Verizon grows Doughboy Foundation WWI education impact | Women’s Role in WWI | U.S. & Canada & WWI | WWI aviation | WWI Student Paper Prize



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February 2025
Teach WWI in new ways


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Verizon Innovative Learning Reaches New Milestones, Expanding Doughboy Foundation’s WWI Education Outreach

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On February 20, 2025, *Verizon Innovative Learning* announced it has now reached *8.5 million students*, moving closer to its goal of empowering *10 million learners by 2030*. For the 2024–2025 school year, the initiative welcomed *34 additional schools and school systems*, expanding its network beyond 590. Now even more teachers and students can access the Doughboy Foundation’s award-winning World War I teaching resources. Find out more about the Doughboy Foundation's initiative to ensure that students and educators had access to engaging, high-quality materials that highlight WWI’s enduring legacy in America. [ [link removed] ]



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New Historical Marker Will Honor First Training Of Black Military Officers In WWI

Enlistments at Ft. Des Moines

When the U.S. joined World War I in 1917, 1,250 African American college graduates began their training to become military officers. Fort Des Moines became the first — and only — training site for Black officers during the war. Due to the efforts of historian Don North, the State Historical Society of Iowa has approved a new historical marker to commemorate the site.  Read more about the WWI training of Black officers at Fort Des Moines, which North says has significance on par with that of the Tuskegee Airmen of WWII. [ [link removed] ]



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I Thought Women’s Role in World War I Was Minor—Then I Discovered How They Changed America And The World

Hello Girls operator [ [link removed] ]

When World War I erupted, the United States was already experiencing waves of change, but for women, the war would prove to be a defining moment. Before the conflict, women were fighting for their place in society, advocating for the right to vote, and slowly entering the workforce in greater numbers. Yet, despite these early advances, their roles were still largely defined by traditional expectations of home and family. However, war has a way of accelerating change, and World War I did just that. Learn more about how, by the time the war ended, American women had redefined their place in society, proving their worth in industry, healthcare, and even the military. The post-war world would never look the same. [ [link removed] ]



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How The U.S. Planned To Annex Canada If Victorious In A Larger War With Britain After World War I

Canada-US flags [ [link removed] ]

It’s become increasingly evident that U.S. President Donald Trump’s rhetoric about Canada becoming the 51st state isn’t just bluster to achieve a more advantageous trade position. So far at least, he hasn’t mentioned any use of military force to realize territorial expansion and U.S. national security adviser Mike Waltz said he doesn’t think Trump “"has any plans to invade Canad"a.” But a plan to so do already exists and has for nearly 100 years. Find out why U.S. military strategists after the First World War were devising a number of contingency plans against the UK; even though the nations were allies in WWI the First World War, the relationship between them remained frosty in the intervening years. [ [link removed] ]



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Signature and Kennedy Center Lead Nominations For Best In D.C. Theater

Private Jones snip [ [link removed] ]

“Private Jones,” a new musical about a deaf Welsh sniper in World War I, racked up 10 nominations for the Helen Hayes Awards, helping Signature Theatre edge the Kennedy Center for the top tally in advance of May’s annual celebration of the best in D.C. theater. Signature’s 25 nods also included seven for its boisterous revival of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.” Learn more about the boundary-pushing “Private Jones,” which tells its story through American Sign Language, British Sign Language, spoken English and Foley sound effects, which counted nominations for writer-director Marshall Pailet and actors Johnny Link and Erin Weaver among its haul. [ [link removed] ]



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World War I Historical Association Announces New Student Paper Prize

WWI Historical Association logo vertical [ [link removed] ]

The World War I Historical Association is pleased to announce a new initiative, the *Colonel Paul F. Braim Student Paper Prize*. The award is a $250 prize for the best undergraduate and/or master-level graduate student paper on an aspect of World War I (1914-18). Papers nominated for this award may not exceed 3,500 words in length excluding footnotes and works cited. Students who wish to be considered for the 2025 prize should submit an electronic version of the completed paper by October 1st with the awardee announced on November 11th. Learn more about the rules and deadlines of the competition, and where and how students should submit their scholarly paper entries. [ [link removed] ]



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Remembering The Brave: Americans In The Canadian Expeditionary Force During The World Wars

