Discover history while preserving it: The Memorial Hunters Club 

By Betsy Sheppard
Staff Writer, United States World War One Centennial Commission

This week, the United States World War One Centennial Commission announced the final fifty of the 100 Cities/100 Memorials preservation grant recipients. This effort has helped us to shine a light on WWI memorials across the entire Unites States.

The Commission's Memorial Hunters Club program is designed to create a catalog of all the WWI memorials around the entire country, to increase awareness of these important legacies of World War I, and help preserve them.

Do you want to make history by preserving it?

You can join the World War I Centennial Commission’s Memorial Hunters Program, to catalog World War One memorials around the country. Using your smartphones, you can take pictures of the place, the memorial, and the plaque. From there, dig for more info, such as an exact address or Google Maps link, when the memorial was built, who built it, and what happened in the area during World War I. After discovering this information, head towards the success pages on the Memorial Hunters page of the World War I Centennial Commission website to permanently archive your discoveries.

But why?

With the World War I Centennial Commission and the Pritzker Military Museum & Library’s launch of the 100 Cities/100 Memorials program, 100 World War I memorials are getting renovated all over the country. And you can help honor the names of those who served, by raising awareness of this momentous event in our nation’s history, and increasing your communities’ understanding of its place in military history. You, a Memorial Hunter, have the opportunity to document history and remember all those who fell for our country in World War I.

How do you start?

It's easy! Reach out to your local American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Daughters of the American Revolution, City Hall, Parks and Recreation Department, Churches and Schools. These organizations might have information about where memorials are located as well as other details. Then hop in your car, on your bike, on a bus or on a train -- and start discovering history, while preserving it for later.

Betsy Sheppard is a Spring 2018 Intern with the U.S. World War One Centennial Commission.