Podcasts about uss texas

The night seemed like any other. It was February 15th and the crew of the battleship Maine had been dispatched to Havana. In the evening, they were riding quietly at anchor in the Havana Harbor, everyone going about their duties and minding their own business, when suddenly at 9:40pm out of nowhere an explosion happened and tore out the bottom of the ship and sank the entire ship, killing 260 of nearly 400 men on board. By the time the sun rose the next morning, only the twisted parts of the superstructure were visible above the water. Small boats were called in to examine the damage and try to rescue any of the injured. When the Maine had approached Cuba, it was flying the flag of Cuba. This was during a time when the Spanish regime was resisting the uprising of the nationalist guerillas in Cuba. We're not for sure what happened and what actually caused the blast that killed 260 men and destroyed the battleship Maine, but we believe from all evidence that it was the consequence of a mine explosion. No one's ever taken responsibility for it, but after that it did start the brief Spanish American War of 1898. The United States was pushing for Cuban independence, the Spaniards were trying to crush the uprising. After the incident, the United States declared war on Spain on April 25, and Congress authorized the official declaration of war against the Spaniards. By the time May 1, had rolled around an American fleet in Manila Bay in the Philippines had annihilated an entire Spanish fleet in short order. We lost no men and only had seven wounded soldiers from this conflict, but we handily declared victory. It was in June of 1898, that the American expeditionary forces landed in Santiago, Cuba. Our troops were sweating in their heavy woollen uniforms, which were thoughtfully issued to help protect them from the cold. It was in that year that the soldiers were also eating what was called "embalmed beef" out of the tin cans. You know, we may have lost more soldiers to "embalmed beef" than we actually did to war. On July 1 of that year, Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders also were able to capture the city of Santiago, which surrendered on the 17th, the Spanish Cuban fleet was hunted down by the American battleships and completely destroyed within four hours. After that, American troops sailed off to Puerto Rico, and the Spanish government called for peace. It was during those years that far more Americans were killed by "embalmed beef" or tropical diseases like typhoid, yellow fever, and malaria, than were actually killed in the course of battle. It was December of that year that a peace treaty between the United States and Spain was finally signed, Spain lost all of its colonies in the new world. The United States took control of the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam. Cuba gained independence and Theodore Roosevelt who was then the Secretary of the Navy earned a heroes reputation and it was that "embalmed beef" in the tin that also inspired the first Food and Drug Act. So mind you, this was all happening at the end of the year in 1898. Upon further investigation, it was determined that the commander of the Maine, Captain Charles D. Sigsbee did no wrong in the loss of life and the subsequent explosion that cost him all of his men and the ship that night in Havana harbor. And even though all of this happened in 1898, it wasn't until today, December 17, 1899, that the USS Texas captained by Charles D. Sigsbee, be who is the same commander that lost the Maine sailed back into Havana harbor to claim the bodies of the victims of the Maine disaster and bring them back to Arlington National Cemetery for a proper military burial. And that's what happened today in Key West history. Today in Key West History is brought to you by 43 Keys Media to learn more about our glorious past here in the Florida Keys, visit http://43keys.com. You can make this and other programs an Alexa flash briefing. For you to enable that just simply tell Alexa, "Hey Alexa, play today in Key West history as my flash briefing."  

Highlights: Introduction: Espionage and Sedition Acts | @00:45 Guest: Mike Shuster “Where Are The Americans?” | @02:15 Feature: Going big on the air war | @06:45 War In the Sky: the “Flying Circus” | @10:15 Feature: The StoryTeller & The Historian - Americans arrive | @12:45 Commission: Memorial restoration matching grant deadline extension | @18:45 Guest: Courtland Jindra - Victory Memorial Grove project profile | @19:50 Q? Who said: “Lafayette We Are Here!” | @27:00 Feature: National History Day prize winners | @28:40 Media: Cylinder recording archive | @32:30 Media: Wonder Woman - Again? | @34:30 Honors: Capt. James Miller - Distinguished flying cross 99 years after | @35:45 Q? What is the Ghost Fleet? | @36:30 Social Media: The 11 soldier sons of Ike Sims3 | @39:30 And much more…----more---- Opening Welcome to World War One Centennial News. It’s about WW1 news 100 years ago this week  - and it’s about WW1 NOW - news and updates about the centennial and the commemoration. WW1 Centennial News is brought to you by the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission and the Pritzker Military Museum and Library. Today is June 21st, 2017 and I’m Theo Mayer - Chief Technologist for the World War One Centennial Commission and your host. World War One THEN 100 Year Ago This Week [sound transition] We have gone back in time 100 years and in mid June 1917 one of the key events here in the United States is the passing of the “Espionage Act”. The law makes it a crime for any person to convey information intended to interfere with the U.S. armed forces’ prosecution of the war effort. The convicted spy is subject to a fine of $10,000 - that is the equivalent of 200,000 in 2017 dollars,  plus a prison sentence of up to 20 years. And within a year, the pendulum swings ever further into autocracy as the espionage act is reinforced by the Sedition act of 1918. It imposed similarly harsh penalties on anyone found guilty of insulting or abusing the U.S. government, the flag, the Constitution or the military; agitating against the production of necessary war materials; or advocating, teaching or just defending any of these acts. Both pieces of legislation are aimed at socialists, pacifists and other anti-war activists and are used to punishing effect in the early years and those immediately following the war - It is a chilling attack on the first amendment - that seems incredibly strong and even excessive in today’s terms. We will be following this story and it’s consequences over the coming months. links about the Espionage act are in the podcast notes: link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espionage_Act_of_1917 http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/u-s-congress-passes-espionage-act http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/espionageact.htm http://today-in-wwi.tumblr.com/post/161878079908/espionage-act-passed-emma-goldman-arrested Great War Project Looking over at Europe - we have a running theme for this week, 100 years ago… A theme that is very well set up by our first guest this week We are joined by Mike shuster, former NPR correspondent and curator for the Great War Project blog.  