Podcasts about yankee division

US Army National Guard officer and historian Jonathan Bratten comes on the podcast to discuss his book, “To the Last Man: A National Guard Regiment in the Great War, 1917-1919.” The regiment discussed is the 103rd Infantry Regiment, a unit in the 26th “Yankee” Division.    Jonathan joins us to discuss the 103rd's engagements in the Meuse-Argonne in October 1918. Link to the book:   https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/combat-studies-institute/csi-books/to-the-last-man.pdf   The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.    Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Rate, review, and subscribe to the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

Prior to World War I, most people regarded the National Guard as the militia, not as a valuable part of the nation's strategic reserve. The 1916 National Defense Act – a piece of legislation that a young officer named Douglas MacArthur helped the US Army lobby for – would lay the groundwork for National Guard units to be activated into Federal service. In 1917, as the United States prepared to fight in Europe, National Guard units across the country were activated into Federal service. Maine's 103rd Infantry Regiment was one of these units and it would see service in France as part of the 26th Division. Known as the “Yankee Division,” the 26th would see considerable combat in France during the war. To discuss the experience of the 103rd Infantry Regiment during World War I, the World War I Podcast interviewed Captain Jonathan Bratten, command historian of the Maine Army National Guard and author of To the Last Man: A National Guard Regiment in the Great War. If you'd like to read To the Last Man, a free download is available: https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/combat-studies-institute/csi-books/to-the-last-man.pdf. You can also request a hard copy by emailing: usarmy.leavenworth.tradoc.mbx.armyu-aup-rp@army.mil 

World War II veteran of the US Army's 26th Yankee Division, Bob DeYeso, age 97, spoke at the Memorial Day services in Canton as he has for many years. Canton representative and native, Bill Galvin, also spoke along with members of the Select Board and Chair, John Connolly, Veteran's Agent, Arafat Knight, Brigadier Generals, fire services and many others. The event was held Memorial Day, May 30th at Canton Corner Veteran's Park Cemetery and recorded by Canton Community Television. This is the audio version of the event.

Stubby, a stray dog, is smuggled into France and serves as part of the U.S. Army's Yankee Division in World War I.

Sgt Stubby (Now a movie: Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero) 1917 Private J. Robert Conroy found a brindle pup with a stubby tail which becomes the dog's name.Stubby started his military career as the mascot for the 102nd Infantry 26 the Yankee Division.Stubby was a quick study learning bugle calls, drills, and even found his own way to salute putting his right paw on his right eyebrow.Even though animals were not allowed Private Conroy hid Stubby when they went to France on the SS. Minnesota. Like many things hidden Stubby was found and brought before the commanding officer where stubby promptly gave the Commanding officer the salute that would allow him to stay.In February 1918 Stubby accompanied his troop to the front lines where Stubby suffered his first war injury: a poison gas attack. This is when Stubby not only survived but got his almost superpower of smelling even the tiniest bit of gas (ok. go ahead and giggle but this gets really good)Early in the morning when everyone was sleeping there was a gas attack. Stubby raised the alarm saving many.Stubby became a rescuer able to find wounded men by listening for English and bark until paramedics cane.Stubby even captured a German spy. This raised the pup to the rank of Sergeant, the first dog to attain rank in the Us. Military.After being wounded in a grenade attack Sgt. Stubby spent his time visiting other wounded military at the field hospital.When the war was over stubby had been in 17 battles.His retirement was no less impressive: he led the American troops in a review parade, visiting the White House meeting Woodrow Wilson, Harding, and Coolidge.Stubby was decorated by General John Pershing the Commanding General of the United States Armies.Stubby followed his dear friend J. Robert Conroy to his studies in law at Georgetown University where Stubby become their mascot. Don't Miss A Story, Sign Up Today For Updates Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. First Name Last Name Email Address Sign Up We respect your privacy. Thank you! Buy Sgt. Stubby Notebook Royal Dogs: Penelope & Beatrice See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero, which marches into theaters everywhere April 13, is based on the incredible true story of the unbreakable bond between a young Soldier and a stray dog who, for his valorous feats, was the first dog promoted to the rank of Sergeant in the U.S. Army, remains the most decorated dog in U.S. Armed Forces history and is widely considered the forerunner to the Army's working dog program. From Fun Academy Motion Pictures, Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero, opening in theaters nationwide on April 13, is based on the incredible true story of the unbreakable bond between a young Soldier and a stray dog who, for his valorous feats, is still recognized today as the first dog promoted to the rank of Sergeant in the U.S. Army and the most decorated dog in American history. Based on the real-life story of America's first and most decorated war dog in history, Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero, opening on April 13 nationwide, is a heartwarming 'tail' for the entire family! Beyond his extraordinary military exploits – well documented in history books, but largely forgotten until now – Stubby's status as an adopted stray is earning him recognition by animal rescues and welfare organizations. As part of that celebration of this four-legged hero, Fun Academy Motion Pictures announces a partnership with the Humane Society of the United States and approximately 90 other regional and national animal organizations in all 50 states. Partners will support the release of the film through social media, contests, movie screenings and more to promote rescue and adoption by shining a light on the special bond between people and their pets and the amazing things animals can do when given a chance. "For all who appreciate the service of dogs in war and the ties of loyalty that unite them with soldiers and veterans, this film's a treat.  There are few stories in the history of the human-animal bond to match the stirring tale of a special dog and a special soldier who met on the training ground and served together on the field of battle during World War I.  Stubby's legacy as a doughboy mascot and a post-war ambassador for animal adoption and the kindness cause makes his story one for the ages -- all ages!," commented Bernard Unti, Ph.D., Senior Policy Advisor, The Humane Society of the United States. Said award-winning filmmaker Richard Lanni, producer-director of Sgt. Stubby, "While Sgt. Stubby is entertainment for the entire family, it also shares an important, life-altering message about animal adoption with kids and is a fun way to interest them in the history of our country. When you adopt a pet, you get back as much as you give, and we are excited to share Stubby's amazing, true story, which continues to change lives today, a century later." Coinciding with the year-long 100th commemoration of the United States' role in the "War to End All Wars," this animated "tail" stars Logan Lerman (Fury, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Percy Jackson & The Olympians), Helena Bonham Carter (the upcoming Ocean's 8, the Harry Potter films, The King's Speech, Sweeney Todd) and Gérard Depardieu (Life of Pi, Cyrano De Bergerac, The Man in the Iron Mask, Green Card) and features an original score by Patrick Doyle (Brave, Thor, Cinderella, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire). About the Real-Life Stubby … Before he was a hero, Stubby was homeless, unwanted, unwashed and unloved, scrounging for scraps on the streets of New Haven, Conn. in 1917—Until he was taken in by Private First Class Robert Conroy of the 102nd Infantry Regiment, 26th "Yankee" Division. In France, Stubby saw frontline action in four offensives and 17 battles. He found wounded Soldiers, saved an entire company by alerting the men to don gas masks and even caught a German spy. After the recapture of Château-Thierry, the women of the town made him an embroidered jacket that would serve as Stubby's uniform and display his numerous awards throughout the rest of his career.

