Dispatch Newsletter

 

View this in your browser June 2026 Daily Taps at the National World War I Memorial will be sounded on Saturday, July 4, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. ET in honor of all veterans who served the United States of America in uniform throughout our nation’s 250 years of history, and saluting all who continue to serve today. (Photo © Bruce Guthrie) Join the Doughboy Foundation for Daily Taps at the National World War I Memorial July 4, 2026, wherever you are that day Please join the Doughboy Foundation on Saturday, July 4, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. ET as Daily Taps at the National World War I Memorial is sounded to honor all veterans who served the United States of America in uniform throughout our nation’s first 250 years, and all those who continue to serve today. Every day without fail, you can watch Daily Taps sounded at the National WWI Memorial in honor of our nation’s heroes. The Doughboy Foundation is honored to pay tribute to all who have served in the armed forces of the United States, including the 4.7 million Americans who served in WWI.  You can watch Taps sounded in person any day of the year at the Memorial, or on our YouTube channel. Join us In Person in DC on July 4 If you will be coming to downtown DC on July 4 for the Freedom 250 festivities, please plan to be at the National World War I Memorial at 5:00 pm ET to witness the solemn sounding of Daily Taps in person.  This will be an unforgettable start to the evening’s amazing activities and displays, honoring all those whose service made the day possible. Join us from wherever you are on July 4 You can watch the solemn sounding of Daily Taps on YouTube every day, but if you can’t make it to the Memorial on July 4, please watch the ceremony at 5:00 p.m. ET on YouTube.  After watching, leave a comment  to share your thanks for all who have served our nation the past 250 years, and all who continue to serve her now. This will make a permanent record of your participation in this once-in-a-lifetime event. In person or online, we hope everyone reading this message will join us at 5:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 4, 2026. See you there! Doughboy Foundation’s Summer Concert Series: Today through September! There's still time to RSVP and join us TODAY, June 25, in person or online via YouTube, for the first performance of our 2026 Summer Concert Series at the National WWI Memorial. Tonight's concert celebrates 250 years of American music, highlighting the nation’s rich history through sound as we approach America's Semiquincentennial. Can't make the first concert? No problem! There are three more Summer Concerts at the National World War I Memorial through September that you can RSVP to attend, in person or via live stream.  Check out the scheduled concerts, plus see other opportunities throughout the second half of 2026 to hear music from Doughboy Foundation's American Expeditionary Forces Headquarters Band in DC and elsewhere. Freedom Bells celebrates 250 years of our nation's history since July 4th, 1776 To commemorate America's historic Semiquincentennial, the Military Order of the World Wars and its supporting organizations are organizing and promoting a coordinated national bell-tolling ceremony across the country and internationally. These America 250 celebrations begin at 12:00 noon LOCAL time and can serve as the opening of a larger gathering, a featured moment within a community program, or the culmination of a breakfast, luncheon, or commemorative event. Learn more about Freedom Bells on July 4, find out how you and any organization can participate in the event, and get the great app designed to manage the whole thing for you! Finding the Hello Girls: June 2026 update The U.S. Army Signal Corps Female Telephone Operators of WWI, known as the Hello Girls, were finally awarded a Congressional Gold Medal in 2024, thanks in large measure to the hard work and diligence of a small group of descendants of Hello Girls and several dedicated researchers. In 2025, the group evolved into the Hello Girls Military Honors and Remembrance Program (M-HARP), a new Special Program of the Doughboy Foundation, with the mission of honoring and preserving the legacy of these 280 women. Hello Girl Renee Messelin will be honored on July 16 at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery Two years ago, M-HARP researcher Diane Boettcher discovered that an African American woman served as a Signal Corps Telephone Operator. Renee Messelin – born Ellarane Caldwell – turned out to be the only daughter of a prominent African American couple in Chicago. (See Diane's original article here.)  