Based on a number of inquires from people who would like to participate in Bells of Peace, but are concerned about social distancing, we are going to hold live Bells of Peace tolling events via ZOOM on 11/11 at 11:00 a.m. local for each of the US times zones, including Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific, Alaska, and Hawaii. Learn more about this coast-to-coast and all points west virtual event, and/or contact us about holding your OWN online Bells of Peace tolling event.

Also see our 2020 Bells of Peace social media SHARING aggregator page  If you tag your participation posts with #BellsOfPeace, we will include your post both in the Bells of Peace post page on the website and also INSIDE the app in the Share Your Experience section.

Click here to get an update on the initiative and learn about more ways you can participate, and to download the Bells of Peace app..

The Germanic-American Institute (GAI) in St. Paul, MN presents a free virtual talk with historian Dr. Kai-Michael Sprenger on Friday, November 6, at 6:00 pm CST. Sprenger, leader of a project of the Institute for Regional History at the University of Mainz , has researched the long-term social and cultural impacts of this occupation on the region and on German-American relations. This research produced a a traveling exhibition, “Stars and Stripes Over the Rhine,” covering these and many other aspects of the American occupation, which has visited institutions and museums in both the U.S. and Germany. Click here to learn more about the exhibition, and find out how to sign up for the virtual talk on November 6.

The Ohio World War I Centennial Committee produced a series of lesson plans on various World War I topics, including Camp Sherman and the Mound City Earthworks. The State Historic Preservation Office of Ohio recently announced its annual state historic preservation awards. The Camp Sherman and the Mound City Earthworks: A Unique Story of Preservation lesson plan was recipient of the Public Education and Awareness Award. The lesson plan was written by Ohio World War I Centennial Committee member Paul LaRue in collaboration with the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park and the Ohio History Connection. Click here to read more about the prestigious award, and how, though the World War I Centennial is over, the value of quality World War I lesson plans and educational resources are more important than ever.

John Maxwell Hamilton, a member of The Historical Advisory Board for the U.S. World War One Centennial Commission, has released a highly acclaimed new book on the history of American propaganda. “Manipulating the Masses: Woodrow Wilson and the Birth of American Propaganda” tells the story of the enduring threat to American democracy that arose out of World War I: the establishment of pervasive, systematic propaganda as an instrument of the state. Click here to learn more about the book, and how to get your copy.

“It’s worth recalling that modern propaganda became a global enterprise during the First World War, rather than the second. For the US, that conflict was brief, lasting less than two years. But the ideological output was prodigious.”  Writing on the hyperallergic.com web site, author D.B. Dowd recalls how George Creel, chairman of the new Committee on Public Information, created the Division of Pictorial Publicity. Out of this organization came many of the familiar WWI posters that Creel thought “must play a great role in the fight for public opinion.” Click here to read the entire article.

John E. Moser writes on the CATO Unbound web site that “World War I was arguably the most important conflict of the twentieth century, bringing down four great empires and redrawing the map of Europe. The effect on the United States was quite different.” In the U.S., “the war redefined the role of the federal government” and “redefined the relationship between Washington and its citizens, and set precedents to which subsequent presidents would repeatedly refer.” Click here to read the entire thoughtful essay on how The Legacy of the Great War is very much alive in our nation today.

While the nation continues to battle with the COVID-19 flu pandemic in 2020, the echos of the World War I flu pandemic continue to be heard. As it turns out, President Donald Trump is not the first Chief Executive to be felled by a pandemic flu. As Dave Roos notes on the History.com web site, “On the night of April 3, 1919, President Woodrow Wilson began to suffer from a violent cough. His condition quickly worsened to the point that his personal doctor, Cary Grayson, thought the president might have been poisoned.” However, “The culprit wasn’t poison, but the same potent strain of influenza nicknamed the “Spanish flu” that would eventually kill an estimated 20 million worldwide, including more than 600,000 in the United States. Wilson’s illness was made even worse by its timing—the president was left bedridden in the middle of the most important negotiations of his life, the Paris Peace Conference to end World War I.” Click here to read the entire article on how Wilson’s flu may have kept “The War to End All Wars” from achieving that objective.

Dan Breckinridge Moore recalls that “I was given a box of letters and pictures by my cousin containing letters my father wrote to her grandmother, (his sister) from France and Germany in 1918 and 1919.”  One of the letters described “the incredible turn of events in the Second Battle of the Marne.” Inspired by his “bravery and fortitude,” Moore wrote “World War I: the Marne Miracle” in his father’s honor. Click here to learn more about the book, and the amazing story of how the 38th Infantry Regiment turned the tide of the war to the Allies.

Pvt. Clarence Vinson of Lebanon, PA was killed in action just eight days before the Armistice that ended the fighting in World War I. In recognition of Vinson’s service and sacrifice, the Camden Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 3238, was dedicated in his honor in March 1935. Click here to learn more about this son of “an ordinary family” went off to serve his nation in World War I, and left an enduring legacy.