Highlights Death and Taxes Federal Income Tax in 1918 | @02:15 Casualty List Controversy | @05:20 America Emerges - 26th Yankee Division and rats - Dr. Edward Lengel | @07:35 War In The Sky - Personal account of Paris air raids | @13:30 US anti-war activism in 1918 - Mike Shuster | @16:10 Euro WWI Commemoration events - Dr. Monique Seefried | @21:05 Dog Tags reunited with Doughboy - James Shetler | @30:15 Spotlight in the media 1: Sgt. Stubby - Jacy Jenkins | @36:45 Spotlight in the media 2: Journey’s End - Trailer clip | @42:35 100C/100M in Ogden Utah, Terry Schow | @44:55 Speaking WWI - Penguin | @51:10 WWI Commemoration in Social Media - Katherine Akey | @52:45----more---- Opening Welcome to World War 1 centennial News - episode #63 - 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 March 16th, 2018 and our guests for this week include: Dr. Edward Lengel with a story from the Yankee Division and rats... Mike Shuster, from the great war project blog revisiting the ongoing anti-war movement in America Commissioner Monique Seefried tells us about upcoming centennial events in Europe James Shetler with the story of one doughboy’s dog tags and their journey back beside him Jacy Jenkins gets us ready for the premiere of the new animated WWI set film Sgt Stubby: An American Hero Terry Schow, sharing the 100 Cities/100 Memorials project in Ogden Utah Katherine Akey with the WW1 commemoration in social media   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, as we were looking at the news and articles from various publications 100 years ago, an unexpected theme popped out.. A theme that covers two ideas that are said to be the only sure things in life. Death and Taxes - both of which are all over the news this week 100 years ago. With that as a setup, let’s jump into our Centennial Time Machine and roll back 100 years to understand how we see death and taxes 100 years ago in the War that Changed the World! World War One THEN 100 Year Ago This Week Taxes We are back in 1918 and some things never change. We are in mid March, heading towards April and it’s TAX TIME!! [SOUND EFFECT] Dateline March 11, 1918 A headline from the Official Bulletin reads: Voices of 25,000 Four-Minute Men to Be Heard Throughout the Land, Warning All to Make Tax Returns The story opens with: Twenty-five thousand Four-Minute Men will start out today on a nation-wide campaign to impress upon the American public their patriotic duty promptly to file their income tax return and pay their taxes. The period for filing ends April 1. You remember who the four-minute-men are, right? The four minute men are a force of volunteers that are deployed by George Creel - America’s propaganda chief - to deliver 4 minute government written pitches to the population. The article continues to explain: The Four-Minute Men will appear in theaters, moving picture houses, and public gatherings.  Special meetings will be held by chambers of commerce, boards of trade, rotary clubs, luncheon clubs, and business organizations. " Don't delay " is the warning that will be given by the speakers. Taxpayers will be urged to protect themselves and aid the Government by being prompt. It will cost the Government money and trouble to hunt down the man who dodges the income tax, but the word has gone forth from headquarters that this will be done. Be it known that the “slacker " will be shown no leniency.   Now here it gets interesting! The article goes on to reveal how much people actually pay for taxes in 1918 - In the article it states: The man of modest income is made to bear a just share of the common burden. Tables have been produced comparing the rate of tax in the United States and Great Britain. Here in the United States, the married man with an income of $2,500 pays $10 in taxes while in Great Britain the-man with an income of $2,500 pays a tax of $223! However, larger incomes in the US are subject to a surtax! The normal rate of tax under the war revenue act of 1917 is 2 percent on the net Income of married persons earning $2,000. The surtax ranges from an additional 1 per cent on incomes between $5,000 and $7,500 to a surtax of 50 percent on incomes in excess of $1,000,000. So in 1918, we have a tax code that can be explained in 4 minutes. It supports working people with a small tax burden and expects the wealthy to contribute a substantial share back to the nation that makes it possible for them to gain such wealth. Weird - huh!? Death OK So much for Taxes - Let’s talk about the other sure thing in life - Death! This week 100 years ago there is great controversy raging in the pages of the NY times over the publication of casualty lists. Concerned over German abilities to derive useful military information from casualty lists and under pressure from the French, Pershing only publishes names of casualties with no unit, or home address information. [SOUND EFFECT] Dateline: March 11, 1918A headline in the NY Times reads: WAR DEPARTMENT STANDS-BY-THE BAN ON CASUALTY LISTS Shows No Intention of Yielding on Publication of Addresses. CONGRESSMEN OBJECT Expect Flood of Protests from Constituents Information is Declared to be Valuable to Foe The article goes on to explain that the French do not publish ANY casualty lists instead they simply inform the next of kin directly. George Creel,  the head of the Committee on Public information, also easy to describe as America’s propaganda chief is in on this fight, as the Times describes the committee’s stand as: “The mere publishing of name of soldiers without home addresses to Identify them to neighbors and friends or to prevent confusion with other men of similar names, is so devoid of news value that the committee will not Issue the lists.” Interestingly, the NY Times clearly has it wrong - because George Creel is also the publisher of the government daily War Gazette the “Official Bulletin” -- and on the same day, May 11, in issue #254 - on page 2 -- there is an article whose headline reads: LIST OF CASUALTIES AS REPORTED AMONG THE U.S. FORCES OVERSEAS And continues to list the casualties by the Rank, first name, middle initial and last name. Looking further into it we found something else fascinating. A few days later, on March 16, another article in the NY times is published: [SOUND EFFECT] Headline: 1,722 Casualties in Overseas Forces so Far; 162 Killed in Action or Dead From Wounds. The article goes on to list what the causes of the casualties are. Some of the smallest numbers are death from gas, civilians and executions - but when you look at the numbers you realize that out the casusualies, less than 10% are killed in action. About the same % as killed by accidents, while a whopping 37% -  over ⅓ of casualties are the result of disease. So if you are an American Soldier in Europe in March of 1918 - you are nearly 4 times more likely to get killed by a bacterium or a virus than you are likely to get killed by the Kaiser’s forces… a strange twist of fate at this stage in the war that changed the world! Links: http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/educate/places/official-bulletin/3343-ww1-official-bulletin-volume-2-issue-254-march-11-1918.html https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/03/16/98260787.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/03/11/118139263.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/03/12/98259936.pdf https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/03/15/98260374.pdf [SOUND EFFECT] America Emerges: Military Stories from WW1 And that brings us to this week’s segment of America Emerges: Military Stories from WWI with Dr. Edward Lengel. Ed: This week your story is about the 26th Yankee division.. And last week you teased us with the fact that this week’s story was going to include special RATS! Can’t wait to hear the story! [ED LENGEL] [Ed, what will you be telling us about next week?] 