Plaque honoring American soldiers who served in Canadian Armed Forces in both World Wars [ [link removed] ]

In the early years of WWI, more than 2,200 Americans from New England states volunteered for service in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF). In fact, some battalions were formed entirely of American volunteers, including the 97th Battalion, CEF, famously nicknamed “The American Legion”. These volunteers served on both the western and Siberian fronts as soldiers, nurses, engineers, and stretcher bearers. During WWII, approximately 35,000 Americans volunteered, serving in all branches of the Canadian Armed Forces. Read more about this history, and find out how a Massachusetts organization has partnered with the Consulate General of Canada in Boston to developed a plaque honoring American soldiers who served in the Canadian Armed Forces in both World Wars. [ [link removed] ]



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The Immigrant Army: Immigrant Service Members In World War I

Americans All poster

As the American military mobilized to enter World War I in 1917, its ranks filled with a cross-section of American society, including immigrants from around the world. The nation entered the war during a period of peak immigration; between 1901 and 1920, almost 14.5 million immigrants arrived in the U.S. Some Americans welcomed the new immigrants, while others called for increased restrictions on immigration. These sentiments impacted the immigrants who took up arms for the U.S. during World War I. Foreign-born soldiers composed over 18 percent of the U.S. Army during World War I. Almost one in five draftees was born overseas. Learn how many immigrants also volunteered to serve in the military, often to prove their loyalty to the U.S. and demonstrate their patriotism for their new country.  [ [link removed] ]



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"*Daily Taps at the National World War I Memorial [ [link removed] ]*"

Honoring PVT William E. Henderson and PVT John Michael Marino

During the week of February 2, 2025, Daily Taps at the National World War I Memorial  [ [link removed] ]in Washington, DC was sounded in honor of WWI Veterans *PVT William E. Henderson* and PVT *John Michael Marino* [ [link removed] ]; two heroes of Port Washington, NY who gave their lives in Europe and are the namesakes of VFW post 1819.

Pvt. Marino served in Company C, 112th Field Signal Battalion, 37th Infantry Division. Arriving in France in June 1918, Pvt. Marino endured 150 days of intense combat which included assaults, gas attacks, artillery, machine gun and small arms fire. His combat ended November 4, 1918; when his unit was relieved near the Lys and Escaut Rivers and he marched back to Thielt Belgium. He was suffering pneumonia and was placed in Evacuation Hospital #5 and died November 9, 1918 just 2 days before the Armistice was signed.

Pvt. Henderson served in Company L, 2nd Battalion, 307th Infantry Regiment. He survived about 150 days of combat from April 1918 until September 1918. He was killed-in-action along the Vesle River, France on September 14, 1918.

Privates Marino and Henderson [ [link removed] ]

The Daily Taps program of the Doughboy Foundation [ [link removed] ] provides a unique opportunity to dedicate a *"livestreamed" *sounding of Taps in honor of a special person of your choice while supporting the important work of the Doughboy Foundation. Choose a day, or even establish this honor *"in perpetuity"*. Click here for more information on how to honor a loved veteran with the sounding of Taps. [ [link removed] ]

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Americans Who Made History By Earning The Victoria Cross In World War I

Victoria Cross medal [ [link removed] ]

Since Queen Victoria instituted the Victoria Cross in 1856, five American-born men have received Britain’s highest military award for valor. Four of those awardees were Americans who earned Britain’s highest honor in World War I while passing themselves off as Canadians, one in 1917, and three in 1918. Read more about these four heroes, and how their "gallantry and fearlessness" in battle led to the award of the medal. [ [link removed] ]



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Hidden Stories Of The First World War

Nurses attending patient WWI [ [link removed] ]

When Lucy Steeds was researching her debut novel, "The Artist", she realized that writing about art in the 1920s was impossible without an understanding of how the First World War had left its mark — physical or mental — on everyone who lived through it. One powerful source was nurses’ testimonies. Learn about the hidden stories of suffering — and excitement — Steeds found as she ""dug deep into the archives of nurses’ testimonies from WWI"." [ [link removed] ]



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Remembering A Veteran: Driver Walter Elias Disney, American Red Cross Ambulance Service In World War I

Walt Disney nest to ambulance [ [link removed] ]

