Dear maria, In this season of thanks and giving, I want to thank you for the important role you have played in helping the Doughboy Foundation remember the 4.7 million men and women who served our nation in the name of freedom and liberty during World War I. Thanks to your support, the National WWI Memorial is becoming a one-of-a-kind experience for visitors around DC and across the nation. One of the programs I’m most proud of occurs every evening at 5pm, when a bugler plays “Taps” at the Memorial to honor our Doughboys and all our U.S. veterans and active military personnel. I am very excited to share that we’ve set up a fund to ensure that continues in perpetuity. Below are the latest updates on Daily Taps and the Doughboy Foundation’s other visitor programs that could not have been accomplished, and more importantly cannot continue, without your support. This holiday season, please consider a gift to help us continue to honor and remember those who served in the War that Changed the World. We wish you and your loved ones a safe and healthy Holiday Season, and we look forward to sharing more good news with you throughout 2022! Dan Dayton  Daniel S. Dayton
Chair, Board of Directors
The Doughboy Foundation
Following are some of our remarkable 2021 accomplishments.
The National WWI Memorial Opened to the Public.
Despite the challenges of COVID-19, and thanks to the determination and grit from a dedicated team of people, the National WWI Memorial in Washington, DC opened to the public on April 16, 2021 and has been reverently received by those who have had the good fortune to walk its grounds.
First Colors
The National WWI Memorial was introduced with a First Colors Ceremony, a hybrid live and pre-produced television event hosted by actor and veteran supporter, Gary Sinise. The event successfully captured the meaning of the Memorial, as well as the hard work, commitment, support, and dedication of the many who made this special venue possible.
The Experiential Memorial
The WWI Memorial is not just a place to see. It is a place to be experienced. The park-like ambiance, the healing sounds of water, and the remarkable display of light and color from the reflecting pool inspire thoughtful and meaningful experience.
Daily Taps Supporting that aesthetic, every evening at 5pm, seven days a week, a bugler in a WWI-period uniform steps up to the Flagstaff at the NW end of the Memorial and sounds "Taps" in honor of those who served. It has become a solemn and reverential daily ritual that remembers and honors those for whom the WWI Memorial was built.
Reflecting on the Past with New Tools To bring World War I to life for new generations, we launched two innovative smartphone Apps that enhance the WWI Memorial visitor experience.
The WWI Memorial "Visitor Guide" features a digital brochure with an interactive map and the different Memorial elements for all visitors. |
The app can also transform a visit to the Memorial into a voyage of discovery using the technology of Augmented Reality. Visitors can spawn a two-story timeline tower or three-dimensional tanks, airplanes, and ambulances that appear in open spaces, or view virtual video kiosks everywhere that tell the American story of WWI and how it changed the fabric of our nation. Bringing the WWI Memorial to Classrooms and Living rooms For the millions who cannot come to Washington, we created a companion App, the WWI Memorial "Virtual Explorer," that brings the entire WWI Memorial to families in their homes, offices, and classrooms through a virtual tour.
Special Events The National WWI Memorial was also conceived as a place for special events. For example, this summer there were evening concerts by the U.S. Army Band, known as Pershing's Own, which were attended by hundreds of families. The reflecting pool is designed to quickly transform into an event stage while the park's stone steps serve for amphitheater-style seating. |
 Just two weeks ago, we commemorated the first Veterans Day at the WWI Memorial with a “Bells of Peace” tolling at 11am on 11/11; an “Echoing Taps” performance by three buglers sounding from different corners of the Memorial; and a special Wreath Laying to honor the 116,516 American lives that were lost in WWI. Special guests included Admiral Mike Mullen, 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Terry Hamby, Chairman of the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission; and hundreds of visiting veterans and families. SEE THE EVENTC-Span2 has informed us that they will be airing the event on Saturday, Dec 4 at 4:30pm EST
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