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 website as an author. Links:http://www.edwardlengel.com/100-years-ago-1918-yankee-divisions-secret-weapon/ https://www.facebook.com/EdwardLengelAuthor/ http://www.edwardlengel.com/about/ [MUSIC TRANSITION] War in the Sky Combining the War in The Sky and Women’s History Month we have this first person account from a YMCA canteen worker who went to Paris to help our boys: This week, one hundred years ago, the war in the sky over Paris is alive with attacks on the city. This is from one of the last letters written by a Miss Winona C Martin,  a YMCA worker who was killed in a German air raid attack on Paris. In this letter she describes another raid much like the one in which she was killed. Hospitalized in Paris with Bronchitis she writes: “Above the red brick wall, which is all I see, of the world’s most beautiful city, there rises a patch of sky… and as the light began to fade on my first night in the hospital, I noticed some stars of marvelous brilliance. Suddenly they began to move about in the weirdest manner, which I thought due to the fact that I was slightly lightheaded. My nurse came to me presently and explain that they were airplanes on guard. She said the Bosh were expected any moment, because it was full moon. The following night I was watching them again when suddenly I heard the boom of canons. There came the call of sirens, which warn Paris that an air raid is on. There followed a scene as I hope never to witness again. All lights were extinguished and the women in the ward across the hall awakened and commenced to call on the Saints and the Virgin for protection. Further down, I heard babies crying. The nurses walked up and down ringing their hands, yet trying to prevent a panic. For half an hour the firing continued. Sometimes directly above our heads, sometimes becoming more distant. Meanwhile the whole battle was visible from my window. The airplanes, mere streaks of light,  darted hither and thither and sometimes there was a blaze like a falling star when one was hit. At the end of that time, the firing ceased. The siren blew the recall, which meant that the Bosh were driven back. And to my immense surprise, the whole hospital instantly calmed down, turned over on its pillows and went peacefully to sleep. Miss Martin was a civilian casualty this month, but her letters home give us a  special glimpse into one woman’s experience of the war in the sky, the war on the sea, and the war in Paris 100 years ago this week. Link:  https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/03/17/109329237.pdf Great War Project Now on to the Great War project with Mike Shuster - former NPR correspondent and curator for the Great War project Blog…. Mike, this week you turn your focus back to the homefront with a report on those who still resist America’s participation in the war. Their voice is not a welcome echo in the US, is it Mike?   it certainly is not Theo… The headline on the "Great War Project" this week read… [MIKE POST] Mike Shuster from the Great War Project blog. LINK: http://greatwarproject.org/2018/03/11/american-anti-war-movement-still-alive/ [SOUND EFFECT] The Great War Channel If you’d like to see videos about WWI, we suggest our friends at the Great War Channel on Youtube. This week’s new episodes include:   Peace in the east -- The Treaty of Brest-Litovskand German Tactics for the 1918 Spring Offensive   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 It is time to fast forward into the present with WW1 Centennial News NOW - [SOUND EFFECT] This part of the podcast is not about the past - it is about NOW and what is happening to commemorate the centennial of the War that changed the world! Commission News/Events Euro Commemoration Events with Commissioner Seefried This week in Commission News, we’re looking across the Atlantic and towards the summer-- to the many centennial commemoration events that will be taking place all across Europe as the desperate and decisive battles that brought the war to end are remembered. Joining us now with an overview on some of these commemorations,  is US World War One Centennial Commissioner Dr. Monique Seefried. [Monique - Welcome back to the podcast! We haven’t had you on the show for a long time!] [greetings] [Monique - In overview, what are the key commemoration events planned in Europe this year?] [I know there is one event in particular that is close to your heart. It is taking place at the Croix Rouge farm in late July-- what is it ?] [If Americans want to participate in these commemorations - how to they go about it? ] [goodbyes/thanks] Dr. Monique Seefried is a Commissioner on the US WW1 Centennial Commission. We have put a number of links including to some of the guide Dr. Seefried mentioned into the podcast notes. Links: https://www.abmc.gov/news-events/news/world-war-i-centennial-ceremonies-abmc-sites http://www.greatwar.co.uk/events/2014-2018-ww1-centenary-events.htm http://www.1914.org/ http://eventi.centenario1914-1918.it/ http://croixrougefarm.org/inauguration/ http://www.worldwar1.com/ http://www.worldwar1.com/pdf/AEF_Battlefields.pdf https://war-travel.com/illustrated-travel-guides/north-east-france Remembering Veterans Dog Tags Reunited In our Remembering Veterans segment this week -- we’re joined by James Shetler, a citizen historian and independent researcher. James is here to tell us the story of a pair of dog tags-- and their long journey back to the doughboy that had lost them a century ago. Welcome, James! [greetings] [James - to start-- Can you tell us a bit about the man these dog tags belonged to-- Captain Swenson?] [So, how did the dog tags come to be in your possession?] [So you went to back to France to return the tags?] [Are you working on any other World War One research projects now?] Thank you! [goodbyes]James Shetler is a citizen historian who pursued a story of service! If you have the story of someone who serves in WWI ---- a doughboy, volunteer, an individual - your ancestor or someone who you just connect with, lime James did with captain swenson, we can help you share their story and get it into the permanent national archival record about WWI. Just go to ww1cc.org/stories where you can submit their story of service to be published and archived. That link as well as the expanded story of Captain Swenson are in the podcast notes. Links: http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/commemorate/family-ties/stories-of-service.html http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/communicate/press-media/wwi-centennial-news/4185-my-journey-with-captain-alfred-marcy-swenson.html https://jayinthegreatwar.com/ Spotlight in the Media Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero This week for our Spotlight in the Media -- We’re joined by Jacy Jenkins, VP of Partnerships and Outreach from Fun Academy Motion Pictures. That is who is putting out the new animated film: Sgt Stubby: An American Hero! Which is having a combination world premiere showing and children’s benefit in Los Angeles later this month on March 27th. Welcome, Jacy! [greetings] [Jacy, Sgt. Stubby is a great story about the relationship between some American Doughboys and a very special dog that they adopted or maybe a dog  that adopted them. But it’s based on a true story, right? ] [The premiere is also a fundraiser -- can you tell us about that?] [Jacy - that seems to be part of the Fun Academy’s culture - you make movies but you also have a philanthropic bent - creating events to raise awareness for the film and raise money for causes -- Can you tell us about the Sgt Stubby look-alike contest?] [When can the public go see Sgt Stubby in theaters?] [Is there anything else you’d like us to know about the film?] [goodbyes] Jacy Jenkins is the VP of Partnerships and Outreach from Fun Academy Motion Pictures. You can learn more about the film Sgt Stubby: An American Hero by following the links in the podcast notes; we’ve included links to the most recent  trailers and to their social media accounts. Link:http://www.stubbymovie.com/ https://twitter.com/stubbymovie?lang=en https://www.facebook.com/StubbyMovie/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab0pd9oNf7Q&feature=youtu.be Journey’s End Another Spotlight in the Media is for another WW1 film