This year, after further research by Diane and many other members and friends of M-HARP, a more complete picture of Messelin's life has emerged. Read more about this amazing woman who served her nation in disguise, and the appropriate recognition and honors being planned for her in Chicago in July. “Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero” Returns Nationwide Honoring WWI Hero In Newly Remastered Edition For America 250 As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, a newly remastered edition of Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero will return to audiences nationwide through a series of theatrical and community screenings as part of America 250 programming marking the nation’s Semiquincentennial. Based on the true story of a stray dog who became the most decorated canine of World War I, the film follows Stubby’s journey from the streets of Connecticut to the trenches of France, where his loyalty and courage made him a symbol of resilience and companionship during wartime. Learn more about this updated movie realease, and find out where you can attend a screening, or how you can bring Sgt. Stubby to your community. Upcoming Cycling Trip Along the Western Front Way inspired by Gervat Book In the Somme River region in France and in the Flanders region in Belgium are among the most famous and bloodiest battlefields of the First World War. Retired U.S. Army Signal Corps Colonel Linda Jantzen will be leading a small group on a "deeply personal" bicycle expedition along the Western Front Way from Amiens, France, to Bruges, Belgium, to remember and honor those who fought and fell. Read more about this upcoming commemorative journey, and see how it was inspired by an author's journey on foot along the Western Front. Answering the Call: My National History Day Journey with the Hello Girls "My National History Day project began with a Doughboy Foundation article about the Hello Girls, a group of bilingual women who served as U.S. Army Signal Corps telephone operators during World War I. I had never heard of them before." But Ana Spiride of Plano East Senior High School in Texas ended up learning a lot about the Hello Girls, discovering that "the story behind it was serious, complicated, and still present in the lives of their descendants." Find out how her deep research and presentation skills made her a Top 10 finalist out of about 100 Senior Individual Exhibit projects at the National History Day 2026 finals at the University of Maryland in June. Well done! Michael Santoro: The AEF ID Card of Capt. David R. Kerr, Personal Aide to 2nd “Indianhead” Division Commander Gen. Omar Bundy "This is a small group of ephemera belonging to David Renwick Kerr, a Canadian-born American officer who served as Aide to 2nd Division Major General Omar Bundy from September 1917 to June 1918, and then again from September 1918 to December 1918, and yet again after the war at Fort Crook."  Michael Santoro explores more of the hidden history to be found in WWI artifacts. Read more about how Kerr, after his service in WWI documented by these keepsakes, continued in the Army through WWII and beyond in a 35-year career of service to his nation. Daily Taps at the National WWI Memorial Honoring Pvt. Howard H. Shawney, USA On Monday, June 8, 2026, Daily Taps at the National World War I Memorial in Washington, DC was sounded in honor of WWI veteran Pvt. Howard H. Shawney, United States Army. Howard Shawney was the son of Henry Dean & Prudence Maud (Morse) Shawney. United States Army Transport Service documents show that Shawney departed for Europe from New York City on 27 September 1917 aboard the ship Caltie. He served in Co. D, 103rd Infantry. Shawney was killed in action on 20 July 1918 in France. Originally buried in France, when the war ended his body was returned to the United States aboard the ship Wheaton on 6 August 1921, and he was reburied on 4 September 1921 in Glenwood Cemetery, Littleton, NH. Howard H. Shawney VFW Post 816 in Little, NH is named in his honor, as is the Ladies Auxiliary of the Post. (Info courtesy Janice Brown, Cow Hampshire History Blog.) The Daily Taps program of the Doughboy Foundation 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. How World War I Helped Transform New Jersey Into a Commuter State Long before the Garden State Parkway was a gleam in any planner’s eye, New Jersey was already becoming a commuter state — and the engine driving that transformation was a war fought an ocean away. When the United States entered World War I in 1917, the state’s factories, shipyards, and munitions plants went into overdrive. Workers poured in from across the country, settling near rail lines that connected industrial hubs to quieter towns inland. Read more, and learn how the patterns laid down between 1917 and 1919 — where people lived, how they got to work, and which communities grew fastest — would define New Jersey’s identity for the rest of the twentieth century. The Story of World War I Medal of Honor Recipient Milo Lemert In June 1917, Milo Lemert enlisted in the Tennessee National Guard following President Woodrow Wilson’s call for volunteers during World War I.  Training at Camp Sevier, South Carolina, his natural leadership abilities helped him quickly rise to the rank of sergeant.  Busy as he was training, he found some time to meet and marry Nellie Snodgrass on September 29th, 1917.  One year later, near Bellicourt, France, Milo would perform the actions for which he would be awarded the Medal of Honor.  