Mike - “Where ARE the Americans?” LINK:http://greatwarproject.org/2017/06/18/where-are-the-americans/ [Mike Shuster] Thank you Mike. That was Mike Shuster from the Great War Project blog. Let’s continue to explore the question of America’s preparations to enter the fray with some articles selected from the “Official Bulletin”, the government war gazette published by George Creel, America’s propaganda chief, under the orders of President Wilson. We are pulling from Volume 1 - Issues 33-38 We’ll begin with follow up on last week’s Liberty Loan bond stories. By Saturday of this week, the tally is in. [sound effect] Dateline Saturday June 23 Headline: “$3,035,226,850 IS SUBSCRIBED TO LIBERTY LOAN BY MORE THAN 4,000,000 MEN AND WOMEN OF U. S.; Success of this Undertaking, Says Secretary McAdoo, Constitutes An Eloquent Reply to Enemies Who Claimed Heart of America Was Not in the War!” That’s probably quite true - In the propaganda war - the fact that the liberty bond program raises 50% more than was offered is sure to be un-nerving to the Germans whose intelligence tells them that America is not enthusiastic or prepared to enter the war. With the ramp up funding for America’s war effort off and running, the government is stimulated into bold thinking. [sound effect] Dateline Monday June 18, 1917 Headline: GREAT U. S. AIR FLEET URGED BY SECRETARY BAKER; MAY TURN TIDE OF WAR FOR HER ALLIES Secretary of War Baker states: "We can train thousands of aviators and build thousands of machines without interfering in the slightest with the plans for building up our armies and for supplying the allies with food and munitions. To train and equip our armies and send them abroad will take time, however, and in the meanwhile we can be devoted to this most important service with vast quantities of productive machinery and skilled labor. [sound effect] Dateline: Friday June 22, 1917 Headline: U.S. AIRCRAFT BOARD PLANS TO CLEAR AIR OF GERMAN FLYERS In this story - Howard Coffin, the chairman of the aircraft production board comments on a report that Germany plans to bring 3,500 airplanes into the fighting line in the spring of 1918 Coffin believes that the report is probably accurate -  going on to state that 3,500 planes next spring might well prove discouraging to the allies. The French and British alone MIGHT (maybe) hold their own against Germany's output. Coffins goes on to state: “Pitted against America's added resources, properly organized, the situation immediately changes. No matter what desperate efforts she makes, it will be a physical Impossibility for Germany to increase her present rate of output to any dangerous extent. If we can carry through our program to produce the thousands of machines planned, the permanent supremacy of the allies in the air is assured. [sound effect] Dateline: Friday June 22, 1917 Headline: CONTRACT FOR NEW FLYING FIELD IN ILLINOIS AWARDED The story reads: The Signal Corps to-day announced the letting of the contract for the fourth new Government flying fields, to be built at Belleville, IL., 23 miles from East St. Louis. It will be a standard, two-squadron field, accommodating 300 student fliers, with the requisite number of officers, instructors, mechanics, and enlisted men, and providing hangers for 72 training planes. Construction of the buildings and the preparation of the field will begin immediately. That’s just focusing on a small slice of the effort -  airplanes We did not even touch on the 16 major army training camps or “cantonements” also being built - as one article explains: “It is like building a city with a population of 40,000 from the ground up in weeks.” Meanwhile there is the production of trucks, food, munitions, draft animals, lumber, clothing, shipping and internal infrastructure - this is creating a challenge and an economic boom unlike anything the country has experienced. If you are interested in logistics - defined as the detailed coordination of a complex operation involving many people, facilities, or supplies… you can follow one of history’s greatest logistics efforts by browsing the daily issues of the Official Bulletin at ww1cc.org/bulletin - explore, exploit, and be amazed as you see how the US geared up to enter the war that changed the world. Link: ww1cc.org/bulletin War in the Sky: For our Great War In the Sky segment… We are going back to the fighting front. This week 100 years ago, introduces - [aside]  actually “formalizes” -  a new German air strategy. Earlier in 1917, it becomes apparent to the German High Command that they will always be outnumbered in air operations over the Western Front. The average Jagdstaffeln or German fighter squadron - could only muster some six or eight aircraft in total for a patrol, and would often face one Allied formation - after another. In order to maintain some impact and “local” command of the air the german fighter wings began - unofficially at first -  to fly in larger, composite groups. a new concept in German air strategy.   This week, 100 years ago the Germany’s Army Air Force brings together four fighter squadrons – Jastas 4, 6, 10, and 11 – to form Germany's Jagd-geschwader eins or better known as JD1 - their first fighter wing. Manfred von Richthofen - the Red Baron - is promoted from commanding officer of Jasta 11 to the commander of JD1. This unit becomes known as the "Flying Circus," thanks to the colorful paint schemes on its aircraft  - It’s also often called “Richhoven’s Circus” and some claim it is so named because the entire wing moves from place to place for its operations like a traveling circus. We put a link in the podcast notes that leads to pictures of this colorful german flying force that came together 100 years ago this week in the great war in the sky. If you are into the air war - we invite you to explore former fighter pilor and author RG head’s detailed timeline of “the war in the sky” by visiting ww1cc.org/warinthesky all lower case. link:http://www.theaerodrome.com/services/germany/jg/jg1.php https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagdgeschwader_1_(World_War_I) Flying Circus Images: https://www.google.com/search?q=richthofen%27s+flying+circus&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjfp-zy6M3UAhUN9WMKHURhC2UQ_AUICigB&biw=1680&bih=926 The Great War Channel And if you are into learning more about WW1 by watching videos, go visit our friends at the Great War Channel on Youtube. This week’s new episodes cover a variety of subjects including: -Italian Mountain Warfare - The US espionage Act -Ottoman Soldiers in Europe - Naval Tactics - Officer POWs The link is in the podcast notes or search for “the great war” on youtube. Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheGreatWar The Storyteller and the Historian We are going to close out “WW1 - 100 years ago this week” with the Storyteller and the Historian - Richard Rubin and Jonathan Braten are going to wrap up that question for us. So where are the Americans?? [run opening] [run segment] That was - the StoryTeller - Richard Rubin and The Historian - Jonathan Bratten talking about the arrival of the first US troops in Europe. Link:  richardrubinonline.com ww1cc.org/maine World War One NOW WW1 Centennial News NOW  - News about the centennial and the commemoration. Commission News We’ll start with some news from the WW1 Centennial Commission and the 100 Cities / 100 Memorials program. This initiative is a $200,000 matching grant challenge to rescue ailing WW1 memorials and the deadline for grant applications was last week. We received a number of requests from potential participants for a short extension because some projects just needed a few more days to pull all the pieces together - The projects can involve many parties including city and county bureaus, American Legion posts, VFW posts, DAR chapters, local historical societies and boards and more. So in a meeting of the program’s executive committee, we decided to extends the submission deadline until midnight - July 10. Also - that means that anyone who already submitted their application can update any of the files submitted - by simply contacting the program management and requesting that their submission be made editable. All that is available at ww1cc.org/100memorials. 100 Cities / 100 Memorials project profile We have a guest with us today who knows all about how these projects come together. Courtland Jindra has been working on a 100 Cities / 100 Memorials project in Los Angeles - the Victory Memorial Grove project, near Dodger Stadium. Welcome Courtland! Courtland - really briefly - can you give us an overview of the project? [courtland reply] A few weeks ago, you had a cleanup event where you brought a bunch of the stakeholders together for some hands-on time - tell us about that. [courtland reply] You held a re-dedication ceremony on Flag day didn’t you? [courtland reply] That was Courtland Jindra - a citizen historian, a long time WW1 commemoration advocate and importantly - the co-director of the managing board for the California WW1 Centennial Commission. Learn all about the program and sign up for the project blog to stay updated on news and events for the 100 cities . 100 memorials project at ww1cc.org/100memorials or by following the links in the podcast notes. link:http://www.ww1cc.org/california http://www.ww1cc.org/100cities Activities and Events From the U.S. National WW1 Centennial Events Register at WW1CC.org/events - here is our upcoming “event pick” of the week: “Families on the WW1 Homefront” is a tour offered at the Charles A. Lindbergh Historic Site in Little Falls, Minnesota - every other Saturday beginning July 1st and ending Sept 2nd. Historical reenactors portraying the Lindbergh family and neighbors create the tour, providing insights into the daily lives of Minnesotans at home during WW1. Visitors will hear inside stories about farming for the war effort, assist a Red Cross volunteer and learn about the ways Minnesotan life changed during this period. Check out U.S. National WW1 Centennial Events Register  for things happening in your area, and while you are there, you’ll find a big red button there so you can submit your own upcoming events - making them part of the national archival record of the WW1 centennial - go to ww1cc.org/events or follow the links in the podcast notes. link:http://www.mnhs.org/event/2399 ww1cc.org/events Lafayette, we are here: And if you happen to be in Paris this coming week - we invite you to join The American Battle Monuments Commission at the Cimetière de Picpus for a ceremony in memory of General John J. Pershing's visit to the grave site of the Marquis de Lafayette. The visit was profound 100 years ago -  as it honored the deep ties between the two nations. Lafayette, you may remember, was a key connection with France during the revolutionary war against the British. As Pershing came to the resting place of the french general - It is said that he announced. “Lafayette - We are here!”. Turns out that that’s not actually true. - On the occasion Pershing only made some brief remarks - It was the general’s “designated orator,” Colonel C. E. Stanton. Quote: “What we have of blood and treasure are yours,” Stanton intoned. “In the presence of the illustrious dead, we pledge our hearts and our honor in carrying the war to a successful conclusion.” And then the final line of his speech: “Lafayette, we are here!” This from the pages of “Black Jack: The Life and Times of John J. Pershing by Frank E. Vandiver. Back to the event - Representatives of the ABMC, the French government and American government will lay a wreath at Lafayette's grave, in recognition of both Pershing's visit in 1917 and the Marquis's own work in cementing the relationship between the two nations from the -seventeen seventies - to his death in 1834. link:http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/commemorate/event-map-system/eventdetail/5033/100th-anniversary-of-pershing-s-visit-to-lafayette-s-grave.html Education National History Day WW1 Award Winners A few week ago we were joined by Dr. Cathy Gorn, executive director of National History Day introducing us to their amazing organization and upcoming national event. For our education section - we are pleased to report that Caleb O’Mara, Janelyn Geronimo, Julianne Viernes, and Melissa Takahashi won The World War I History Prizes at the national finals of National History Day. WW1 Centennial Commissioner Dr. Libby O’Connell was on hand in to congratulate these wonderful kids and give them the special award we sponsored. Caleb, a senior student at Keene High School in Keene New Hampshire, was awarded this prize for his paper titled "Eugene Debs and the Fight for Free Speech" - This ties directly into our story today about the first amendment oppression that came with the espionage and Sedition acts. Debs spent 10 years in prison for his opposition to the war - and Caleb’s paper explores the issue. Janelyn Geronimo, Julianne Viernes, and Melissa Takahashi are Middle-Schoolers at Waipahu Intermediate School, on Oahu, in Hawaii. They created a Junior Group Exhibit called "Dada: A Major Modern Art Movement" which won them this award. The beginnings of Dada correspond to the outbreak of World War I. Art is often political and for the Dadaists the birth of the movement was a protest against imperialist, nationalist and colonialist interests, which many Dadaists believed was the root cause of the war. These special World War I History awards are sponsored by The U.S. World War I Centennial Commission, and were given in recognition of excellence in the study of World War I and its impact, nationally, internationally and of course as these kids pointed out - socially. We’d like to congratulate these students for their outstanding work, and we thank National History Day for all they do - to bring the study of history to life for our kids! Your are awesome. link:https://www.facebook.com/ww1centennial/posts/791000247741942:0 http://nhd.org/winners Updates From The States Battleship Texas Leaks Now for our