Episode #26, June 28, 2017 | What’s a Chautauqua!!? Harley Davidson in WW1, The Red Cross we know today, Aviator Lewis Bennet, many events in France - and more…

Highlights

Help: 4th of july donation appeal video | @00:00

Feature: The Red Cross we know today | @01:45

Guest: Mike Shuster - The anti-war resistance “over there” | @11:00

War In The Sky: Louis Bennet | @15:30

Guests: Richard Rubin & Jonathan Bratten - General Robert Nivelle | @19:00

Feature: Keith Colley’s Mobile WW1 Museum | @26:15

Guest: Jerry Meyer bringing back Chautauqua | @27 :45

International: Many events in France last week | @33:00

And much more…

Please Help

Hi listeners

Before we get going today, I wanted to let you know about this special 4th of July thing we are doing - and that you can help with.

As you know, we are totally donation supported, and so for the fourth of July, we got some friends to help us with a donation appeal video. Ambassador and former Senator Carol Mosely Braun, Secretary Leon Panneta, Google’s Vint Cert and General Barry McCaffrey are all in this 20 second video which we posted on our Facebook page.

And here is how you can help us. We’re on Facebook at ww1centennial - so go to Facebook.com/ww1Centennial - the video is the first post - and  share the video with your friends and let them know we need their help to build America’s WW1 Memorial in Washington, DC.

So far the video has shared over 130 times - and each time it is shared we get a few more new donations. So if YOU can - please make a small gift to our WW1 Doughboys and even if you can’t - please share the video on your social media. It’s really about our remembering the war that changed the world.

WW1 THEN - News From 100 Years Ago

Looking back at WW1 100 years ago this week  - we are going to follow just ONE of the many amazing stories

This week we are following the story of the RED CROSS.

The American Red Cross or ARC was Founded by Clara Barton in May of 1881, earning a historic role for serving people in need.

When Europe was thrown into conflict in June 1914, the American Red Cross was a small organization still in the process of developing its identity and programs.  

In large part the American Red Cross we know today was forged by the “War The Changed the World” when the organization suddenly found itself deeply embroiled in the incredible upheaval, growth and expansion that was America’s war effort.

The transformation began as we declared war in April of 2017. At that crucial time, and as with so many other things, Red Cross headquarters was reeling under the sudden projected demands on it  - so in May of 2017, President Wilson appointed Henry P. Davidson - A successful New York banker to head a “War Council”,  which was to direct the Red Cross.

YUP - It looks pretty much like a US war effort takeover.

So by the end of June - 100 years ago this week - Having just knocked it out of the park with the Liberty Bonds drive - the US government turned its sights on successfully wrapping up $100 Million fund drive from private donations on behalf of the Red Cross.

Think about it - that is over $2 billion in 2017 being raised for a private organization with the direct support of the US federal government.

Here is what it looked like 100 years ago this week in the pages of the Official Bulletin - the Government War Gazette headed by George Creel - America’s propaganda chief for President Woodrow Wilson.

Dateline: June 25th, 1917

Headline: BELIEVE THE $100,000,000 RED CROSS FUND WILL BE RAISED

A thousand American cities were striving today to boost the big Red Cross war fund to an even $100,000,000.

With returns well over the three-quarters mark this afternoon, the War Council officers were confident that by the close of the day the Red Cross war fund would be In hand.”

On the same day...

[sound ef