Read Milo's story of patriotism and heroism, and learn how "Single-handedly destroying three machine-gun positions and helping assault a fourth, Lemert’s actions saved the lives of many of his fellow soldiers." A Visit to the National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City and Why We Should Remember World War I During America 250 "As part of my research into Dr. Frank Boston and the Officers of Fort Des Moines, I recently visited the National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri. The museum contains more than 300,000 artifacts connected to World War I, and every room opens another window into a part of history many of us never fully learned."  George Whitehair of the Boston Legacy Foundation offers a reflection on his recent visit to America's premininent WWI museum. Learn why his time at the facility reminded him that "As America marks its 250th anniversary, we should also remember the First World War and the men and women whose lives were shaped by it. Their stories are part of our story. Remembering them is part of remembering America." Less Than a Mile Apart: How Two WWI Foes Became Family in America When Andre Burner joined MyHeritage four months ago, he "was looking for a platform that could help me break through the walls I kept hitting on other genealogy sites. I’m still in the learning phase of my family history journey, but the early successes have been thrilling—I’ve already connected with distant cousins and uncovered documents I never knew existed. Yet, out of all the records, censuses, and military draft cards I’ve collected, nothing compares to the incredible, almost unbelievable story of my two grandfathers" in World War I. His maternal grandfather, Sgt. James R. Mansfield (top photo at left) and paternal grandfather, Jean Burner, "had been less than a mile apart in the mud of Montfaucon" on opposite sides of the Front. Read the entire story of how "the universe pulled these two former battlefield adversaries into the exact same circles," revealing "a staggering battlefield coincidence, and ultimately, reconciliation in America." Nearly 45 years after he died, a WWI veteran finally gets the honors he earned In Burlington, VT, World War I veteran Edward James Irwin, Jr. finally received the honors he earned nearly 45 years after he died. His remains sat unclaimed in a funeral home basement until funeral director Walter Ducharme decided to make it right. Watch the video, learn who showed up to be Irwin's “family” at the Vermont Veterans Cemetery for the long-overdue ceremony, and why this final salute was so delayed. America’s Children at War America’s schoolchildren served on the home front during World War I. Although American children were geographically removed from the physical destruction of the European front, WWI deeply impacted their lives.They were ceaselessly encouraged to actively contribute to the war’s home front by planting Victory Gardens, collecting scrap metal, and participating in the Junior Red Cross to raise millions in war bonds. This, along with the government’s call for children to help with the war effort, meant, quite simply, that children were forced to grow up quickly. Read the entire article, and learn how World War I became life-changing for hundreds of thousands of children throughout the country, many of whom would see another, even larger war later. Humphrey Bogart’s World War I U.S. Navy service formed him in ways his privileged upbringing never could have Ranked by the American Film Institute in 1999 as the single greatest male screen legend of Classic Hollywood Cinema, Humphrey Bogart forged a screen persona unlike any that had come before him: tough yet tender, cynical yet principled, world-weary yet capable of deep feeling. In a career spanning nearly four decades, he transformed from a forgotten stage juvenile into an irreplaceable cultural symbol of American masculinity, moral ambiguity, and romantic complexity. Learn how Bogart's service in the U.S. Navy during World War I was a formative experience for a young man who had known only the comfortable routines of upper-middle-class New York life. World War I News Digest for June 2026   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 interesting news items from the last month related to World War I and America. June 15, 1917: Congress passes the Espionage Act during WWI 'Iron Division’ of WW I came from Pennsylvania National Guard A “Gift” from the Great War—The Universal Passport System WWI Soldier’s Postcard Helps Unite His Family After a Century Did Woodrow Wilson Have the Flu in Paris? Rare Edith Wharton story shows the horrors of World War I Woodrow Wilson’s Legacy Is Loaded With Good and Bad Who were American mothers to France’s WWI orphaned children? Recovering the Forgotten World War I Service of a Boxing Legend The USS Tampa—a legacy of courage in World War I The Aviator. Biography of James R. McConnell, Lafayette Escadrille 16 unforgettable World War I movies, ranked Doughboy MIA for June 2026 A man is only missing if he is forgotten. Our Doughboy MIA this month is First Lieutenant Ernest Armond Giroux of the 103rd Aero Squadron. Giroux was the only American aviator of World War I listed as Missing in Action to be awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Born on December 4, 1895, in Roxbury, Massachusetts, Giroux was the second of three sons