In 1918, when the George M. Cohan song “Over There” entreated young men to “"grab your gun, on the run…do your bit, show your grit…make your Daddy glad …make your Mother proud",” thousands heeded this call. Four years into World War I, a young Walt Disney was one of them. Filled with patriotic enthusiasm and captivated by recruitment ads like “The Red Cross versus the Iron Cross,” young men barely past boyhood signed up to travel overseas and fight in The Great War. Read about how, as Walt reflected much later, “The things I did during those ten months I was overseas added up to a lifetime of experience…I know being on my own at an early age… made me more self reliant.” [ [link removed] ]



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Swedes In 54th Pioneer Infantry Regiment – Military Engineers In The Argonne Area

WWI soldiers [ [link removed] ]

Jocke Hallberg's talks about his research around different places in Sweden led him to a specific interest in the 54th Pioneer Infantry Regiment, which belonged to the American Expeditionary Forces in the Great War. Conversation with audience member brought forth the stories of two Swedish friends (Per Erik Persson and Nils Erik Larson) who served in the same unit, the second battalion, in the the 54th Pioneer Infantry Regiment. Learn the info on these two soldiers led to the discovery 36 more Swedes (at last count) who served in the Regiment during World War I. [ [link removed] ]



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The WWI-Era Sykes-Picot Agreement Still Affecting The Middle East Today

Sykes-Picot map snip [ [link removed] ]

The Sykes-Picot agreement, known officially as the Asia Minor Agreement of 1916, was arguably the first in a series of attempts by colonial powers to mold the borders of the Middle East. Signed in secret at the height of the first world war, Sykes-Picot was an agreement between France and Great Britain, approved by Russia. It would have lasting consequences for the region and be the genesis of most conflict in the Middle East. Read more, and learn how the WWI Sykes-Picot Agreement significantly affected regional politics, and how the history is more complicated than many contemporary narratives suggest. [ [link removed] ]



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Minnesota woman hopes to connect WWI artifact with surviving family members

World War One-era plaque issued by Disabled American Veterans to Michael J. Mahoney [ [link removed] ]

Terri Reuvers of Minnesota has discovered, and is trying to solve, a military mystery: a World War One-era plaque issued by Disabled American Veterans to Michael J. Mahoney. "“I thought, this is so outstanding, I want to make sure it goes to the family of the person",” Reuvers says.  Learn more about the family tradition that led to her discovery of the WWI artifact, and the broad efforts underway to reunite it with the Doughboy's family. [ [link removed] ]



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How World War I Artifacts Are Moved and Stored to Keep Stories Alive

WWI artifacts [ [link removed] ]

Preserving WWI artifacts is essential for understanding history. These relics connect people to past events, showing the impact of war. Moving and storing them requires specialized methods to prevent damage. Without careful handling, these objects could decay, losing their historical value. Find out more about why and how World War I artifacts are moved can determine how well they survive to inform and educate future generations. [ [link removed] ]



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Spotlight On World War I Aviation History

Sopwith Pup [ [link removed] ]

On this day in aviation history, February 9, 1916, the Sopwith Pup made its first flight. A small fighter even for the standards of WWI, the Sopwith Pup was the darling of British pilots from the autumn of 1916 to the spring of 1917. Learn more about how,  after its brief period of dominance over the Western Front, the Pup served as a valuable trainer for new pilots before transitioning into aircraft such as its successor, the Sopwith Camel. [ [link removed] ]



Aces of Thunder [ [link removed] ]

Gaijin Entertainment has announced that the VR Flight Simulator *Aces of Thunder* will feature World War I aircraft as well, including the Red Baron’s Fokker Dr.I, the SPAD S.XIII, and many more. Promising “"authentically detailed cockpits, historically accurate weaponry, and realistic flight models",” Gaijin asserts that the experience provided by World War I aircraft, which is often ignored in this kind of simulator, is sure to be very different compared to WWII warbirds. Learn more about this realistic WWI flight experience. [ [link removed] ]



Albree Pigeon-Fraser [ [link removed] ]

In WWI the US Army Air Service had to rely on its foreign allies for combat aircraft, but this did not stop American manufacturers from attempting to fulfill the US military’s need for combat-capable fighter aircraft. However, the first fighter aircraft to win a U.S. military contract was fated to become an oddity remembered only by a few aviation historians: the Albree Pigeon-Fraser. [ [link removed] ]