updates from the states. From Texas - we have an update on last week’s story about flooding aboard the USS Texas. The battleship USS Texas, ONE -  of only two - US Navy combat ships remaining intact from World War I, had a scare last week. Leaks forced closure of the museum ship - as she began to sink and list - Emergency repairs and fast action stopped the flooding. She is watertight once more, and the 103 year-old ship is again welcoming visitors aboard. Learn more by following the links in the podcast notes. link: http://www.khou.com/news/local/battleship-texas-to-reopen-saturday-following-more-leak-repairs/449619659 https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/texas/articles/2017-06-16/battleship-texas-leaks-fixed-retired-ship-reopens-saturday International Report Guildhall exhibition This week in our International Report, we want to tell you about an exhibit that approaches WW1 in a wholly unique way. On view at the Guildhall Art Gallery in London is, “Echoes Across the Century”. The show was created by artist and set designer Jane Churchill. Her influence can be seen in the huge wooden structure that weaves its way between the rooms, creating a trench system which houses the artwork made by local artists and over 240 students. The show focuses on the human impact of the First World War by combining personal stories from the war with the interpretations of modern day children. It’s totally immersive, totally unique and very powerful. The “sky” of the installation is full of planes, and cases of paper moths line the walls, acting as a memorial to those who died at the Front. Apothecaries’ cabinets, tobacco tins and cooks’ matchboxes contain war torn landscapes in miniature, and collaborative collages depict scenes from the trenches. See the wonderful images from the exhibit and learn more about it by following the links in the podcast notes. Link:http://news.cityoflondon.gov.uk/trench-forms-centrepiece-of-behind-the-scenes-ww1-exhibition/ https://www.warhistoryonline.com/press-releases/new-ww1-exhibition-guildhall-art-gallery-celebrates-human-stories-behind-war-effort.html https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/blog/2017/06/01/extraordinary-ww1-exhibition-at-the-guildhall-art-gallery/ Spotlight in the Media An Archive of 10,000 Cylinder Recordings Readied for the Spotify Era! The University of California, Santa Barbara recently launched a new website for its Cylinder Audio Archive that features over 10,000 cylinder recordings — all available to download or to stream online for free. Before MP3s, before CDs, before cassettes and even before vinyl records …When Thomas Edison first invented the ability to record and play back sound, it was on cylinders. First made of tinfoil, then wax and plastic, cylinder recordings, commonly the size and shape of a soda can, were the first commercially produced sound recordings in the decades around the turn of the 20th century.” UCSB has digitized a wonderful collection of these - giving us a real insight into what people heard as they listened to the very influential songs and popular music during WW1. We’ve included a link in the podcast notes that leads you directly to that collection so you can take a listen for yourself. More than 2,000 cylinders still await digitization. UCSB has launched the “Adopt a Cylinder” program, which allows you to make donations toward cylinders -  that will then be prioritized for digitization. Learn more by following the link in the podcast notes. I personally own a Edison Cylinder player and have a couple of boxes of cylinders  - Now I know what to do with them. Hoorray for the University of California Santa Barbara! Thank you! Link: UCSB - http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/wwi.php https://hyperallergic.com/249190/an-archive-of-10000-cylinder-recordings-readied-for-the-spotify-era/ http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/adopt.php Wonder Woman and Chemical Warfare Also This week in Popular Mechanics - we saw a great discussion of the history of gas and its use in WW1 - The headline reads - The Real Story of the World War I Poison Gas in 'Wonder Woman' The article looks at the use of gas in the new Wonder Woman movie and then compares the film depiction to the actual historical use of the weapon. It’s a great discussion of “truth in filmmaking”, of the role of entertainment in education and of Wonder Woman in general. That aside - What caught our attention was that WW1 is being discussed in Popular Mechanics, that Wonder Woman, much like the video game Battlefield 1, is inspiring conversation about WW1 among and between people who previously had forgotten the war - because after all - it IS the war the changed the world!!. Read the article by visiting Popular Mechanics at the link provided in the podcast notes, but beware of spoilers if you have not seen the movie! link:http://www.popularmechanics.com/culture/movies/a26769/world-war-i-poison-gas-wonder-woman/ http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/communicate/press-media/wwi-centennial-news/2606-the-real-story-of-wwi-poison-gas-in-wonder-woman.html Articles and Posts Capt. Miller In our Articles and Posts where we explore the World War One Centennial Commission’s rapidly growing website at ww1cc.org - This week in the ww1cc.org/news section is the story of Capt James E Miller, one of the first aviators in the U.S. military and the first U.S. aviation casualty in World War I. Captain Miller was named recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross recently, more than 99 years after his heroic actions over France in 1918. On the 242nd birthday of the U.S. Army, which was June 14th, Miller's great-grandson, Byron Derringer was presented with the Captain’s Distinguished Flying Cross. You can read more about his service during the war by following the link in the podcast notes or by visiting ww1cc.org/news Link:http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/communicate/press-media/wwi-centennial-news/2619-first-fallen-aviator-of-world-war-i-honored-with-distinguished-flying-cross.html ww1cc.org/news Ghost fleet Forty miles south of Washington, DC, off of Maryland’s Charles County shoreline  - near a little town named Nanjemoy, the water-beaten remains of more than two hundred ships lie in their final resting places in the shallow waters of the Potomac River’s Mallows Bay. According to Samuel Orlando, Chesapeake Bay Regional Coordinator at NOA “Mallows Bay is the richest marine heritage site in the United States,”. “In addition to being reflective of America’s emergence as a naval superpower during World War I, the Ghost Fleet provides the structure for a unique marine ecosystem.” Read about how the industrial complex and economy that grew out of World War I led to the fleet’s demise by visiting ww1cc.org/news. I never knew about this site - but having seen the picture - it’s on my list of places to go see on the east coast. It looks amazing. link:http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/communicate/press-media/wwi-centennial-news/2610-the-history-of-the-ghost-fleet-of-mallows-bay.html WWrite Blog In our WWRITE blog, which explores WWI’s Influence on contemporary writing and scholarship, this week's post is: "Echoes of Sassoon: A Conversation with Matti Friedman". The post is written by Brian Castner, co-editor of The Road Ahead - author of - All the Ways We Kill and Die - and the book - The Long Walk. Castner also wrote the foreword for David Chrisinger's book, See Me for Who I Am… Which we featured last week…. In this post, Castner interviews award-winning author and journalist, Matti Friedman, who is both Israeli and Canadian. He wrote and they discuss his  memoir, Pumpkinflowers. As Friedman and Castner point out, more Canadian soldiers died in the Great War than in any other conflict, and its influence can be felt throughout Pumpkinflowers.   