premiering THIS weekend in New York and LA. Journey’s End is an intimate, gritty, and powerful film about men, mortality and fear. It’s about a group of British soldiers sent back to the front line trenches - just about exactly 100 years ago -- som this podcast audience knows what going on right now…. there is an imminent massive German assault rumored to be coming…. Like right now…. and these seasoned veterans, who are joined by a fresh faced young 19 years old, know what they are probably in for! [run sound clip] I just saw a viewing copy of the film and I have to tell you - this is a beautifully made, wonderfully written, well cast, powerful and poignant WWI movie you’ll want to make an effort to see. The film is going into limited release in the US and we have included a link to the playdate schedule in the podcast notes. You can also google Journey’s End to learn more. Tune in next week, when we’ve arranged an interview with the film’s director, Saul Dibb. Both the trailer and the showing listing are linked below. links:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLpyaLNfudY http://www.journeysendthefilm.com/watch/movies/journeys-end-622437?gwiCampaign=official+site_official+site_2018-01-11_7876&gwi_campaign=Official+Site&lead_partner_id=360&partner_asset_id=7876&version=2#theater-list 100 Cities 100 Memorials 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. This week we are profiling the WWI doughboy monument project by the Weber County Historical Society & American Legion Post 9 in Ogden, Utah. With us tell us about their project is Terry Schow [Scow] , a member of the National Executive Committee for The American Legion of Utah. Welcome Terry! [greetings] [Terry - You were one of the very first projects to submit a grant application to the 100 Cities / 100 Memorials program. When did you get started on this?] [Your doughboy statue was originally installed way up high on the side of a building  - at the legion post wasn’t it?] [It’s been a while - but didn’t you have a story about gold radiator paint being used to refurbish the statue back in the 70’s or something?] [You pulled together a really strong coalition of project partners in Ogden… who all signed on?] [Well, congratulations on being selected as a World War 1 Centennial Memorial. Are there re-dedication plans?] Terry Schow is a member of the National Executive Committee for The American Legion of Utah. Learn more about the 100 Cities/100 Memorials program at the link in the podcast notes or by going to ww1cc.org/100cities Link: www.ww1cc.org/100cities [SOUND EFFECT] Speaking WW1 And now for our feature “Speaking World War 1” - Where we explore the words & phrases that are rooted in the war  --- 100 years ago, penguins stumbled across grassy fields of America, France, and england - playing a critical and important role in the aerial war effort. Penguins!? Yea - Penguins! In your mind’s eye, are you still seeing little black-and-white, flightless,  tuxedo clad birds --- flapping their stubby wings on grassy knolls? Well - actually you’ve got the stubby wings, the flightless and grassy knolls right! Penguin is our Speaking WWI word, this week… And the penguins of World War One were indeed flightless and stubby winged. They were trainer planes for the air corps. These non-flying trainer aircraft were made for teaching new recruits how to operate an aircraft while still reasonably safe at ground level. Around 300 of the “Penguin” trainers were made during the course of the War, with wings too short and engines too small to lift the craft into actual flight, allowing trainees to experiment with the flight controls, engine operations, and flight procedures while still at ground level. These “aircraft” were jokingly nicknamed “Penguins” because both creatures and planes were something that probably should fly, but don’t. Penguins -- a useful training tool for a novice pilot, a cute but very smelly animal - and this week’s Speaking WW1 Word. Check the podcast links to learn more, and to see photographs of the Penguin planes. Links: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc2.ark:/13960/t9t156s17;view=1up;seq=155 http://www.cradleofaviation.org/history/exhibits/exhibit-galleries/world_war_i/breese_penguin.html https://iansumner.blogspot.com/2013/09/kings-of-air-of-penguins-and-men-part-2.html http://www.cradleofaviation.org/history/exhibits/exhibit-galleries/world_war_i/breese_penguin.html https://www.historyofsimulation.com/flight-simulators-in-world-war-1/ [SOUND EFFECT] The Buzz And 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? Trunk and Daylight Savings Hi Theo-- Daylight savings time appears in the news both this week in 2018 and this week in 1918. In fact, the most popular article we shared across social media accounts this week had to do with daylight savings time; most reactions to it were barf emojis and despair, which is pretty much how i felt trying to get up Monday morning at what felt like 5 am. But the NYtimes article from 1918 has a different tone: after months of tightly regulated coal and electricity usage, which meant many Americans spent their Mondays in the cold, Daylight Savings promised to help take the edge off coal rationing by giving us an hour more daylight in which to work and an hour less darkness that needed illumination. The change seems welcomed by the people of 1918, but I’m guessing they didn’t expect the wartime procedure to come back, and stay back, for a century. So, if you’re feeling as grumpy as I am about daylight savings-- you can thank the coal shortages of a century ago for the disruption. Moving on to nicer news, we shared another story about a treasure trove found in a trunk this week. Last week, we told the story of a man who has written a book about his father’s life and service in the war, which he put together after inheriting his father’s foot locker, filled with wartime belongings. It seems that trunks and footlockers were the go-to way to store belongings a century ago, as a WW1 era trunk was recently donated to the Texas Military Forces Museum. The museum posted a video of curators and archivists opening the trunk, astonished at the good condition and the sheer quantity of objects inside; dozens of letters, photographs, mess kits, magazines, and well kept uniforms -- the possessions of two brothers-- one with the 141st Infantry Regiment and the other with the 149th and 150th Machine Gun Battalion, 42nd Rainbow Division. Watch the whole video for a sneak peak at the collection-- and if you have a weird old trunk in your attic, you may want to crack it open and see what treasures you may have! Check the notes for links to these stories, and that’s it this week for the Buzz. link:https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/03/16/98260764.pdf https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/03/06/daylight-saving-time-almost-here-and-its-turning-100-years-old/395953002/ https://www.facebook.com/texasmilitaryforcesmuseum/videos/1680597135312139/   Thank you Katherine - Outro Thank you for listening to this week’s episode of WW1 Centennial News. We also want to thank our guests...   Dr. Edward Lengel, Military historian and author Mike Shuster, Curator for the great war project blog Monique Seefried, World War One Centennial Commissioner James Shetler, citizen historian and humanist Jacy Jenkins, VP of Partnerships and Outreach at Fun Academy Motion Pictures Terry Schow from the 100 Cities 100 Memorials project in Ogden, Utah Katherine Akey, the commission’s social media director and line producer for the podcast Thanks also to Eric Maar as well as our intern John Morreale for their 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; 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.   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   on  iTunes, Google Play, TuneIn, Podbean, and now also on Stitcher - Radio on Demand --- as well as the other places you get your podcast --  even on 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] OK…So what do you call a penguin in the trenches during WW1…? Lost! So long!