WWI aircraft [ [link removed] ]

Popular culture has romanticized the aviators of World War I. But the evolving state of the equipment and the deadly battles in the skies led many young fliers to early graves. A two-part MagellanTV documentary explores how, less than a decade after the Wright Brothers proved the viability of manned flight on the wind-swept coast of North Carolina, airplanes were pressed into service as weapons of war. [ [link removed] ]



Katherine Stinson

Katherine Stinson learned to fly because she wanted to go to Europe and study piano. The first female owner of a flight school in the U.S. did get to Europe -- as a volunteer American ambulance driver in World War I. Learn more about Katherine and the Stinson School of Flying, officially opened on 13 November 1915, and listed as the second oldest continuously operated airport in the United States and the oldest west of the Mississippi. [ [link removed] ]



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The History Of Suppressors: From World War I To Modern Operations

Supressor snip [ [link removed] ]

Hiram Percy Maxim produced the first practical and successful suppressor. His father created machine guns, but Maxim Jr. created suppressors. He was a brilliant man who saw a future where military adoption of suppressors was possible. In 1910, he produced a suppressor aimed at equipping the Springfield M1903, the rifle of choice for the United States military. Read more about the history of suppressor use by American military forces from the earliest days of their invention to World War I, and now in the 21st. Century. [ [link removed] ]



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World War I News Digest February 2025

Gas masks

World War I was *"The War That Changed The World"*, and its impact on the United States continues to be felt over a century later, as people across the nation learn more about and remember those who served in the Great War. Here's a collection of news items from the last month related to World War I and America.




Incredible Things Invented in World War I [ [link removed] ]

How allies have helped the US before and after WWI [ [link removed] ]

Unearthed WWI discovery tears two families’ lives apart [ [link removed] ]

Son of American Legion Founder Fights Against Nazis [ [link removed] ]

Writing Tips for the Ultimate Valentine from WWI Love Letters [ [link removed] ]

WWI Submarines: Do Any Still Exist? [ [link removed] ]

February 1, 1901 The Last Doughboy [ [link removed] ]

Lessons from WWI: Mineral Shortages Risk in a U.S.-China War [ [link removed] ]

Mass Immigration and World War I [ [link removed] ]

After WWI, Muskogee, OK veterans hospital was beacon of hope [ [link removed] ]

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Doughboy MIA for February 2025

Private Edward Reese [ [link removed] ]

A man is only missing if he is forgotten.

Our Doughboy MIA this month [ [link removed] ] is Private Edward Reese, born on May 14th, 1889, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Little is known about his civilian life. He was an unemployed candy maker at the time of his draft registration. Edward was inducted into military service on April 8th, 1918, in Philadelphia and assigned to the 305th Sanitary Train at Camp Lee, Virginia. Later, he was transferred to the Medical Detachment of the 319th Infantry, 80th Division, and sailed for France in May 1918.

Private Reese was killed by an enemy shell during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Captain H.W. Wade, the battalion surgeon, provided an eyewitness account for the 80th Division records:

"“Private Reese was killed about 2 P.M. October 10th, 1918. Was caused by shell explosion and he died instantly. The place of occurrence was the Bois des Ogons, about 1 ¼ kilometers north of Nantillois, France. His grave location is unknown.”"

Read PVT Reese's entire story [ [link removed] ]

Would "*you*" like to be involved with solving the case of Private Edward Reese, and all the other Americans still in MIA status from World War I? "*You can!*" Click here to make a tax-deductible donation to our non-profit organization today [ [link removed] ], and help us bring them home! Help us do the best job possible and give today [ [link removed] ], with our thanks.  Remember: "A man is only missing if he is forgotten".



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Merchandise from the Official
Doughboy Foundation WWI Store

Polo Shirts black blue men & women [ [link removed] ]
Men's or Women's Polo [ [link removed] ]

(in Black or Navy)

Made with a soft jersey blend for a subtle drape and a smooth hand. Moisture-wicking and self-turned cuffs and hems lend cool vibes all around. Perfect for a day of golf or pickle-ball. In men's or women's style.