This puts Friedman at odds with many contemporary American veteran-authors, who often reach to other conflicts for comparison when writing about their wars. —Vietnam for Iraq, and Korea for Afghanistan, Don't miss this fascinating post about how and why WWI would color a Canadian’s view of a very different war in Middle East at ww1cc.org/w-w-r-i-t-e and if WW1’s Influence on contemporary writing and scholarship is of particular interest to you - sign up for the blog at the same link. Link: http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/articles-posts/2615-echoes-of-sassoon-a-conversation-with-matti-friedman.html ww1cc.org/wwrite http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/articles-posts.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 - what do you have for us this week? First to Fight: The 5th Marine Regiment sets sail An image shows the Marines as they set sail for France link:https://www.facebook.com/ww1centennial/photos/a.290566277785344.1073741829.185589304949709/790571404451493/?type=3&theater Ike Sims A photo from our Instagram feed proves popular Link:https://www.facebook.com/ww1centennial/photos/a.290566277785344.1073741829.185589304949709/792836804224953/?type=3&theater Closing And That’s WW1 Centennial News for this week. Thank you for listening! We want to thank our guests: Mike Shuster from the Great War Project blog on his post “where are the Americans!?” Richard Rubin, Author, Storyteller and self-proclaimed bon-vivan and Jonathan Bratten, Historian and their StoryTeller and the Historian segment on the US troops arriving in France Courtland Jindra, co-director of the managing board of the California WW1 Centennial Commission and project lead on the 100 Cities / 100 Memorials restoration at Victory Memorial Grove in LA. 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 show is a part of that effort! 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 rely entirely on your donations. No government appropriations or taxes are being used, so please give what you can by going to ww1cc.org/donate - all lower case Or if you are listening to the show on your smart phone you can text us a donation - just text  the letters: WW1 to the number 41444. 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, google play, and tuneIn - search for 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 what you are learning here about “The War that Changed the World”. So long. [music]

Highlights 100 Year Ago: Flag Day 1917 like no other |@ 00:45 100 Year Ago: First Liberty Bond drive big success |@ 02:30 Guest: Mike Shuster - Pershing Arrives in Europe |@ 09:15 Guests: Eileen Dumont & Paul Callens on Ralph Talbot |@ 13:00 Feature: The Storyteller and The Historian: on the selective service |@  19:00 PTSD Month: Charles Whittlesey’s Suicide |@ 26:45 Education: Edu-Newsletter “Animals at War” comes out |@ 28:30 Feature: The Violin of Private Howard |@ 32:15 Media: Wonder Woman - Three theories on why it’s set in WW1 |@ 34:00 Instagram: Pershing Pic hit on social media |@ 39:00 And much more…. ----more---- Opening Welcome to World War One Centennial News. It’s about WW1 news 100 years ago this week  - and it’s about WW1 NOW - news and updates about the centennial and the commemoration. WW1 Centennial News is brought to you by the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission and the Pritzker Military Museum and Library. Today is June 14th, 2017 and I’m Theo Mayer - Chief Technologist for the World War One Centennial Commission and your host. World War One THEN 100 Year Ago This Week We have gone back in time 100 years and on June 14, 1917 - it’s FLAG Day. And it is a flag day, like no other in history. The Washington Herald writes: “Never has there been such a Flag Day fete before, and it may be centuries before it occurs again, but the deed was accomplished, despite the setting. The President has spoken.” Though America had declared war on Germany, the real enemy on this Flag Day seems to be the weather. Storm gale winds and heavy rain threatens what is supposed to be a major event in the nation’s capital planned with a 600 voice choir, a huge audience including government employees, who have a ½ day off so they can join the festivities - All to frame a rousing speech by President Woodrow Wilson about the war. The herald article captures the moment with: “Nature Allied with the German Autocracy yesterday in a futile effort to block the delivery of the most sensational war statement to the American People ever heard from the lips of a President!” Streets flooded, flags were ripped out of their holders and one man died in the gale while President Wilson braved the storm, shuning an umbrella and delivering a rousing speech against the gale. It all seemed somehow prophetic and appropriate. Then at the end of the day, it was announced that Liberty Loan drive had not only met it’s goal, but had exceeded it! On this Flag day in 1917  it feels like nothing can or will dare stop the Yanks. Link: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jun/13/flag-day-in-1917-was-like-no-other/ Official Bulletin We are going to pick up on the Liberty Loan drive by exploring this week’s pages of the “Official Bulletin”, the government war gazette published by George Creel, America’s propaganda chief, under the orders of President Wilson. We are pulling from Volume 1 - Issues 27-32 The pages of the Bulletin are filled with an all-out - last minute effort - in promoting the Liberty Loan bonds as this first national fund-raising program comes to a close this week: [sound effect]   Dateline Monday June 11, 1917 Headline: BELLS TO RING OUT CALL FOR LIBERTY LOAN SUBSCRIPTIONS The story reads: “The US Treasury Department issues the following: The pendulum of time is to swing back to 1776 and once again to the inscription on the old liberty bell : ‘Proclaim liberty throughout all the land, unto the inhabitants thereof,’ It is - to call Americans to service in the cause of freedom.   In every city, town, village, and hamlet "from every mountain side," the summons to every American shall ring. Beginning to-day (Monday) the bells in churches, schools, courthouses, and town halls throughout the Nation will toll every night at 9 o'clock, reminding Americans that the time for patriotic support of the Government through subscription to the liberty loan bonds is drawing to a close.   