Highlights The Role of Coal in WWI America - Dr. Sean Adams | @ 03:00 Coming Attractions - Preview of podcasts | @ 09:50 The Halifax Explosion - Mike Shuster | @ 11:10    Commissioner Zoe Dunning is sworn in | @ 16 :00 Gold Star Mothers special tour - Candy Martin | @ 16:55 Speaking WWI - Chatting - A lousy deal | @ 23:50 New issue “Understanding The Great War” education Newsletter | @ 25:00 100C/100M - Portland, Maine - Brandon Mazer | @ 25:50 Sgt. Stubby new trailer | @ 30:40 Horse Heroes - BrookeUSA - Jo Ellen Hayden | @ 32:25 WWrite Blog - What if there had been no Balfour Declaration | @ 39:30 Buzz - Signal Corp & Drip Rifles - Katherine Akey | @ 40:15 & More.... ----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. Today is December 15th, 2017. This is episode #50 and our guests this week include: Dr. Sean Adams, on the role of coal in America during WW1 Mike Shuster with the story of the disastrous Halifax explosion   Candy Martin from Gold Star Mothers telling us about an upcoming European tour Brandon Mazer from the 100 Cities/100 Memorials project in Portland, Maine Jo Ellen Hayden introducing our newest site at ww1cc.org, Horse Heroes from Brooke USA And Katherine Akey, with the Buzz - The centennial commemoration in social media 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 Official Bulletin is the government daily War Gazette - which you can read yourself on our website like a daily paper at ww1cc.org/bulletin - with each issue being re-published on the centennial of its original publication date…. It is an awesome primary information resource for you nerds, history buffs and teachers… and of course for us at WW1 Centennial news! Well ever since it started publishing in May, we have been seeing nearly daily and certainly weekly articles about COAL… Yes.. COAL. The availability, the industry, the pricing, the mining, the transportation, the application… Coal keeps coming up in our editorial meetings. Our instinct says that this is a strategically important WWI subject - like airplanes, suffrage, the draft and food - but as we attack the subject, we keep feeling that the articles we are reading don't really get down to the strategic issues about Coal in WWI. We just keep seeing hints and snippets.. Like the related nationalization of the railroads and the effect on coal mining, or the nationalization of shipbuilding which leads to the decision to build a vast fleet of coal burning instead of oil burning merchant ships… and on and on… What we need… we reasoned… is a coal historian! Well, it turns out the world is NOT full of coal historians! But Katherine, bless her, has found Dr. Sean Adams who is joining us today - as soon as we jump into our wayback machine and roll back to the second week of December, 1917 to see how coal plays into the war that changed the world! [SOUND EFFECT] World War One THEN 100 Year Ago This Week [MUSIC TRANSITION] It's the second week of December 1917 - and it’s REALLY cold! This winter of 1917 is still considered one of the coldest on record for most of the Eastern seaboard and beyond. A giant blizzard is whipping through the North East - and as you’ll learn later - it has some pretty harsh effects on the Halifax Harbor explosion. One of the main sources for staying warm in this bitterly cold winter is…. Well - COAL! And it is being rationed. We are being joined here in 1917 by Dr. Sean Adams, Professor of History and Chair at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Welcome Dr. Adams! [exchange greetings] Dr. Adams - as we mentioned in our setup - it seems like coal, it’s mining, transportation and use in this moment in American history is seen as a pretty strategically important issue…  what IS coal’s role in WW1 America?   [Dr. Adams talks - 5-8 minutes]   Dr. Sean Adams, Professor of History and Chair at the University of Florida in Gainesville. His most recent book is - Home Fires: How Americans Kept Warm in 19th Century America.   [SOUND EFFECT] Coming Attractions Before we move on with the show, we want to give you a little heads up on our episodes for the next few week. Next week - for our Holiday Episode #51, we have a special treat for you. We are producing a 1917 vintage Holiday Mixtape! The entire episode is designed to provide you a wonderful “period holiday mood ambiance” - featuring the popular holiday music from 1917 and a special message from the 26th chief of Chaplains of the US Navy - Rear Admiral Margaret Grun Kibben (delivered from today to all Americans in uniform in 1917!) The following week is our New Year’s Episode #52, can you believe it!! 52 episodes in the can! - anyway - we will be replaying our favorite segments from 2017/1917 in a content collage that should be a lot of fun! January 2018: Then we roll into January with our first episode of 2018 coming out around January 5th - We are going to kick off the year by putting 1917 into perspective and taking a high level look forward into what to expect through 1918. It is going to be a very dynamic year and we will be keeping you up to date on WW1 Centenial News Then - what was happening 100 years ago - and WW1 Centennial News NOW - what is happening today to commemorate the war the changed the world.   [SOUND EFFECT] Great War Project [Mike Shuster] In Nova scotia two ships collide resulting in one of the largest man-made explosions in human history - devastating the city with damage and loss of life on a terrible scale. Her to tell us the story is Mike shuster former NPR correspondent and curator of the Great War Project blog. LINK: http://greatwarproject.org/2017/12/10/a-tremendous-explosion-in-canadian-harbor/ [SOUND EFFECT] GO TO REMEMBERING VETERANS SECTION The Great War Channel The Great War Channel on Youtube have been producing videos about WW1 since 2014.. And from a more european perspective. Here is Indy Nidel - the host of the Great War Channel. Great War Recording of Indy: Hi WW1 Centennial News Listeners - I’m Indy Neidell, host of the Great War Channel on Youtube. Fighting continues as 1917 comes to a close, marking the end of another year of mass devastation. Follow the action as we enter 1918, the fourth and final year of the war by subscribing to The Great War on Youtube and follow us on Facebook. This week’s new episodes include: Halifax Explosion and  Peace in the EastAnd Father Victory - George ClemenceauAnd finally The Road to Independence - Finland in WW1   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: In commission news, yesterday  Commander Zoe Dunning, USN (Ret.) was sworn in as the newest member of the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission. The swearing in ceremony took place at the commission’s headquarter in Washington DC. So how are these commissioners picked anyhow? Well Commissioner Dunning for example, was nominated by House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. The law that established the commission provided that the twelve members of the Centennial Commission - who