of munitions and supplies for the Army, and in moving them a second time from the point of manufacture to the shipping point.   [SOUND EFFECT] Dateline: June 21th, 1917 Headline: MORE EXTENDED USE OF INTERIOR WATERWAYS OF COUNTRY URGED BY SECRETARY OF COMMERCE   TM: The “maxing out” of capacity is clearly being recognized by all concerned --- and everyone is looking for answers as this story illustrates:   “The president of one of our leading railways has recently said : " The railroads of the United States are carrying more freight than ever before in the history of the country, but when they have carried traffic up to 100 per cent of their capacity there still remains 15, 25, perhaps 30 per cent in traffic which it is impossible for them to carry at all." No one --- who knows the facts, will question that the railways of the country are overwhelmed by the present traffic. There is said to be a shortage of 150,000 cars. Radical measures are being taken In an effort to meet the situation. The railroads are Insufficient for the task laid upon them and the problem is likely to become more serious. It will not be long before large bodies of troops must be moved with their equipment in this country.   TM: Although Americans were used to traveling through the country by rail - A visit to aunt Tilly in not in the cards anytime soon,   [SOUND EFFECT] Dateline: July 17, 1917 Headline: HUGE REDUCTION IN PASSENGER TRAIN SERVICE The story reads: The railroads of the United States, as part of their effort, under the direction of the Railroads' War Board, report the elimination of passenger trains aggregating over 16,200,000 miles of train service per year. This is done by the railroads to save man power, fuel, and motive power, that they may be applied to the transportation of necessities. Every ton of coal, every locomotive, every mile of track space, every man whose duties are absorbed by an unnecessary passenger train --- can be put to effective use in freight service, and nothing is more necessary at the moment to insure the safety and prosperity of the country than that the railroads be able to handle the utmost possible amount of freight.   The elimination of passenger service already reported will make available over 1,120.000 tons of coal for other purposes. TM: 10 days later a positive public relations story is published in the bulletin about the railroad companies   [SOUND EFFECT] Dateline: July 27, 1917 Headline: RAILROADS INCREASE NATION'S FOOD SUPPLY BY LEASING SURPLUS LANDS WHICH THEY OWN The story reads: To help increase the Nation's food supply by utilizing as much idle acreage as possible the railroads of the West and Middle West are leasing millions of acres of lands - which they own  - at nominal rental for grazing and agricultural purposes. In addition to leasing their land to farmers and cattlemen at a nominal rental, a number of the railroads are offering garden plots, rent free, to families along their right of way.   This leads to the big story this week one hundred years ago…   [SOUND EFFECT] Dateline: August 20th, 1917 Headline: PLANS FOR GREATEST TROOP MOVEMENT IN U. S. HISTORY ARE NOW BEING PERFECTED The American Railway Association Is Preparing Schedules To Insure Safe and Prompt Carrying of the Armies. The story reads: Altogether, 687,000 men will have in be transported to the various cantonments that the Government is building to house the new National Army. The movement will start September 5. Between that date and September 9 the railroads will complete the entrainment of 200,000 men, or approximately 30 per cent of the total number scheduled to be moved to the various training camps. The facts are that to move merely one field army of 80,000 men requires 6.229 cars made up into 366 trains, with as many locomotives and train crews. Meanwhile, in addition to moving the 687,000 recruits for the National Army, the railroads have been asked to supply transportation for the 350,000 members of the National Guard to their training camps.   Closing TM: It is easy to see how challenging and strategic this key piece of infrastructure is to the war effort - So….Finally, in December of this year , 1917,  the Interstate Commerce Commission recommends the total federal control of the railroad industry to ensure efficient operation. The takeover measures are to go beyond simply easing the congestion and expediting the flow of goods; they will have total control of all parties—management, labor, investors, and shipping— on behalf of this national interest. President Wilson issues an order for nationalization of the US railroad industry on December 26, 1917 [BANG SOUND EFFECT]   The US Postal Service in WW1 Interview with Lynn [SOUND EFFECT WOOSH] Now that the troops are shipping out - first to training camp and soon thereafter overseas, another key logistics elements has to be nailed into place - one that is essential the the mental and spiritual well being of our fighting forces - Mail service! With us today is Lynn Heidelbaugh (HEIDEL-BAW), Curator at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum who is going to talk to us about the mail service and how it adapted to the changing needs of a population at war.   