* Brand: Mercer+Mettle
* Fabric: 5-ounce, 92/8 poly/spandex jersey blend
* Colors: Deep Black; Midnight Navy
* Moisture-wicking
* Self-collar with collar band
* 3-button placket
* Smoke satin-finished, rimmed buttons
* Self-turned cuffs and hem
* Notched vents at hem
* Embroidered Doughboy Foundation logo on front, left chest


Proceeds from the sale of these items will help us keep watch on the National World War I Memorial in Washington, DC. [ [link removed] ]

This and many other items are available as Official Merchandise of the Doughboy Foundation [ [link removed] ]. [ [link removed] ]

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App image 3 [ [link removed] ]

Click or scan the QR Code below to download the Virtual Explorer App for the National World War I Memorial [ [link removed] ], and and explore the Memorial from your phone, at home or onsite.

QR Code for Virtual Explorer App download [ [link removed] ]
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Taps Sponsorship VS1 [ [link removed] ]
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"NEW!" Desktop Explorer
Desktop App screen

Use the new “*WWI Memorial: Desktop Explorer*“ to learn about the National WWI Memorial in the classroom or at home. Both Mac [ [link removed] ] and PC [ [link removed] ] apps are available. Check them out here:

MAC Desktop App [ [link removed] ]Windows Desktop App link [ [link removed] ]
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Education Thumb Drive image [ [link removed] ]

*Free Self-Contained WWI History Web Site on YOUR computer*

*Sources, lessons, activities, videos, podcasts, images*

We have packaged all the content we created for “How WWI Changed America” into a format that is essentially a web site on a drive. Download the content onto any drive (USB, external, or as a folder on your computer), and all the content is accessible in a web site type format even without an internet connection. Click here to learn more, and download this amazing educational resource for home or classroom use. [ [link removed] ]

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Genealogy Guide VS2 [ [link removed] ]
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Doughboy MIA [ [link removed] ]
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Pershing Sponsors

Pershing Sponsors sidebar w-founding sponsor [ [link removed] ]
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Legacy Society [ [link removed] ]
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Valor Medals Review [ [link removed] ]
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Ralph Taylor Davis

A Story of Service from the Stories of Service section [ [link removed] ] of "doughboy.org"

Ralph Taylor Davis

*Submitted by: Emil Butler {grandson}*

Ralph Taylor Davis served in World War I with the United States Army. His dates of service were April 26, 1918 to March 28, 1919. My grandfather was inducted into the Army at Wilmington, NC. He trained with other North Carolina boys at Camp Sevier, SC before shipping out to France.

Private Davis was in the 55th Field Artillery Brigade, 113th Field Artillery Regiment, Battery B, and was attached to the 30th Infantry Division. He was trained on the French 75 mm field gun before being sent into combat. He most notably participated in the Woevre Offensive, the St. Mihiel Offensive, and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.

My grandfather was a gentle, quiet man who seldom mentioned his time in France. After researching the history of his unit, and learning of the hardships and horrors that they endured, I understood why he preferred not to remember. But it is extremely important that all Americans remember the sacrifices that our Doughboys made ""over there"." I am making it a point to ensure that my grandchildren learn about this history, and know the part that their great-great-grandfather played.

Submit your family's Story of Service here. [ [link removed] ]


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Footer Image pigeon messages

*Contact Form:
*[Click Here] [ [link removed] ]

*Mailing Address:
*The Doughboy Foundation 
1455 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20004

*Website:
* [ [link removed] ]www.doughboy.org [ [link removed] ]

*Telephone:
*(202) 380-0725

*Carrier Pigeon:
*Please call first! 

 

 

 

The Dispatch is a monthly publication of the Doughboy Foundation.

Publisher: CAPT Chris Christopher, USN (Ret.)      Chief Technologist: Theo Mayer






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"The Doughboy Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit funded by philanthropic contributions. Our mission is to keep the story of WWI in the minds of all Americans, so that the 4.7 million who served in the Armed Forces, and how WWI changed America, will never be forgotten."

Stay Connected with The Doughboy Foundation through our Social Media Channels Facebook [ [link removed] ]   Twitter [ [link removed] ]   you tube [ [link removed] ]   instagram [ [link removed] ]   Govdelivery [ [link removed] ] [ [link removed] ] SUBSCRIBER SERVICES:
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This email was sent to [email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: The Doughboy Foundation · PO Box 17586 #123 · Arlington, VA 22216 GovDelivery logo [ [link removed] ]
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