serve without pay - by the way - are nominated by the President of the United States, the members of the U.S. Senate, the members of the U.S. House of Representatives, and by the nation's two largest veteran service organizations, the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Thank you for taking on the challenge - and welcome Commissioner Dunning! link:http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/communicate/press-media/wwi-centennial-news/3721-dunning-named-to-u-s-world-war-i-centennial-commission.html Remembering Veterans This week in our Remembering Veterans segment -- Gold Star Mothers are women who have lost a child in the service to our nation. The  name comes from the WWI custom of families hanging a banner called a service flag in the windows of their homes. The service flag had a star for each family member serving with each member represented by a blue star, except those who had lost their lives in service - who are represented by a gold star. More than a decade after the war ended, a unique and incredible event took place: Gold Star mothers and wives traveled across the Atlantic to visit the battlefields of Europe and the graves of their fallen family members. Next summer, that journey will be retraced by a special cruise and tour, and here to tell us more about it is Candy Martin, the Immediate Past National President of American Gold Star Mothers --- who is herself a Gold Star Mother, having lost her son 1st Lieutenant Thomas Martin, US Army, on October 14, 2007 in Iraq and herself served 38 years in the Army. Welcome, Candy   [greetings]   [Candy - First off, What is the mission of the American Gold Star Mothers organization?]   [So in the 1930’a there was the Gold Star Pilgrimage…  Who organized it and what was it?]   [Alright - so now you are organizing a centennial tour to revisit europe and retrace that journey.. Tell us about it please.]   [If I am interested in participating in the tour or learning more - what should I do?]   Candy Martin - a Gold Star mother, serving the organization and organizing the 2018 Gold Star Pilgrimages and Poppies Tour - learn more by following the links in the podcast notes. Link: https://www.facebook.com/PilgrimagesAndPoppies/ African American Gold Star Mothers in WWI There is also a poignant article about African American Gold Star mothers in the archives of our WWrite blog, titled “On a Boat Alone: African American Wives Post WWI”. Head to ww1cc.org/wwrite to read about the experience of African American families as they participated -- segregated -- in the Gold Star pilgrimages. The link is in the podcast notes. Link: http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/articles-posts/1699-on-a-boat-alone-african-american-wives-post-wwi.html Speaking WW1 And now for our feature “Speaking World War 1” - Where we explore the words & phrases that are rooted in the war  --- Getting on instant messenger, sending a text or simply meeting up with a friend at a coffee shop-- there are many ways to have a chat with a friend, a quick and light catch up conversation. But chatting with friends has its origins in a darker, and definitely less comfortable, place than you may think-- A chat in the trenches of WWI was another name for a louse, These horrid and itchy pests filled your clothes and got all over you including into your hair --- and chatting was the act of picking lice off yourself --- and in a very socially companionable - very monkey - ape -Jane Goodall reminiscent vision - helping to groom your companions. This was a really important daily task that could fill hours of the day-- something soldier’s could do to pass the time as they helped comrades pick lice - was to engage in small talk - Hence to the term chatting! - Who knew!!! So today chatting live or online, chat rooms, and social chats continue with great vigor but -- with fewer lice. 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 Education In Education news - This week a new issue of Understanding the Great War newsletter came it. This is our official Education Resource newsletter, published every two months. Each issue focuses on a particular theme, providing educators and students with a robust selection of resources from a wide range of sources. Issue # 10 addresses “Political Consequences & Revolutions“ The issue includes articles about the Russian Revolution, the Arab Revolt, the French Mutinies of 1917 and the Easter RIsing in Ireland. The publication is put together by the National WWI Museum and Memorial. Follow the link in the podcast notes to subscribe to a great WW1 educational resource and to read past editions! Link: http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/educate-home.html 100 Cities/100 Memorials [SOUND EFFECT Portland, ME 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 Jacob Cousins Memorial Renovation Project in Portland, Maine -- One of the first 50 grant awardees. With us tell us about the project is Brandon Mazer, the project coordinator for the Jacob Cousins Memorial Renovation Project and President of the Friends of the Eastern Promenade Welcome Brandon! [exchange greetings]   [Brandon in your grant application you list the memorial as - quote - The Jacob Cousins Memorial is a key WWI artifact in the history of the Jewish community in southern Maine.. Which leads to the question - who is Jacob?]   [Brandon - can you tell us about the memorial and the restoration plans for it?]   [What has been your community and Veteran service organization involvement in the project?]   [Brandon - Are you planning a rededication this coming year?]   Thank you so much for taking on this project for your community - congratulations on being selected as a WW1 Centennial Memorial! Brandon Mazer, the project coordinator for the Jacob Cousins Memorial Renovation Project and President of the Friends of the Eastern Promenade.   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://easternpromenade.org/jacob-cousin-renovation-project   [SOUND EFFECT] Spotlight in the Media Sgt Stubby For our Spotlight in the Media segment this week,  we’re excited to announce the release of a new teaser trailer for the upcoming film SGT Stubby: An American Hero. The animated film is based on the remarkable true story of the 26th "Yankee" Division's legendary mascot, SGT Stubby, a stray dog who became a hero of World War I. The film features the voices of actors Helena Bonham Carter, Gerard Depardieu, and Logan Lerman, among others. The movie will be in theaters nationwide on April 13th 2018.  