Welcome, Lynn!   [exchange greetings] [Lynn, can you fill us in on how the postal service in america had to transform and adapt when war was declared? ] [You lost postal workers to the draft didn’t you?] [Lynn - later in the show we’ll hear from Andrew Carroll from the Center for American War Letters at Chapman University - he contributed to your Pershing  “My fellow Soldiers - Letters from WWI” exhibit at the museum. When did that open?] [Lynn - Museum exhibits are not really about artifacts and objects - they are about stories - as the curator for a postal museum exhibit about WW1 - is there anything that sticks out as a particularly memorable story.] [Did the postal service get Involved with mail censorship or was that strictly the war department?] [Thank you Lynn] That was  Lynn Heidelbaugh (HEIDEL-BAW), Curator at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. link:https://postalmuseum.si.edu/   War in the Sky [SOUND EFFECT] This week in our War in The Sky segment we are going to talk about the famous US 94th Aero Squadron- which is established at Kelly Field, Texas on August 20, 1917. The “Hat in the ring Gang” named for their squadron logo -  is one of the first American pursuit squadrons to reach the Western Front and see combat. Three notable airmen serve with the squadron, perhaps the most well known is Eddie Rickenbacker, who will be awarded almost every decoration attainable, including the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross. On a personal note, I have a silver cigarette case from my grandfather that is signed by a bunch of his flying buddies including Eddie Rickenbacker. I’ve always treasured that... So, another interesting member of the Hat in the Ring Gang is  Raoul Lufbery.. Who transferred over from the famous Lafayette Escadrille. Lufbery, a really colorful character, famously adopted a lion cub while with the Lafayette and named him Whiskey, later got Whiskey a lioness playmate called Soda. Now - besides being a little eccentric, he is, of course,  also a great aviator… Finally there is Douglas Campbell who will become the first AMERICAN  TRAINED pilot to be an air ace. We will follow more of the 94th Aero Squadron’s exploits over the coming months, a famous squadron that was born 100 years ago this week. There are several links in the podcast notes to learn more. Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/94th_Aero_Squadron https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/94th_Fighter_Squadron#World_War_I https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/94th-aero-squadron-photographs-sieurin-1917-1919 https://downunderaviationnews.wordpress.com/the-hat-in-the-ring-gang-the-combat-history-of-the-94th-aero-squadron-in-world-war-1/ www.ww1cc.org/warinthesky   [SOUND EFFECT] Great War Project Next we are joined by Mike shuster, former NPR correspondent and curator for the Great War Project blog. By now, we’ve heard about the French Mutinies of 1917, the mass desertion in the Russian army, and bewildered and beleaguered troops across the war fronts. But it wasn’t just the allies. Today Mike’s post looks at the war weariness in the German Military.   Welcome Mike!   Thank you Mike. That was Mike Shuster from the Great War Project blog. LINK:http://greatwarproject.org/2017/08/20/insurrection-in-the-german-military/ The Great War Channel For videos about WW1, our friend at the Great War Channel on Youtube have been producing great videos about great war since 2014.. Here is Indy Nidel - the host of the Great War Channel. 3rd Great War Recording of Indy This week’s new episodes include: The Battle of Hill 70 - Mackensen Advances in Romania Trench Mortars, German double standards and Hughes Shovel And Romanian Guns of WW1   Follow the link in the podcast notes or search for “the great war” on youtube. Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheGreatWar Storyteller and the Historian Next, it is time for the Storyteller and the Historian -  Today the intrepid duo are going to explore the challenges of being a German American during WW1.   [RUN OPENING] [RUN SEGMENT]   Thank you gentlemen! That was - the StoryTeller - Richard Rubin and The Historian - Jonathan Bratten   The Storyteller and the Historian is now a full hour long monthly podcast. Look for them on iTunes and libsyn or follow the link in the podcast notes.   