The bells will ring four times to-night, indicating that four days remain in which to buy bonds ; Tuesday they will toll three times; twice on Wednesday; and once Thursday.”   That quite a sales campaign! But that’s just a part of it. Listen to some of the other fundraising headlines - just from this week’s issues of the Official Bulletin - We will spare you the stories! [sound effect]   Headline:   LIBERTY LOAN APPEAL SENT TO EVERY NAVY SHIP AND STATION JUNE BRIDES SHOULD ASK THAT THEIR GIFT BE LIBERTY LOANS LIBERTY LOAN IS A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY ARTISTIC LIBERTY LOAN BONDS BEING TURNED OUT BY ENGRAVERS WORKING NIGHT AND DAY SENATE LEADERS URGE PUBLIC TO BUY LIBERTY LOAN BONDS   And on Friday - the day after the first subscription period closes - the Official Bulletin pronounced:   LIBERTY LOAN OVERSUBSCRIBED ; IT IS A GENUINE TRIUMPH FOR DEMOCRACY" SAYS SECRETARY Mc'ADOO   The government bond subscription target is set to raise $1.9 billion - and is said to have raised $2.5 billion- which is over 52 billion in 2017 dollars. It is huge win for the Wilson administration - We’ll continue with a couple of stories about some of the “No holds no barred” methods they used to do it.   Dateline: Monday June 11, 1917 Headline: WEALTHY CREEK INDIAN SEEKING TO INVEST HIS GREAT RICHES IN LIBERTY LOAN BONDS Jackson Bamett, a Creek Indian, Has Nearly $800,000 on Deposit In Banks and Treasury, from Rich Oil Lands Once Thought of Little Value, Allotted Him - In Oklahoma.   Wow.. Native Americans stepping up to help the nation. Well, maybe not exactly. Now the Native American community DID step up - and step up big - during WW1 - but stepping up financially? - Before indian casinos? - well, that was surprising and we thought there might be an interesting story here - so we sent out of our Commission summer interns - Lorenzo Rodriguez - to dig into the story a little. Here is what we learned. Jackson Barnett, a full blood Creek indian, is given 160 acre of land in 1903 in Oklahoma thanks to the Curtis act of 1898. Well - in 1912 they find oil on the property that earns him between 3 and 4 million dollars over his lifetime! Of course he is an Indian, in his 60’s and illiterate so the Creek County Court and the US Dept. of the interior declares him as “incompetent” and arranges to become the stewards of his estate. It turns out, that it is not actually Mr. Barnett’s idea to buy nearly $700,000 in liberty bonds - OR to donate $50,000 to the Red Cross? The good news is that Barnett is no fool - and later proves himself mentally capable of understanding his own actions and takes back control of his estate. There’s a book about him called: The World's Richest Indian: The Scandal over Jackson Barnett's Oil Fortune. We put a link to it in the podcast notes. https://www.amazon.com/Worlds-Richest-Indian-Scandal-Barnetts/dp/0195182987 Apparently, Secretary of the interior, Lane has control over quite a bit more than Mr. Barnett’s estate. This same week… [sound effect]   Dateline Wed. June 13, 1917 Headline: SECRETARY LANE SUBSCRIBES TO $10,000,000 LIBERTY LOAN BONDS FOR THE ACCOUNT OF AMERICAN INDIANS Secretary of the Interior Lane has subscribed to $10,000,000 in Liberty Loan Bonds on behalf of the accounts of Indians whose money is in his custody. Secretary lane states: ‘Most of these Indians reside in Oklahoma. They are " incompetents " similar to Jackson Barnett for whose account $640,000 in Liberty Bonds was subscribed yesterday. Most of the funds of these Indians is on deposit either at low rates of interest or in the Treasury Department drawing no interest.’ The implication is that this is a favor because now the funds are in Liberty Bonds drawing 3.5% interest. And maybe it was. So - in summary - about the government getting into the bond business - subscribing to the bonds became a symbol of patriotic duty in the United States running up to WW1 - AND it introduced the idea of financial securities to many citizens for the first time. The Act of Congress which authorized the Liberty Bonds is still the same law used TODAY as the authority under which all U.S. Treasury bonds are issued.   And speaking of issued... The amazing  “Official Bulletin” the government war gazette,  is now being re-issued every day - Except Sunday - on our website - on the centennial of its original publish date. If you are an educator, researcher, historian, student of propaganda or just interested in exploring the nuances of America’s transformation in 1917, and the echoes - that still ring in your life today - Like US Treasury Bonds - We offer you this wonderful daily resource at  ww1cc.org/bulletin - explore, exploit, Enjoy! It’s kind of an amazing daily read about the war that changed the world. Link: ww1cc.org/bulletin Great War Project Moving on to our first guest - we are joined by former NPR correspondent Mike Shuster from the Great War Project blog.  Mike - Human beings have a tendency to believe what they want to believe - and from my readings, both the French and the Brit’s see America as this powerful juggernaut ready to sweep in and solve the wretched, miserable, wearying war. And now Pershing arrives in Europe - and the news he brings is not exactly what anyone wants to hear - right? “A desperate moment for the allies Pershing in london tells king no aircraft on the way” LINK:http://greatwarproject.org/2017/06/11/a-desperate-moment-for-the-allies/   Thank you Mike. That was Mike Shuster from the Great War Project blog. War in the Sky: Interview with Paul Callens and Eileen Dumont War In the Sky Last week we ran a story about US Marine Corp - medal of Honor recipient aviator Ralph Talbot and about the collaborative research project being done across the atlantic - about him - by two citizen historians. So as a follow up, we have invited Eileen Dumont from Massachusetts and Paul Callens from Pittem, Belgium, also a member of Flemish Genealogical Society in the Tielt region. Welcome to both of you! [interview] That was Eileen Dumont from Massachusetts and Paul Callens from Pittem, Belgium about their trans-continental collaboration in honoring US Marine aviator Ralph Talbot. link:http://www.patriotledger.com/news/20170428/fascinating-new-insight-gained-into-ralph-talbot The Great War Channel Our friends at the Great War Channel on Youtube produce videos about WW1 - 100 years ago this week  - The show is produced in Europe - so it comes from a more European perspective. This is Indy Niedel - the host of the show. [Indy clip] One of their new clips this week is called the Top 10 Stupid Moves of WW1 from Mid 1915 through 1916. Indy offers a really interesting perspective on some of the strategic blunders of the time - seen through that sharp sharp lens of hindsight. The link is in the podcast notes or search for “the great war” on youtube. Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheGreatWar The Storyteller and the Historian We are going to close out “WW1 - 100 years ago this week” with a follow up to last week’s report about June 5th - registration day for the selective service. That is the subject for our new segment - The StoryTeller and the Historian with Richard Rubin and Jonathan Bratten. [run segment] That was - the StoryTeller - Richard Rubin and The Historian - Jonathan Bratten talking about the 1917 Selective Service act. World War One NOW We have moved forward into the present with WW1 Centennial News NOW  - News about the centennial and the commemoration. Activities and Events From the U.S. National WW1 Centennial Events Register at WW1CC.org/events - here is our upcoming “event pick” of the week:   “Decoding the Great War” is a panel discussion that will take place June 20th at the National Cryptologic Museum in Maryland. If our stories from last week about the Choctaw Code Talkers or the use of knitting as covert communications interested you, this panel is a great opportunity to learn even more about the role of codes and ciphers in WW1. This panel discussion includes experts in the evolution of Intelligence Collection, Radio Intelligence, Code Making and the first Code Talkers. Check out U.S. National WW1 Centennial Events Register  for things happening in your area, and there is a big red button there so you can submit your own upcoming events to it, at ww1cc.org/events link:https://www.facebook.com/events/397486580636106/ http://ww1cc.org/events   PTSD Month - The Lost Battalion and suicide As we have mentioned - June is PTSD Awareness month - and as we did last week, we bring you another story on the disorder and WW1. 100 years ago, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Whittlesey was known around the world -- as was, the battalion he lead during World War 1. The so called Lost Battalion was surrounded by enemies and cut off in the Argonne for days -- before being saved when their famous messenger pigeon “Chere Ami” - aptly named as “dear friend” was able to relay their position for help. Commission friend and author - Rob Laplander - wrote a book called “Finding the Lost Battalion”.  Links to his book and additional information from his research on the Lost Battalion is available at  ww1cc.org/lostbattalion - all lower case - all one word. So…  the war ended a month after the incident and Whittlesey and his comrades were hailed as fabled heroes for the exploit. But the war lingered on in the Lieutenant Colonel’s mind and in 1921, just a few years after the war, Whittlesey committed suicide. Whittlesey is, by no means, alone in this fate. In a 2014 study the Veteran’s administration reported that 20 US veterans commit suicide every day. There is a detailed article about Whittlesey’s suicide in the Berkshire Eagle and we have put a number of link in the podcast notes for you. Please keep our veterans in your mind and in our heart as PTSD Awareness month continues this June. link:http://ww1cc.org/lostbattalion http://www.berkshireeagle.com/stories/lost-again-echoes-of-a-wwi-heros-suicide,508711 http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/finding-the-lost-battalion-home.html http://save22.vet/?gclid=CI2bhJicu9QCFcOCswod49oO_g https://activeheroes.org/22kill/?gclid=CITnppicu9QCFZCPswod5xAFGg http://www.militarytimes.com/story/veterans/2016/07/07/va-suicide-20-daily-research/86788332/ Education This week in Education we want to let you know about the WW1 Centennial Commission Education Newsletter, released every other month. Each issue includes an extensive selection of articles, lessons, teaching guidelines and primary sources that you can freely use, all vetted by professional historians and educators. The newsletter is produced with assistance from National History Day, American Battle Monuments Commission, the American Field Service, the Library of Congress, the National Archives and more. The upcoming week’s newsletter is themed “Animals at War” and includes articles and links for differing grade levels about the role of animals in the war. Some famous individuals are featured like Winnie the Pooh and Sgt Stubby as well as lesser known characters like Jackie the Baboon. Perhaps the most surprising critter featured is the glow worm, who played a useful if unexpected role in the war. Register for the newsletter or read past issues by following the link in the podcast notes. link:http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/educate/education-resources.html         Updates From The States Battleship Texas Leaks Now for our updates from the states. From Texas - there is a news story from Houston about flooding aboard the USS Texas. The Battleship Texas survived World War 1 - and then went on to survive  world war II. Now we hope she will survive the month! Periodic leaks have plagued the aging ship since 2010 and a large new one sprung up over this past weekend. By Monday June 11th, the ship was listing 8 degrees. By Tuesday 12 degrees. She needs help. Previously, needed repairs were postponed because of the high expense. There’s no news yet as to how extensive the damage will be to the battleship, but you can be certain it will come at a similarly high price tag. We hope a solution can be found so that this 103 year old historic vessel can resume its role as a site for educating the public and school children about the World Wars. Learn more by following the links in the podcast notes. link:http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2017/06/12/battleship-texas-closed-tilting-as-crews-work-to-plug-leaks/   DC: Archivists work to save American Legion post in DC From the District of Columbia is a story about an American Legion Post. Last summer, as the Smithsonian Museum of African-American History prepared to open, some local archivists and educators began working to save the history of an African-American American Legion post in northeast D.C.   The James Reese Europe Post 5 was first established 100 years ago during World War 1, named for the noted band leader of the 369th Infantry - the Harlem Hellfighters. What’s left of the Post House is mostly just boxes of documents and photographs; so the post has teamed up with American University educators and Prologue DC to research, archive and preserve what it left of the post. Read more about the project at the links in the podcast notes. link: http://wtop.com/dc/2016/08/archivists-work-to-save-american-legion-post-in-dc/ http://dcpost5.americanobserver.net/   Maine: Unlikely War Poet From the Maine WW1 web site ---  a story about an unlikely war poet, Ralph Moan, a civil engineer from the town of Waterville, Maine. World War I is noted for the incredibly evocative war poetry it produced, notably from such soldier-poets as Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon. However, very few of those well-known poets were American. Ralph Moan served with the 103d Infantry Regiment, part of the 26th “Yankee” Division made up entirely of New England units. He returned home to Maine in 1919 as a corporal to find that he had been awarded both the French Croix de Guerre and the Distinguished Service Cross for his bravery. Now that he was home, he gathered his memories of the war and its devastation -- into himself, channeling