Efforts are continuing, through the United States World War One Centennial Commission, to establish a WWI memorial in Washington, D.C.  This effort will expand and update the existing memorial to John J. Pershing to an all-encompassing war memorial.

Here is the latest from the Commission’s weekly update:

The Commission has just completed a wonderful fundraising video for the Memorial with several versions that will be rolled out publicly with some fanfare in the next few weeks. It is narrated by actor/producer Gary Sinise, who provided his services pro bono. Take a first look at the three-minute version at ww1cc.org/memorial. We will also be publishing a full seven-minute version later this week and your editors got access to give you a sneak peek–click here to take a look. See if you can spot Gary Sinise’s grandfather who served on the front lines in France…he looks just like the actor!

Blair Tarr is the Museum Curator of the Kansas State Historical Society. He oversees the three-dimensional collections of the Society, but has special interests in the Civil War, Wichita-made Valentine diners, and Leavenworth's Abernathy Furniture. In the last few years he has also done a lot of cramming on The Great War. He is a past president of the Kansas Museums Association and the Civil War Round Tables of both Kansas City and Eastern Kansas. He is currently a board member of the Heritage League of Greater Kansas City.