born to Ernest H. Giroux and Jessie F. Stuart. After his father’s death in 1911, the family moved to Somerville, Massachusetts, where Ernest attended Somerville High School, graduating in 1915. He later enrolled at Dartmouth College as a member of the Class of 1919. However, in March 1917, during his sophomore year, he left school to join other Americans supporting the war effort in France. Giroux sailed for France on April 21, 1917, as a member of the American Field Service. Holding the rank of sergeant, he drove five-ton trucks for Transport Militaire Unit (TMU) 526B, transporting ammunition to the front lines. During this period, he applied to become an aviator in the Aeronautique Militaire (French Air Service) as part of the Lafayette Flying Corps. After being accepted, he trained at Avord, Tours, Issoudun, and Cazaux. Desperate for trained pilots, the United States granted Giroux a commission as a First Lieutenant in the United States Air Service (USAS) on November 20, 1917. After completing his flight training, 1LT Giroux was temporarily assigned as a ferry pilot on April 7, 1918. This duty required pilots to deliver new replacement aircraft to forward combat squadrons and return worn, combat-exhausted aircraft to rear-area maintenance facilities. On April 26, 1918, Giroux received an assignment he considered especially fortunate: the newly formed 103rd Aero Squadron. Read Lt. Giroux's whole story Would you like to be involved with solving the case of First Lieutenant Ernest A. Giroux, 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, and help us bring them home! Help us do the best job possible and give today, with our thanks.  Remember: A man is only missing if he is forgotten. Merchandise from the Official Doughboy Foundation WWI Store Poppy Lapel Pin A Doughboy Shop Exclusive! Commemorative Poppy Lapel Pin features the iconic poppy design. Red and white coloring. Soft enamel color design Approx. 1.5 inch in diameter Standard military clasp Wear this beautiful pin on July 4, 2026 to remember all who have served the United States of America in uniform over the first 250 years of our history! Proceeds from the sale of these items will help us keep watch over the new National World War I Memorial in Washington, DC. This and many other items are available as Official Merchandise of the Doughboy Foundation. Click or scan the QR Code below to download the Virtual Explorer App for the National World War I Memorial. Our WWI Memorial Apps let you experience the WWI Memorial ‘In Person’ or Virtually from anywhere in the world! NEW! Desktop Explorer Use the new "WWI Memorial: Desktop Explorer" to learn about the National WWI Memorial in the classroom or at home. Both Mac and PC apps are available. Check them out here: Free Self-Contained WWI History Web Site on YOUR computer Sources, lessons, activities, videos, podcasts, images We have packaged all the content which 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. Pershing Sponsors John Ora Johnson A Story of Service from the Stories of Service section of doughboy.org Submitted by: Kathleen Susanne Johnston {granddaughter} My grandmother, who insisted on being called John Ora, was part of the Emory University U.S. Army Unit that served from 1917 to 1919, principally in France. She was enlisted during her nursing training by a Dr. Green, who said she was the best surgical nurse he had ever trained. It seems, from family legend, that she was rather too young to be in the U.S. Army as a nurse, but Dr. Green insisted, and she was shipped overseas via the Canadian Maritimes to escape German u-boats. She is noted in the official history of the Emory Unit as a registered nurse of the Army Nurse Corps, and as having enlisted on April 15, 1918. She is listed in the history as available through address to the Davis-Fischer Sanitarium in Atlanta, where she was a superintendent. In France, she was on the nursing staff of the Hospital Annex Mixte. Family history has it that she professionally and rather coolly comported herself on assignment in Burgundy, surgically attending many wounded. When the war ended, she traveled France for a time, then returned to the U.S. to take positions in the Tampa General Hospital, including as Head of Intensive Care there, then married my grandfather, Lester H. Simon. She is buried in Tampa with full veteran honors - which, I might add, was probably pretty unusual for a girl from Baxley, Georgia. She knew she needed to serve so she served. She was truly a woman ahead of the times. And I believe women who served, before and after, such as my mother's mother, need to be recognized and elevated as part of our WWI history, now more than ever before. Submit your family's Story of Service here. Contact Form: [Click Here] Mailing Address: Doughboy Foundation  1455 Pennsylvania Ave NW Suite 400 Washington, DC 20004 Website: www.doughboy.org Telephone: (202) 380-0725 Carrier Pigeon: Please call first!          WWI Dispatch is a monthly publication of Doughboy Foundation Publisher: CAPT Chris Christopher, USN (Ret.)      Chief Technologist: Theo Mayer

---

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 Doughboy Foundation through our Social Media Channels