Link: http://storytellerandhistorian.libsyn.com   World War One NOW [SOUND TRANSITION] We have moved forward in time to the present… Welcome to WW1 Centennial News NOW  - This part of the program is not about history but how the centennial of the War that changed the world is being commemorated today. Commission News This week in Commission News, We are announcing a new program from the National WW1 Museum and Memorial - called - Send A Deserving Teacher on an Adventure - You can nominate a teacher of your choice (which can include yourself) for a drawing to win a free trip to the National World War I Museum and Memorial. The drawing is random, but the platform being used to collect the entries allows users to enter more ballots by doing actions such as: sharing the contest on social media, visiting the education resource archive, and so on. And of course, you and your nominee will be signed up for semi-monthly Education Newsletter. The contest runs through Sept. 8 at theworldwar.org/contest There is a link in the podcast notes. Link: theworldwar.org/contest   Activities and Events [Sound Effect] At the Commission we created U.S. National WW1 Centennial Events Register where we are compiling and archiving WW1 Commemoration events from around the country- not just from major metros and museums but also local events from the heart of the country- showing how the WW1 Centennial Commemoration is playing out all over America.. You can access and contribute to the register at ww1cc.org/events. Click the big red button to put your ww1 commemoration event into the register or use the search box in the left column to see what is happening in your neck of the woods. link: http://ww1cc.org/events   Oil Paintings Our local event pick for this week comes from the Public Libraries of Maryland. A special WW1 Oil Paintings exhibit is currently on display at the Thurmont Regional Library and will be moving to the C. Burr Artz Public Library in Frederick, Maryland until end of September. The exhibit includes a set of five paintings of WW1 planes by Robert Horvath, a former Talbot County Free Library director. The paintings are on loan from the U.S. Air Force Museum in Washington, D.C. Margaret Carty, executive director of the Maryland Library Association, who helped put the exhibit together, noted: “When you look at the aviation then and the aviation now...for young people it must be almost mind-boggling to think that anyone dared to get into those,” In Oct the exhibit will go to Montgomery county at the Olney branch, followed by Talbot County in November. Follow links in the podcast notes to find out more.   Link:http://www.cecildaily.com/spotlight/article_32d0cfa7-44d7-56c6-8d66-46e1b3827c41.html http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/component/jevents/eventdetail/47120/ww1-oil-paintings-exhibition.html?Itemid=1090&filter_reset=1   http://www.fcpl.org/branches-hours/thurmont-regional-library http://www.fcpl.org/branches-hours/c-burr-artz-public-library http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/library http://www.tcfl.org   Boston General For our major metro event pick of the week,  we go to Boston Massachusetts where the Russell Museum of Medical History and Innovation features: The Spirit of Devotion: Massachusetts General Hospital and the First World War There is  a short film about the hospital’s involvement in WWI and they will host several lectures. The hospital lobby exhibit will be changed every few months with new material. The organization operated a Base Hospital in Talence, France between 1917 and 1918, with many doctors, nurses and other personnel joining medical efforts in support of the Allied forces. Read more about the upcoming exhibits and lectures by following the links in the notes. link:http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/component/jevents/eventdetail/10429/the-spirit-of-devotion-massachusetts-general-hospital-and-the-first-world-war.html http://www.massgeneral.org/museum/exhibits/front-lines/ http://www.massgeneral.org/museum/news/?display=Events   [SOUND EFFECT] Speaking WW1 And for our newest feature “Speaking World War 1 - Where we  explore today’s words & phrases that are rooted in world war I  --- This week’s word is Strafe or Strafing… In German.. The word for “punishment” is “Strafe” - And that is exactly what german fighter planes did - as they swept down from the skies, flying low to the ground as they unloaded their machine guns into the soldier in the trenches. It was a punishment from the sky. This air to ground support maneuver soon become known as to “strafe” or strafing the troops - an anglicized version of the german word for punishment - Strafe -  this week’s word for - Speaking WW1 - see the translation from Google Translate in the podcast notes. Naya - da geb ich dir eine strafe! link: https://translate.google.com/#de/en/Strafe 100 Cities/100 Memorials [SOUND EFFECT] John Motley - Fort Towson, OK Every week we are profiling one of the many amazing projects submitted to our $200,000 matching grant giveaway to rescue ailing WW1 memorials. The program is called 100 Cities / 100 Memorials. Last week we profiled the Albert Harry Bode Gravesite in Jackson California. This week, we head to Fort Towson, Oklahoma to learn more about a very unique project there.   