Centennial News: U.S. Commemoration Big Success in Kansas City

After streaming the entire Centennial Commemoration of the U.S. Entry into World War I held 6 April in Kansas City, I really regret being unable to attend in person. The program was wonderful in content and epic in scale.  My congratulations to the WWI Commission, the National WWI Museum and Memorial, the Pritzker Museum, and all the other organizations, participants, and volunteers who pulled this off. Helping make the day especially dramatic was the wonderful weather provided courtesy of Kansas City mayor Sly James, who took credit for it during his talk. (I, of course, believe we should take His Honor at his word.)

Below are some images that I hope capture the ceremony with a few of my own impressions. However, you can view the entire event on either YouTube, or at the Commission's site

HERE

Next week I will be publishing another article on the local and regional commemoration held on 6 April 2017.  If you have photos and some descriptions of your event please send them to me:  greatwar@earthlink.net

The Venue at Dawn, 6 April 2017
The Big Screens Would Prove to Be Very Effective in Showing Footage from the War (Extremely Well Done by the War) and Views of the Speakers and Performers

Doughboys of the 1st Division Supported the Event

The View from the Audience
Congressman Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri at the Podium
Congressman Cleaver and All His Fellow Elected Officials Were on Message, Well Informed About the War, and Often Moving and Inspiring

A Young Doughboy Views the Event

WWI Commission Chairman Col. Robert Dalessandro Strongly Made the Case for
a National World War One Memorial in Washington, DC 

Flyover by France's Patrouille de France, Later a USAF B-2 Bomber Flew Over the Crowd

Family Members of Notable WWI Veterans (L-R) George Patton, Noble Sissle,
Alvin York, and John J. Pershing.
Helen Patton (the General's Granddaughter Here at the Podium) Provided My Personal Favorite Moment of the Event When She Sang Lt. Hunter Wickersham's Poem,
 "The Raindrops on My Old Tin Hat" for the crowd.

The Closing Salute, Fittingly,  Was Fired by a Battery from the 129th Field Artillery,
Which Was Capt. Harry Truman's Unit in the Great War