The 4th of July means friends, family, fireworks, firing up the grill and, if you're like millions of Americans, baseball. Americans celebrated Independence Day with the "Star-Spangled Banner" ringing from the loudspeakers at Major and Minor League ballparks across the nation, or from radio and TV speakers at home. A fine article from the Associated Press this week recalled why the National Anthem became part of sports events in the first place: it happened due to World War I. Elsewhere this year, baseball games in the International League have provided great WWI learning opportunities for fans. Check out the results of those games, and where WWI history will go come to the plate in baseball stadiums during the rest of this season.

U.S. President Donald Trump has accepted French President Emmanuel Macron’s invitation to attend France’s Bastille day celebrations as the two men put aside differences to pay tribute to the U.S. soldiers who fought in France 100 years ago. Trump will attend the traditional July 14 military parade where American troops will march alongside French soldiers to commemorate the centenary of the U.S. entry into World War I, the offices of both leaders said. Read more about the President's homage to America's WWI soldiers here.

Author Gene Fax spent seventeen years combing archives in Washington, Baltimore, Paris, West Point, and Carlisle, Pennsylvania. to research the story of the U.S. 73rd Division in World War I. He specifically wanted to learn about their pivotal role during the Battle for Mountfaucon -- one of the most bloody and fiercely contested battles of the entire war. Part of his drive to learn this story was the fact that Gene Fax's grandfather, Corporal Oscar Lubchansky, served in that division, in that battle, as a member of the division's 313th Infantry Regiment. WW1CC's Paul Burgholzer heard about Gene Fax's remarkable book, and reached out to the author to hear more.

On June 29, the U.S Embassy in France hosted an early Fourth of July celebration at the Residence of the U.S Ambassador to France. The day was marked by these famous words: “Lafayette, we are here!” In celebration of the Franco-American friendship, the event commemorated America’s 241st birthday and its centennial entry into World War I. The celebration events started with a World War I-themed garden party, and also included a period vehicle display at Rue du Eaubourg Saint Honoré, and a ceremony in front of General Marquis de Lafayette’s tomb in Picpus Cemetery, the following day. As French visitors took pictures in front of the famous Uncle Sam poster at the U.S Official Residence, it was clear that the two nations shared something further: common gratitude and friendship. Read more about the event here.

The WW1 Centennial News Podcast is about WW1 THEN: 100 years ago this week and its about WW1 NOW: News and updates about the centennial and the commemoration. 

Available on our web site, iTunes, Google Play, and TuneIn. 

Highlight of Episode #26 include:

• Feature: The Red Cross we know today | @01:45
• Guest: Mike Shuster - The anti-war resistance “over there” | @11:00
• War In The Sky: Louis Bennet | @15:30
• Guests: Richard Rubin & Jonathan Bratten - General Robert Nivelle | @19:00
• Feature: Keith Colley’s Mobile WW1 Museum | @26:15
• Guest: Jerry Meyer bringing back Chautauqua | @27 :45
• International: Many events in France last week | @33:00
• Introduction: Harley Davidson in WWI - Part1 | @35:00

And much more…

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST NOW

Ernst Junger: The Modern War Story by Elliot Ackerman

This week, in an interesting flip on convention, the  WWrite post steps out of the current narrative in war literature to exploreour culture's allure not to peace, but to violence. 

Rather than glorifying war, recent memoirs and books have concentrated on its debilitating and destructive effect on the returning soldier. 

In this post, award-winning veteran writer Elliot Ackerman gives us his take on Ernst Jünger's seminal war memoir, Storm of Steel, and the ways in which it assigns a redeeming quality to combat violence.

Don't miss this most interesting post.

Georgia

To honor those who served and commemorate those who made the ultimate sacrifice

With its 1921 Georgia State Memorial Book, Georgia became the first state to publish an official memorial book to those who died in World War I. But under the racial practices of the time, the book contained only the names of white personnel. Through the diligent research of retired state librarian Dr. Lamar Veatch, who works as an associate with the GWWICC, the names of hundreds of soldiers of African American, Native American, and other descent have been identified and added to the expanded version housed on the GWWICC website. As a result of this significant effort, today the names of some 1,300 Georgians are on the rolls as part of the national centennial program to find and record all such tributes to Americans who fought and died in World War I.

That same website also includes an online inventory, with photographs, of the war memorials and plaques located throughout the state — there is one in virtually every county seat. Some are elaborate; others are simple. Some have separate listings for “white” and “colored,” while others omit African Americans altogether. The GWWICC website will become a lasting legacy of these efforts as a part of the National Archives collection on the WWI Centennial.

Read all of Georgia World War I Centennial Commission guest contributor Tom Jackson's  looks at the many memorials to WWI soldiers in the Peach State here.

Wisconsin

A War by Invention

Commonly referred to at the time as the "War to End All Wars," World War I was in fact not a "last" but a "first." Innovations in technology, tactics, and equipment ushered in a new era of warfare that defined how wars were fought for the next one hundred years.

While most people associate World War I with the start of trench warfare, it was by no means a new strategy or idea. Employed at great lengths during the American Civil War, trench warfare was a siege tactic that had been around for centuries. So what then was "new" about World War I and how did it shape warfare in the 20th Century?

Read all of the article by Kevin Hampton, Curator of History, Wisconsin Veterans Museum, looking at the technology innovations (good and bad) spawned by WWI.

Raise money for your organization,
While helping us build America's WW1 Memorial at Pershing Park in Washington DC.

The WW1 Centennial Commission has created “WW1 Poppy kits”. You receive one kit with each $64.99 contribution. Each kit neatly packages 60 poppy seed packets that you can distribute or use to raise money for your organization. 
The cost of the kits allows you to double your money or more. 

This is a terrific fund-raiser for veteran service organizations, state WW1 centennial organizations, 100 Cities / 100 Memorials projects, or even scout troops, school and churches.

FREE SHIPPING  with no extra shipping or handling fee. 

These kits and many other commemorative items can be found at the Official WW1 Commission merchandise shop.