Joining us is John Motley, Retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel and nephew of Mrs. Margie Motley who, at 95 years young, has commissioned a new WW1 Memorial for the town of Fort Towson, Oklahoma in memory of her father, Cecil Evan Hopson, and all the doughboy veterans of Fort Towson, XXX county and Oklahoma featuring a life-size World War I Doughboy statue.  Welcome, John! [exchange greetings] John, this started as a small and simple search for a figureen for a headstone,  but has become much much more. Would you share the story with us? John, when will the memorial be dedicated? John - On behalf of the World War One Centennial Commission, from all of us here at WW1 Centennial news - and I am sure on behalf of our listeners - Would you please extend our warmest thanks and congratulations to your aunt - Mrs. Margie Motley for her dedication in remembering our WW1 veterans’ service -  in the war that changed the world. Mrs. Motley. You are an amazing patriot and an amazing human being. We are all incredibly proud to have met you through your nephew and your work. Thank you! Thank you John! [exchange] That was John Motley for the 100 Cities / 100 Memorials project in Fort Towson, Oklahoma. We will continue to profile the submitting teams and their unique and amazing projects on the show over the coming months. Learn more about the 100 Cities / 100 Memorials program at ww1cc.org/100memorials or follow the link in the podcast notes. Link: www.ww1cc.org/100memorials [SOUND EFFECT] Education Today in our Education section, we are going to continue with our theme on letters from the past - On this show, we’ve heard time and time again - about the powerful emotional impact and personal connection - experienced from reading the letters of the era.   This makes the archiving and sharing, of letters and journals from WW1 one of the most powerful commemorations there is. And it is also the focus of our next guest... Andrew Carroll is the Founding Director of the Center for American War Letters at Chapman University. [Welcome Andy!] [Exchange greetings] Andy - your focus is on letters from all wars - but from your WW1 collection - is there one letter or series that particularly stands out for you? [You’ve worked with Lynn Heidelbaugh from the smithsonian who was “on” earlier in the show - We have a lot of people and organizations from the centennial community that listen to this show  - How can  individuals and  organizations access your archive?] [Andy - a related question - how can that community of interest contribute to your work?] [Finally Andy - You have another commemoration project you mentioned to Katherine - a commemorative WW1 plaque in memory of Edward Stone -- can you tell us a little about that?] [Thank you for joining us] That was Andrew Carroll, the Founding Director of the Center for American War Letters at Chapman University. Follow the link in the podcast notes to connect to the Center. https://www.chapman.edu/research/institutes-and-centers/cawl/million-letters-campaign.aspx [SOUND EFFECT] Updates from the States Illinois Welcome to our Updates from the States - starting with some exciting news from our friends in the Prairie State!  Illinois - The First Division Museum at Cantigny Park in Wheaton, IL will reopen to the public after a 1-year restoration. The reopening and ribbon cutting is on Saturday, August 26, at 11 am. The museum features new and updated exhibits and some new, cutting-edge storytelling techniques. The museum’s reopening coincides with the centennial inauguration of the famed military unit known as the “Big Red One.” It became the first division of the U.S. Army in June 1917, assembling to fight in France. Read more about the First Division and the museum's new features by following the link in the podcast notes   link:http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/communicate/press-media/wwi-centennial-news/3023-first-division-museum-grand-reopening-set-for-august-26.html [SOUND EFFECT] North Dakota Next, from the Roughrider State -- North Dakota,  important plans are underway to honor Native American World War One veterans. Even before most Native Americans had citizenship rights, thousands of men from tribes across the country showed their patriotism by volunteering for the military and fighting in World War I. Now, as the nation solemnly marks the Centennial, United Tribes Technical College - UTTC - at Bismarck is planning to honor Native American servicemen. The honoring will be held on Sept. 10 during the 2017 UTTC International Powwow.  