I’m really looking forward to it - it’s a great opportunity to tell a wonderful WWI story to our younger generation - but like all great animated films today - it promises to be a genuine treat for the grownups too! Follow the link in the podcast notes to watch the trailer and to read an interview with the film's writer/producer, Richard Lanni on our website. Link:https://www.facebook.com/StubbyMovie/videos/1951793608403549/ http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/communicate/press-media/wwi-centennial-news/3840-new-trailer-released-for-the-sgt-stubby-movie.html Articles and Posts Horse Heroes web site by BrookeUSA In articles and posts - this week we have launched a wonderful new web section all about HORSE HEROES! It is the new site from Brooke USA at ww1cc.org/horses - easy to remember - With us to tell us more about it is Jo Ellen Hayden, Special Project Volunteer for BrookeUSA Horse Heroes Welcome, Jo Ellen!   [greetings]   [Joe Ellen - we have had Brooke USA on the show earlier this year in episode #13, but could you quickly remind our listeners about the origins of Brooke USA? ]   [The new website at ww1cc.org/horses is one of the most in-dept publishing partner sites we have -- what kinds of content can people find there?]   [You have put untold hours into it - What surprised you the most as you were putting the site together?]   Jo Ellen Hayden is a Special Project Volunteer for BrookeUSA Horse Heroes, check out the new site about horses and mules in WWI at ww1cc.org/horses. We also put in a link to our previous interview with Brooke USA’s Cindy Rullman in the podcast notes. Link: www.ww1cc.org/horses https://www.brookeusa.org/ http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/communicate/2015-12-28-18-26-00/weekly-sync-call/2106-ww1-centennial-news-episode-13-3-29-2017.html   US Army Nurse's WWI bracelet is returned More from our Articles and posts segment - in our rapidly growing website at ww1cc.org - from the news section there is a story of a bracelet’s amazing journey over the last century. The bracelet belonged to an Irish woman serving with the US Army Nurse Corps in France during World War I It was recently returned to her relatives in Ireland. The bracelet was found fifteen years ago by an eight-year-old boy in a schoolyard in northeastern France. Returning the bracelet led to a long, and ultimately successful search for the descendants of its original owner. Click here to read more about the quest, whose story is so interesting that it  spawned a documentary film in France. Link: http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/communicate/press-media/wwi-centennial-news/3839-army-nurse-s-wwi-bracelet-returned-after-long-search.html   Wwrite Blog This week In our WWRITE blog, which explores WWI’s Influence on contemporary writing and scholarship, this week’s posts reads “The Balfour Declaration: An Alternative History” If you love “alternate history” contemplations - you’ll like this a lot… What if there had been no Balfour Declaration? What would the alternative history look like? These are questions that writer, Simone Zelitch, author of the novel, Judenstaat, explores in this week's WWrite blog. Don't miss this fascinating glimpse at an alternate past and different future... Read the post at ww1cc.org/WWRITE or follow the link in the podcast notes. Link: http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/articles-posts/3844-the-balfour-declaration-an-alternative-history.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 this week? Hi Theo! Signal Corps Photographers We had some great content come through our Twitter feed this week, which you can follow at the handle @ww1cc. I particularly enjoyed an image from the twitter account 100ans US en Haute Marne-- a photograph of some US Signal Corps photographers. Not only is their equipment very cool -- especially if youre a camera enthusiast-- but their service produced some of the most incredible images of the war. During World War I the Signal Corps was responsible for communications.  However, the Signal Corps had other responsibilities during the war, such as army aviation (until May 1918) and photography.  The Photographic Section of the Signal Corps was established in June 1917, and it was responsible for the U.S. Army’s official ground and aerial photography of World War I. You can view a collection of the Signal Corps’ ww1 photography, and the photo from twitter, by following the links in the podcast notes.   link:https://twitter.com/100ansHM/status/940523627807756288 http://cdm16635.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/search/collection/p16635coll16!p16635coll22/order/title/page/1 Aussie Rifles Also from Twitter, an image of an interesting invention -- and a great example of necessity breeding innovation -- the drip rifle. During the evacuation from Gallipoli, the Allied forces had to keep up the appearance of fully inhabited trenches, despite their numbers dwindling with each passing night as soldiers were evacuated under the cover of darkness. In order to keep up the ruse, ANZAC soldiers developed the drip rifle -- a rifle that would self-fire, thereby keeping the turks convinced that the abandoned trenches were still occupied. In this particular image, two kerosene tins were placed one above the other, the top one full of water and the bottom one with the trigger string attached to it, empty. At the last minute, small holes would be punched in the upper tin; water would trickle into the lower one, and the rifle would fire as soon as the lower tin had become sufficiently heavy. Visit the links in the podcast notes to learn more about variations of drip rifles--and how they saved the allied retreat at Gallipoli. And that’s it this week for the Buzz! link:https://twitter.com/AWMemorial/status/938604024647028736 https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/gallipoli/drip_rifle Outro Thank you for joining us again for--  WW1 Centennial News for the second `week of December, 1917 and 2017 We want to thank our guests... Dr. Sean Adams, Professor of History and Chair at the University of Florida in Gainesville Mike Shuster from the Great War Project   Candy Martin, Gold Star Mother and Immediate Past National President of American Gold Star Mothers Brandon Mazer from the 100 Cities/100 Memorials project in Portland, Maine Jo Ellen Hayden, Special Project Volunteer for BrookeUSA Horse Heroes And Katherine Akey, the shows line producer…   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/horses - discover the legacy of our horse heroes from WWI courtesy of Brooke USA. 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]   Well - now we've done it! I was sitting there chatting with some of my friends who kept slapping my hand away and looking at me funny while I was trying to pick through their hair! - clearly they are not listeners.   So long!

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]  

Going from working kitchen duty with the Yankee Division in France to enduring seven days of German captivity while wounded, Dr. Malcolm Ekstrand’s story of service shows the dangers that can befall anyone, at a moment’s notice, during war.

Going from working kitchen duty with the Yankee Division in France to enduring seven days of German captivity while wounded, Dr. Malcolm Ekstrand’s story of service shows the dangers that can befall anyone, at a moment’s notice, during war.