At the very end of World War I, American Corporal Lee Duncan picked up two dogs from a litter of German shepherds discovered in the rubble of a kennel near Saint-Mihiel where his unit fought. He named them Nénette and Rin Tin Tin, to evoke the little woolen puppets that the children of Lorraine offered to allied soldiers as a lucky charm. Nénette died during the return crossing to the United States, but Rin Tin Tin, arrived safe and sound on American soil, and quickly demonstrated the exceptional abilities which led him straight to the movie sets of Hollywood. Click here to learn more about how a Doughboy and his dog created an amazing movie and television legacy.

America loves its pets, and according to ownership statistics, dogs are the favorite. More than 60 million American households own a dog, and this shows no signs of slowing down. People love to choose from good dog breeds and find the next member of their family. However, dog’s aren’t always reserved for being a pet. They can be great guards, investigators, and can play many other roles. In fact, back in World War 1, dogs had several roles that were instrumental in the success of various operations. Click here to learn about 6 of the roles that dogs performed in WWI.

“The Battle of Cantigny, the first major assault of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) on the Western Front in World War I, proved that Americans ‘would both fight and stick,’ said Maj. Gen. Robert Lee Bullard, commander of the 1st Division,” writes William Stroock on the National Interest web site. Click here to read more, and learn how Cantigny played a key role in AEF Commander General John Pershing defeating “not only the Germans, but also the Allied commanders who had tried so hard to erase the independence of American units that fought on the Western Front.“

Ron Montonye, Pierce County, ND Veterans Service Officer, was reading a book titled “Yanks – The Epic Story of the American Army in World War I” written by John S.D. Eisenhower. He notes that “As I read this book, it reminded me of many facts that I had either forgotten, or never learned, about World War I. I would like to share a few of these facts, and some thoughts of mine, with you.”  Click here to read Montonye’s entire column from the Tribune newspaper in Pierce County.

Oak Grove Cemetery in Delaware, OH serves as the final resting place for veterans of every war in which the United States has been involved. When Mike Serrott and his coworkers decided they wanted to honor one of them with a brick at the Veterans Memorial Plaza located at the Ohio Army National Guard Readiness Center on South Houk Road, Serrott knew exactly where to look. Click here to read the entire article, and learn how a a veteran from World War I received the honor.

A man is only missing if he is forgotten.

Note: As the Covid-19 still has the National Archives closed, thus limiting our abilities to utilize our #1 source for information, Doughboy MIA is taking another long, hard look at many of our active cases. Over the next few months we will be using the space here to update you on the progress of these, as well as present some of our findings on other cases we consider closed. 

This month we update you on :

CPL James Uber,  Co. E/112th Infantry/28th Division

James Lester Uber was KIA on October 8th, 1918 in the Argonne Forest. Records are sketchy about whether he was buried on the battlefield where he fell, or whether he died in a field hospital and was buried near there. Either way, following the war his remains were never found, despite several attempts by GRS personnel.

On Veteran’s Day, 2018 during a ceremony at the Meuse-Argonne Cemetery in France, a group from the SGT York Foundation was approached by a French boy and his mother who presented a dog tag to them that the boy had found out on the former battlefield. It belonged to James Uber. The tag was brought home and wound up in the hands of a LTC in the Pennsylvania National Guard, who began trying to track down Uber’s family. When we at Doughboy MIA heard the story we launched our investigation and it is our belief that the found tag most likely had been fixed to Uber’s battlefield grave marker. In that case, we speculated that if we could locate the area where the tag was found, that would give us a starting point to initiate an investigation using today’s technology to search for Uber’s remains. The issue was that no one had gotten the boy’s name. Then, just as we began plying contacts in France to find the boy, Covid descended and scotched our plans.

Recently however, with restrictions in France eased up some, one of our team members – showing dogged determination – managed to actually locate the boy and his family. An interview with him is in the works, but with the new restrictions just announced for France and Germany, it looks like it will be some time before we can get into the field to do initial investigations. Nevertheless, we are excited to see movement in this case.

Wish you could help us account for America’s missing servicemen from WW1? You can! Consider making a donation to Doughboy MIA today. Simply go to www.ww1cc.org/mia and click the donation link. It’s quick, easy, tax deductible, and our non-profit organization uses the money to continue research and, soon, to mount field expeditions – all of which costs money. Your donation gives you the chance to help out and be part of the solution. Remember:

A man is only missing if he is forgotten.

8″ x 12″ World War I Centennial Flag

Perfect for display on Veterans Day at the grave sites of those who served in the United States armed forces during World War I, “The War That Changed the World.”

The WW1 Centennial Flag is made of durable nylon and measures 8 inches x 12 inches. This flag has the iconic Doughboy silhouette digitally screened onto it and is secured on a 15.75″ wooden dowel with a decorative ball on top.

Proceeds from the sale of this item will help to fund the building of the national World War One Memorial in Washington, D.C.

A Certificate of Authenticity as Official Merchandise of the United States World War One Centennial is included.

This and many other items are available as Official Merchandise of the United States World War One Centennial.

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