Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Remember World War One - The Centennial

On April 6, 1917, the United States formally joined the Allied forces - Britain, France, and Russia - to fight in World War I. Fighting initially broke out in Europe following the assassination of Austrian Archduke Ferdinand on June 28, 1914. Most Americans wanted nothing to do with the European conflict, preferring the nation remain politically neutral. Economically, the U.S. was benefited from the conflict by selling war goods to Allied nations.

Details of diorama featuring the cross section of a WWI trench
In 1915, a German submarine sank the British passenger ship, Lusitania, killing 128 Americans. The incident heightened tensions but the majority of Americans still did not want to go to war. It wasn't until the German government made overtures to Mexico, offering to support Mexican incursions against the United States, that American's finally decided to join the war.


WWI era US Army Cavalry
saddle and gear
More than 2 million Americans went to war in France, fighting under the command of Major General John J. "Blackjack" Pershing. The American soldiers and Marines joined the fighting forces in the trenches; American nurses worked to save lives in field hospitals. American animals - horses and mules, dogs, pigeons, and even slugs - were sent to the front lines to support the troops.

The Great War saw technological innovations with the first tanks being used on the battlefields and the first aerial dogfights taking place in the skies above. American heroism was demonstrated by the actions of young men like Eddie Rickenbacker and Sgt. York.

WWI  Nurse uniform
Please join us as we honor the men and women who served this nation so valiantly a century ago. We will be featuring this exhibit until the of June 2017.

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