Dear Friends and Colleagues:

America continues sheltering in place as the battle against the Covid-19 threat goes on. As in World War I a century ago, every American needs to “do your bit”  to help bring the campaign to a successful conclusion.

Our small “bit” will continue to be providing you with additional World War I-themed activities and information over the coming weeks. We hope these events and recommendations will provide some interesting, informative, and useful distractions for those staying at home, and for the modern day heroes across the nation who are driving supply trucks, keeping grocery stores open, treating virus victims in hospitals and other medical facilities, and everyone else who is keeping our nation in business during these challenging times. We salute you!

If you missed our webinar on April 3 about the status of the National World War I Memorial under construction in Washington, DC, you can click on the image at left for a replay. Meredith Carr, Deputy Director of the US World War One Centennial Commission, talked with guests Joe Weishaar, Lead Designer for the Memorial, and representatives of Grunley Construction Company Inc. about ongoing progress at the Memorial.  Click here to watch the replay of this informative webinar.

When our Doughboys had a bit of precious time for rest and relaxation on the front lines in World War I, they would often turn to the camp library for a book to read that would help take their minds off the conflict for a short while. Courtland Jindra, Co-Director of the California WW1 Centennial Task Force, and long-time volunteer for the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission, has compiled his Top Ten Books about WWI list to share with us over the next few weeks. We hope these volumes can help take our minds off of the current situation here in the US by looking back at the Great War and those great American veterans who served during the conflict. Here are three of Courtland’s Top Ten picks, with his comments about them.

Devil Dog Chronicles: Voices of the 4th Marine Brigade in World War I, edited by George B. Clark.

“My main goal is to highlight books I haven’t seen on many (or any) other lists of this kind. This is an anthology of letters, remembrances, and diaries, from perhaps the most famous of all of the American Units in the war. Plus Clark throws in some commentary from time to time. You follow the Marines from boot camp to Belleau Wood, to Blanc Mont, to the Meuse-Argonne.” 

Devil Dog Chronicles is available in both hardcover and Kindle versions from Amazon, and from other online booksellers.

A Stop at Suzanne’s and Lower Flights, by Greayer Clover.

“This is a heartbreaking collection of articles, and letters that this aviator wrote about his time in France. His family gathered up all they could after his death in a training accident and published it a year after his death. He first went to France to be a ambulance driver, ended up driving ordnance, before moving onto the Air Service, so through his accounts you get to see a wide variety of experiences. Also included are tributes from friends, classmates, and University instructors. By focusing on a single tragic tale, it humanizes the many thousands of Americans who died in foreign lands to try and liberate others in The Great War.”

A Stop at Suzanne’s and Lower Flights is available in hardcover, softcover, and Kindle versions from Amazon, or can be read free online here.

The War to End All Wars, by Edward M. Coffman

“One of the gold standard books describing the American Expeditionary Forces’ presence. Sometimes it was on the dry side with logistics, and as he even mentions in his sources used, some of his figures are different from what I’ve read elsewhere. However the amount of information Coffman puts into the 400+ pages is remarkable. It also discusses the naval effort far more than most American sources.”

The War to End All Wars is available in a variety of formats (including audio) from Amazon, and from other online booksellers.