In his second book, author Terrance J. Finnegan describes America’s early experience fighting the Germans during World War I. Finnegan’s A Delicate Affair on the Western Front: America Learns How to Fight a Modern War in the Woevre Trenches (The History Press, 2015) provides in-depth research and a great deal of context to portray the 26th Infantry Division’s desperate defense of the Woevre sector in April 1918. Relying on meticulous mining of primary documents, the author describes the leaders, tactical doctrine, weaponry, and intelligence processes of the French, German, and new American forces fighting near Seicheprey in northeastern France. Finnegan also builds on research from his first book, Shooting the Front: Allied Aerial Reconnaissance and Photographic Interpretation on the Western Front–World War I, to carefully explain intelligence collection on both sides of the trenches. In a lively interview, Finnegan explains how the action near Seicheprey–sometimes called a trench raid, sometimes a battle–was vitally important to newly arrived American soldiers learning the craft of trench warfare. It was an extremely dangerous environment, with chemical weapons, artillery duels, small-scale trench raids, and snipers making life miserable for the combatants. At Seicheprey, the Germans decided to test the metal of American National Guard soldiers of the 26th Yankee Division, one of the first four US divisions to arrive in France. Early on 20 April 1918, using Stormtroop tactics perfected in other sectors of the Eastern and Western Fronts, the Germans smothered American positions with high explosive and chemical artillery fire, followed by infantry attacks that bypassed strong points and penetrated the defenses in many areas. The New England Guardsmen gave up some ground in a confused battle, but soon counterattacked and gained back what they had lost. This is a dense book, packed with details about the adversaries that any reader interested in World War I ground combat would appreciate. It is a holistic view of a single engagement that leaves no questions and thoroughly explains the action. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his second book, author Terrance J. Finnegan describes America’s early experience fighting the Germans during World War I. Finnegan’s A Delicate Affair on the Western Front: America Learns How to Fight a Modern War in the Woevre Trenches (The History Press, 2015) provides in-depth research and a great deal of context to portray the 26th Infantry Division’s desperate defense of the Woevre sector in April 1918. Relying on meticulous mining of primary documents, the author describes the leaders, tactical doctrine, weaponry, and intelligence processes of the French, German, and new American forces fighting near Seicheprey in northeastern France. Finnegan also builds on research from his first book, Shooting the Front: Allied Aerial Reconnaissance and Photographic Interpretation on the Western Front–World War I, to carefully explain intelligence collection on both sides of the trenches. In a lively interview, Finnegan explains how the action near Seicheprey–sometimes called a trench raid, sometimes a battle–was vitally important to newly arrived American soldiers learning the craft of trench warfare. It was an extremely dangerous environment, with chemical weapons, artillery duels, small-scale trench raids, and snipers making life miserable for the combatants. At Seicheprey, the Germans decided to test the metal of American National Guard soldiers of the 26th Yankee Division, one of the first four US divisions to arrive in France. Early on 20 April 1918, using Stormtroop tactics perfected in other sectors of the Eastern and Western Fronts, the Germans smothered American positions with high explosive and chemical artillery fire, followed by infantry attacks that bypassed strong points and penetrated the defenses in many areas. The New England Guardsmen gave up some ground in a confused battle, but soon counterattacked and gained back what they had lost. This is a dense book, packed with details about the adversaries that any reader interested in World War I ground combat would appreciate. It is a holistic view of a single engagement that leaves no questions and thoroughly explains the action. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his second book, author Terrance J. Finnegan describes America’s early experience fighting the Germans during World War I. Finnegan’s A Delicate Affair on the Western Front: America Learns How to Fight a Modern War in the Woevre Trenches (The History Press, 2015) provides in-depth research and a great deal of context to portray the 26th Infantry Division’s desperate defense of the Woevre sector in April 1918. Relying on meticulous mining of primary documents, the author describes the leaders, tactical doctrine, weaponry, and intelligence processes of the French, German, and new American forces fighting near Seicheprey in northeastern France. Finnegan also builds on research from his first book, Shooting the Front: Allied Aerial Reconnaissance and Photographic Interpretation on the Western Front–World War I, to carefully explain intelligence collection on both sides of the trenches. In a lively interview, Finnegan explains how the action near Seicheprey–sometimes called a trench raid, sometimes a battle–was vitally important to newly arrived American soldiers learning the craft of trench warfare. It was an extremely dangerous environment, with chemical weapons, artillery duels, small-scale trench raids, and snipers making life miserable for the combatants. At Seicheprey, the Germans decided to test the metal of American National Guard soldiers of the 26th Yankee Division, one of the first four US divisions to arrive in France. Early on 20 April 1918, using Stormtroop tactics perfected in other sectors of the Eastern and Western Fronts, the Germans smothered American positions with high explosive and chemical artillery fire, followed by infantry attacks that bypassed strong points and penetrated the defenses in many areas. The New England Guardsmen gave up some ground in a confused battle, but soon counterattacked and gained back what they had lost. This is a dense book, packed with details about the adversaries that any reader interested in World War I ground combat would appreciate. It is a holistic view of a single engagement that leaves no questions and thoroughly explains the action. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his second book, author Terrance J. Finnegan describes America’s early experience fighting the Germans during World War I. Finnegan’s A Delicate Affair on the Western Front: America Learns How to Fight a Modern War in the Woevre Trenches (The History Press, 2015) provides in-depth research and a great deal of context to portray the 26th Infantry Division’s desperate defense of the Woevre sector in April 1918. Relying on meticulous mining of primary documents, the author describes the leaders, tactical doctrine, weaponry, and intelligence processes of the French, German, and new American forces fighting near Seicheprey in northeastern France. Finnegan also builds on research from his first book, Shooting the Front: Allied Aerial Reconnaissance and Photographic Interpretation on the Western Front–World War I, to carefully explain intelligence collection on both sides of the trenches. In a lively interview, Finnegan explains how the action near Seicheprey–sometimes called a trench raid, sometimes a battle–was vitally important to newly arrived American soldiers learning the craft of trench warfare. It was an extremely dangerous environment, with chemical weapons, artillery duels, small-scale trench raids, and snipers making life miserable for the combatants. At Seicheprey, the Germans decided to test the metal of American National Guard soldiers of the 26th Yankee Division, one of the first four US divisions to arrive in France. Early on 20 April 1918, using Stormtroop tactics perfected in other sectors of the Eastern and Western Fronts, the Germans smothered American positions with high explosive and chemical artillery fire, followed by infantry attacks that bypassed strong points and penetrated the defenses in many areas. The New England Guardsmen gave up some ground in a confused battle, but soon counterattacked and gained back what they had lost. This is a dense book, packed with details about the adversaries that any reader interested in World War I ground combat would appreciate. It is a holistic view of a single engagement that leaves no questions and thoroughly explains the action. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his second book, author Terrance J. Finnegan describes America’s early experience fighting the Germans during World War I. Finnegan’s A Delicate Affair on the Western Front: America Learns How to Fight a Modern War in the Woevre Trenches (The History Press, 2015) provides in-depth research and a great deal of context to portray the 26th Infantry Division’s desperate defense of the Woevre sector in April 1918. Relying on meticulous mining of primary documents, the author describes the leaders, tactical doctrine, weaponry, and intelligence processes of the French, German, and new American forces fighting near Seicheprey in northeastern France. Finnegan also builds on research from his first book, Shooting the Front: Allied Aerial Reconnaissance and Photographic Interpretation on the Western Front–World War I, to carefully explain intelligence collection on both sides of the trenches. In a lively interview, Finnegan explains how the action near Seicheprey–sometimes called a trench raid, sometimes a battle–was vitally important to newly arrived American soldiers learning the craft of trench warfare. It was an extremely dangerous environment, with chemical weapons, artillery duels, small-scale trench raids, and snipers making life miserable for the combatants. At Seicheprey, the Germans decided to test the metal of American National Guard soldiers of the 26th Yankee Division, one of the first four US divisions to arrive in France. Early on 20 April 1918, using Stormtroop tactics perfected in other sectors of the Eastern and Western Fronts, the Germans smothered American positions with high explosive and chemical artillery fire, followed by infantry attacks that bypassed strong points and penetrated the defenses in many areas. The New England Guardsmen gave up some ground in a confused battle, but soon counterattacked and gained back what they had lost. This is a dense book, packed with details about the adversaries that any reader interested in World War I ground combat would appreciate. It is a holistic view of a single engagement that leaves no questions and thoroughly explains the action. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Going from working kitchen duty with the Yankee Division in France to enduring seven days of German captivity while wounded, Dr. Malcolm Ekstrand’s story of service shows the dangers that can befall anyone, at a moment’s notice, during war.