The 100th anniversary of the World War I Armistice is drawing closer, and it’s time to consider how it should and could be observed.  November 11, 2018 is less than eleven months away!

A reminder that the anniversary falls on a Sunday in 2018.  Anyone who has an idea of ringing church bells at 11:00 a.m. on a Sunday morning, well, they may already be ringing for a reason that has nothing to do with World War I.

The United States World War I Centennial Commission recently held an Outreach call to discuss the possibilities.  The national observance, at this time, is in three parts:

-An interfaith, sacred ceremony at the National Cathedral in Washington on the morning of November 11.

-The dedication of the National WWI Memorial (Pershing Park, Washington) on the afternoon of November 11.

-A multimedia event at the Kennedy Center, Washington, date and time to be announced.

State representatives will be invited to attend the ceremony and the dedication.  The National Commission is exploring ways for the states to be involved in these two events.

As far as state events, the National Commission would like to hear from the states what their plans are, and if they can help in any way.  In Kansas, we are certainly agreeable to suggestions.  PLEASE COMMENT!

For additional information:  https://sites.google.com/a/worldwar1centennial.org/state-outreach/tools-resources/SOC/2017-12-07

 

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.