it into poetry. Though he never spoke of his experiences aloud, even to his family, his experience of the war lived on in his writings. Read his story on the Maine’s WW1 website at ww1cc.org/maine Link: ww1cc.org/maine http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/2515 https://armyhistory.org/an-unlikely-war-poet-a-doughboy-from-maine/   International Report Violin left unfinished played at his grave This week in our International Report comes a wonderful story about two young British men and the violin that brought them together across a century. Private Richard Howard began making his violin before the outbreak of world war 1, planning to finish it upon his return. Sadly, he died in the fighting on the first day of the battle of Messines ridge in June 1917, 100 years ago this month. The violin passed from person to person, being put together and finished over the course of decades. It wound up in Sam Sweeney hands - a british folk musician who somehow knew it was something special. Inside the violin was the date “1915” and Private Howard’s name,  so - Sweeney tracked down the young soldier and his descendents. In a recent ceremony, Sweeney played the soldier’s violin at his grave as Howard’s family looked on. The family hadn’t known much of anything about Howard, his own granddaughter saying “I knew nothing at all about my grandfather... I was very interested to learn about him because I had heard nothing except 'your grandfather died in the war'. People in those days didn't talk about it for fear of upsetting someone. My mother [Rose] was 11 when he died. I have to say the news when it got to me just blew me away.” Sweeney continues to tell the instrument's unique story in his show, Made in the Great War, which he is touring across the UK.   song “rose howard” named for Pvt Howard’s daughter. Link to Sam Sweeney’s album: https://www.madeinthegreatwar.com/music link:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/07/violin-left-unfinished-ww1-soldier-played-grave-100-years-chance/ https://www.madeinthegreatwar.com/music Spotlight in the Media In our Spotlight on the Media - The headline reads - 'Wonder Woman' Smashes Domestic Box Office Record For Female Directors”   So on one hand we have a hit movie - and on the other we have a little mystery! The Wonder Woman in DC comic book Issue 1 that came out on July 22, 1942 - was originally set during WWII…  but this summer’s early blockbuster is set in WW1. We HAD to ask why? So we put another of our Commission’s intrepid summer interns - Paul Burgholzer to chasing down the mystery. Here is the story: Though the filmmakers have declined to de-mystify this - He found three theories - Theory ONE - From an IGN interview with producer Charles Roven. Roven says that the film was set in in World War I because it adds a culture shock aspect to Diana. Diana romanticizes war and trains in hand to hand combat. She believes that combat is an honorable competition between warriors. World War I, Roven explains, was the first major conflict where the combatants did not even see the people they were killing. In the film the WWI introduces the extreme suffering of modern warfare to Wonder Woman driving her to seek a solution.   Theory TWO - The filmmakers wanted to set themselves apart from their rivals at Marvel Comic with characters like Captain America whose story is set in WWII   Theory THREE - comes from Breitbart putting forth the theory that WW1 sets a more politically correct agenda - The writer - who wrote the article in January - predicted that the film would be strongly anti-war and that WW1 would be a better foil for that because WWII has such clear villain like Hitler.   I don’t know about that that… When I saw the movie last weekend it did not feel like much of a political statement to me at all. It just seemed like a really well made summer blockbuster, a really fun entertainment, and a really strong female lead. What do you think?     link:http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/communicate/press-media/wwi-centennial-news/2543-why-wonder-woman-had-to-be-set-in-world-war-i.html Articles and Posts WWrite Blog In our WWRITE blog, which we host on the commission web site and which explores WWI’s Influence on contemporary writing and scholarship, this week's post is: "More Gentile Than Grim: Letters Home from WWI," comes from author, editor, and award-winning teacher, David Chrisinger. Chrisinger is the editor of See Me For Who I Am, a collection of essays by veteran students that seeks to undermine three main media-create stereotypes that divide them from the American people they have fought to protect: as superhuman; as broken, disabled, and traumatized; or as dangerous, ticking time bombs. In this post, he discusses a WWI project he completed with new student veterans at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point using hundreds of letters written by WWI soldiers from the town where the university is located. Don't miss this post describing their surprising, insightful reactions! Read more about the project by visiting the Wwrite blog at ww1cc.org/w-w-r-i-t-e and if this WW1’s Influence on contemporary writing and scholarship is of particular interest - sign up for the blog at the same link. ww1cc.org/wwrite http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/articles-posts.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 - what do you have for us this week?   The Army’s Treasure Room   That warehouse from the end of Indiana Jones and the Ark of the Covenant? Turns out that pretty much exists. link:https://www.buzzfeed.com/bennyjohnson/inside-the-armys-spectacular-hidden-treasure-room?utm_term=.qjxyBkM3QK#.lpmGL1oXO5 https://armyhistory.org/donation-opportunities-programs/   Gen. Pershing Arrives A photo from our Instagram feed proves popular Link:https://www.facebook.com/ww1centennial/photos/a.774612519380715.1073741840.185589304949709/789769801198320/?type=3&theater Thank you Katherine. All of Katherine’s stories have links in the podcast notes. Closing And That’s WW1 Centennial News for this week. Thank you for listening! We want to thank our guests: Mike Shuster from the Great War Project blog Eileen Dumont and Paul Callens Richard Rubin, Author and Storyteller and Jonathan Bratten, Historian with their new segment the StoryTeller and the Historian 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 show is a part of that effort! 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 rely entirely on your donations. No government appropriations or taxes are being used, so please give what you can by going to ww1cc.org/donate - all lower case Or if you are listening to the show on your smart phone you can text us a donation - just text  the letters: WW1 to the number 41444. 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. As of last week you can also find us on TuneIn. Our twitter and instagram handles are both @ww1cc and we are on facebook @ww1centennial. Thanks for joining us. And don’t forget to share what you are learning here about “The War that Changed the World”. So long. [music]