We hope to have a guest on from the event in the next few weeks to tell us more - but for now - you can follow the link in the podcast notes. links:http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/communicate/press-media/wwi-centennial-news/3026-plans-to-honor-wwi-native-veterans-in-north-dakota.html The Buzz - WW1 in Social Media Posts That brings us to the buzz - the centennial of WW1 this week in social media with Katherine Akey - Katherine - You have two photos to tell us about today - Take it away! The 94th Aero The Hat in the Ring Squadron strikes a pose link:https://www.facebook.com/ww1centennial/photos/a.290566277785344.1073741829.185589304949709/826621890846444/?type=3&theater   The Eclipses Not one but two eclipses swept over the earth during WW1 Link:https://www.facebook.com/ww1centennial/photos/a.290566277785344.1073741829.185589304949709/827080740800559/?type=3&theater   Thank you Katherine. Closing And that is WW1 Centennial News for this week. We want to thank you for joining us and our guests: Lynn Heidelbaugh, Curator at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum Mike Shuster updating us on conflict in the German Army The Storyteller and the Historian, Richard Rubin and Jonathan Bratten giving us a glimpse of life as a German American in World War One John Motley from the 100 Cities / 100 Memorials project in Fort Towson, Oklahoma And Andrew Carroll, Founding Director of the Center for American War Letters at Chapman University Katherine Akey the Commission’s social media director and also the line producer for the show. And I am Theo Mayer - your host.   The US World War One Centennial Commission was created by Congress to honor, commemorate and educate about WW1. Our programs are to-- inspire a national conversation and awareness about WW1; This program is a part of that…. We are bringing the lessons of the 100 years ago into today's classrooms; We are helping to restore WW1 memorials in communities of all sizes across our country; and of course we are building America’s National WW1 Memorial in Washington DC. If you like the work we are doing, please support it with a tax deductible donation at ww1cc.org/donate - all lower case Or if you are on your smart phone text  the word: WW1 to 41444. that's the letters ww the number 1 texted to 41444. Any amount is appreciated.   We want to thank commission’s founding sponsor the Pritzker Military Museum and Library for their support. The podcast can be found on our website at ww1cc.org/cn   on  iTunes and google play ww1 Centennial News. Our twitter and instagram handles are both @ww1cc and we are on facebook @ww1centennial. Thanks for joining us. And don’t forget to share the stories you are hearing here with someone about the war that changed the world! [music]   Is that plane going to strafe us!?

Before going overseas World War I soldiers trained to fight, although some men volunteered for the Allies before the United States entered the war. One volunteer, Kiffin Rockwell of Asheville helped form the Lafayette Escadrille, a unit of American flyers for the French Air Force in 1916, without knowing how to fly! Back home, soldiers at camp knew that qualifying as a marksman was difficult, especially when trying to hit a target without a rifle. Soldiers also trained to protect themselves from poison gas, a weapon used for the first time during World War I.

Join Scott and Steve as they take a history-rich look back an an often forgotten chapter in the Indiana Jones franchise: the early 1990's ABC TV series "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles"! Listen as they breakdown and review the episode "Ravenel, France 1917", which served as the first part of the made for TV movie "Attack of the Hawkmen". They'll discuss the amazing historical accuracy of this fictional account of Indiana Jones' World War I assignment as a photographer for the French flying squadron known as the Lafayette Escadrille and his encounters with the feared pilot better known as The Red Baron. They'll also discuss creator George Lucas' meticulous timeline for these globe-spanning adventures in Indiana Jones' life, as well as his apparent penchant for adjusting his work years later. Aside from the story, they'll talk about the many real-life people Indy encounters in the episode and how their portrayals match up to their real stories. If you are a history buff, this is the Hitting Play episode for you!    Please email us at hittingplayshow@gmail.com  Hitting Play on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/HittingPlay    Scott's Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MCandFriends  Scott's Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/mc_and_friends

World War I: American volunteer pilots in the Lafayette Escadrille of the French air service target German observation balloons behind enemy lines in Hall's wry – and, at times, beautiful – first-hand account of flying in the First World War. … Continue reading →