DC -- Natl Museum of American History -- Exhibit: Price of Freedom -- World War I:
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SIPRW1_150826_001.JPG: World War I:
The United States was reluctant to enter Europe's "Great War" but joined the fight in 1917 and helped defeat the Central powers.
In 1914, war erupted in Europe. In a chain reaction, rival nations entangled in webs of reciprocal alliances took sides: Germany joined Austria-Hungary (the Central powers) against the Allied forces of France, Britain, and Russia. Few Americans wanted to join this fight. President Woodrow Wilson tried to mediate, calling for "peace without victory," but the carnage continued.
When Germany began unrestricted submarine attacks on American ships and sought an alliance with Mexico to invade the United States, the president asked Congress to declare war. Within eighteen months, the sheer number of American "doughboys" sent overseas to fight ended more than three years of stalemate. Germany agreed to an armistice on November 11, 1918.
SIPRW1_150826_005.JPG: Millions of American troops tipped the balance to victory for the Allies in World War I.
SIPRW1_150826_023.JPG: Trench Warfare:
The United States entered a war that was deadlocked. Opposing armies were dug in, facing each other in trenches that ran nearly 500 miles across northern France -- the notorious western front. Almost three years of horrific fighting resulted in huge losses, but no discernable advantage for either side.
SIPRW1_150826_027.JPG: The Yanks Are Coming!
After three years of uneasy neutrality, the United States entered the war in Europe.
The United States declared war on April 6, 1917/ In part, the nation was responding to the growing threat against its economic and diplomatic interests. But it also wanted, in the words of President Woodrow Wilson, to "make the world safe for democracy."
The first contingent of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) commanded by General John J. Pershing reached France in June, but it took time to assemble, train, and equip a fighting force. By spring 1918, the AEF was ready, first blunting a German offensive at Belleau Wood, then driving back the German lines until the war ended.
SIPRW1_150826_031.JPG: Mobilized for War:
Under unprecedented government direction, American industry mobilized to produce weapons, equipment, munitions, and supplies. Nearly one million women joined the workforce. Hundreds of thousands of African Americans from the South migrated north to work in factories.
SIPRW1_150826_041.JPG: The Dead:
Machine guns, poison gas, and a variety of other weapons killed tens of thousands on both sides, but far more troops died under the rain of artillery shells. The dead -- often just parts of bodies -- were carried back from the front lines. Frequently, an American ambulance driver noted, "there wasn't anything left to bring."
SIPRW1_150826_044.JPG: Cher Ami, one of 600 carrier pigeons deployed by the US Army Signal Corps, was awarded the French Croix de Guerre with Palm for his heroic service.
SIPRW1_150826_053.JPG: Communications:
Telephones were one of several new technologies deployed in the service of waging war. Troops strung miles of telephone wire in the field, allowing instant communication. But the lines proved vulnerable, and the army often relied on traditional means to relay messages -- human runners and carrier pigeons.
SIPRW1_150826_057.JPG: The Yanks Are Coming!
After three years of uneasy neutrality, the United States entered the war in Europe.
The United States declared war on April 6, 1917. In part, the nation was responding to the growing threat against its economic and diplomatic interests. But it also wanted, in the words of President Woodrow Wilson, to "make the world safe for democracy."
The first contingent of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) commanded by General John J. Pershing reached France in June, but it took time to assemble, train, and equip a fighting force. By spring 1918, the AEF was ready, first blunting a German offensive at Belleau Wood, then driving back the German lines until the war ended.
SIPRW1_150826_065.JPG: "Johnnie Get Your Gun"
Two million Americans volunteered for the army, and nearly three million were drafted. More than 350,000 African Americans served, in segregated units. For the first time, women were in the ranks, nearly 13,000 in the navy as Yeomen (F) (for female) and in the marines. More than 20,000 women served in the Army and Navy Nurse Corps.
SIPRW1_150826_071.JPG: Stubby, mascot of the 102nd Infantry, 26th Division, accompanied his unit in the trenches. He was awarded a gold medal by General John J. Pershing and made a life member of the Red Cross, Young Men's Christian Association, and American Legion.
SIPRW1_150826_074.JPG: U.S. Army winter uniform, including a .30-caliber U.S. Model 1903 rifle.
SIPRW1_150826_077.JPG: The Wounded:
Advances in hygiene and the rigorous use of antiseptics during surgery saved the lives of many soldiers who might have died in an earlier war. But survivors were often left with disfiguring head and facial injuries. This spurred innovations in reconstructive surgery and facial prosthetics.
SIPRW1_150826_083.JPG: The Heroes:
Two million men in the American Expeditionary Force went to France. Some 1,261 combat veterans -- and their commander, General John J. Pershing -- were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation's second-highest award for extraordinary heroism. Sixty-nine American civilians also received the award.
SIPRW1_150826_096.JPG: The Aftermath:
In the United States, widespread social disruption and political change followed World War I.
Americans rejoiced at the armistice ending the war, but the Senate rejected the Treaty of Versailles peace pact and President Wilson's attempt to include the United States in the new League of Nations. The brief foray into internationalism had exposed the nation to the horrors of war and a flu pandemic that killed millions worldwide.
Many Americans longed for a return to the isolationism and social stratification of the prewar years. But others wanted change. Women won the vote, partly for their wartime service. African Americans wanted to keep opportunities gained during the war, but they had little success.
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2015 photos: Equipment this year: I mostly used my Fuji XS-1 camera but, depending on the event, I also used a Nikon D7000.
I retired from the US Census Bureau in god-forsaken Suitland, Maryland on my 58th birthday in May. Yee ha!
Trips this year:
a quick trip to Florida.
two Civil War Trust conferences (Raleigh, NC and Richmond, VA), and
my 10th consecutive San Diego Comic-Con trip (including Los Angeles).
Ego Strokes: Carolyn Cerbin used a Kevin Costner photo in her USA Today article. Miss DC pictures were used a few times in the Washington Post.
Number of photos taken this year: just over 550,000.
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