After the Great War, thousands of war memorials -- from simple sculptures to grandiose monuments -- were built in towns, cities, counties across our nation.
It has been nearly a century since the end of World War I and those ten decades have taken a heavy toll on many of those memorials and monuments -- even on grave markers of men who fought in that war.
Coming across a cemetery, Keith Collins -- in the short video below -- finds it "such a shame" to see "almost every one of these stones... [representing] military men from World War I...half buried into the ground and broken." Collins rightfully asks, "And this is the condition?"
Expressing similar thoughts, Kenneth Clarke, President and CEO of the Pritzker Military Museum and Library says, "The words 'Lest We Forget' appear on World War I memorials across the nation. Sadly, however, many of these memorials are in need of conservation and restoration, in this, their centennial year."
The World War One Centennial Commission -- the same organization that is sponsoring the design and construction of the new National World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C. (below) -- wants to do something to help restore the physical beauty of the many memorials and monuments that have fallen in disrepair and also to "restore our awareness of the men and women they memorialize."
Perspective of "The Weight of Sacrifice," the proposed, new National World War I Memorial
To promote and encourage such restoration, the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission and the Pritzker Military Museum and Library have announced a unique project to encourage individuals and communities across the country to restore and preserve their local World War I memorials.
The purpose of the project, known as the 100 Cities / 100 Memorials program is, according to the Centennial Commission, to "motivate and support the efforts of local organizations across the country to honor the memory of their hometown war heroes, to build awareness of the war's impact on their local communities, and to restore and provide for the ongoing upkeep of their local World War I memorials"
The Centennial Commission and the Pritzker Military Museum and Library are providing $200,000 in initial matching grant funding and are seeking additional major funding partners nationwide.
The 100 Cities/100 Memorials organization is inviting local organizations and individuals, including civic groups, service organizations, veterans groups and others, to nominate their restoration and commemoration initiatives for consideration for selection as one of the 100 Cities / 100 Memorials matching grant recipients.
One hundred of these local initiatives will be selected to receive matching cash awards of up to $2,000 to help fund their restorative efforts.
In addition, all nominees and awardees, and their principle sponsors and donors, will receive appropriate national and local recognition for their efforts.
The basic rules to get one of the matching grants are simple:
- Identify a local World War I Memorial that needs to be conserved, spruced up or restored, "be it humble or grand."
- Put together a proposal on how to treat and conserve the memorial in distress.
- Submit the proposal for consideration.
- Raise local funds for a match of up to2,000 per project.
The submission deadline for grant applications is November 11, 2016.
For details on the program, including guidelines and online application forms please go here.
The Centennial Commission lists seven reasons for participating in this project.
They are all valid and important.
To this author, the most relevant one is "Civic Pride":
The World War One monument in your town is part of your history. The men and women in your town served in the Great War with purpose. It was important to them to defend our nation. Your town's monument is proof of their dedication to service and freedom. Now, one hundred years later, it is your turn to keep the memory of their service alive.
The founders of The American Legion, the patriotic veterans organization chartered by Congress after World War I -- an organization that today is endorsing and adopting this project -- wrote in their charter almost a century ago:
"The sacred purpose of The American Legion is to preserve the memories and incidents of their associations in the Great War."
Please look around your community, your nearby cemetery and help the American Legion and the Centennial Commission preserve the memories of the more than 116,000 American troops who gave their lives in combat during the Great War and of the more than four million Americans who served during that war by helping restore and preserve their memorials and monuments for posterity.
For more information, please visit 100 Cities/100 Memorials.
All photos and video, courtesy World War I Centennial Commission