World War One Centennial News Exclusive Shines Light on The Importance of Remembering All U.S. Veterans This 4th of July and Year-round

WASHINGTON, July 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- At a recent event hosted by The US World War One Centennial Commission aboard the USS Intrepid in New York, special guests Admiral Michael Mullen (ret.), the 17th chairman of the joint chiefs, and veterans advocate Howard Schultz spoke about the importance of remembering and supporting all veterans – in particular, those who served during WW1 a century ago, and have yet to be honored with a memorial in our nation's capital.

Their remarks are now available to the public in an exclusive episode of the award-winning World War One Centennial News Podcast, a weekly audio program produced by the US World War One Centennial Commission, available for free at WW1CC.org/cn and most podcast sources. To listen to highlights of this special episode and see a behind-the-scenes slide show of the event, click here.

"We are not a country that forgets those who serve, and yet in WWI we lost 116,000 Americans and we have virtually forgotten," said Mullen. "It is the charge of this memorial to make sure that ends, and those that sacrificed so much, and the millions of Americans that those loses affected, are not forgotten."

More than four million American families sent their sons and daughters to serve during WW1. Women joined the ranks of the U.S. armed forces for the first time, gaining the right to vote two years later. More than 350,000 African Americans served with distinction, as did Native Americans and immigrants. The U.S. experienced a casualty rate of 375,000–far greater than in World War II–and more fatalities than during the Korean and Vietnam Wars combined.

"This acknowledgement is obviously long overdue," said Schultz. "Our nation honors the veterans of every major world war of the 20th century with a national memorial in Washington DC. There's one glaring exception: the veterans of WW1–America's first major conflict fought on foreign soil when we stood up on the world stage for the principals of liberty and self-determination. In building a national memorial we will re-acquaint ourselves with some of  the most remarkable accomplishments in American history."

In honor of Independence Day, Theo Mayer, WW1 Centennial News Host and Chief Technologist for the U.S. World War One Centennial Commission, produced a special edition of the WW1 Centennial News Podcast.

"Our 4th of July episode reaches back 100 years ago this week and looks at how President Wilson and his administration framed the founding of the nation with America's participation in this world shattering war," said Mayer. "For them, it was an extension of the principles and ideals set in motion by our nation's founding fathers, applied to all nations. It ended an age of imperialism and started a new age. As President Wilson stated on the 4th of July, 1918 at Mt. Vernon: 'These great [objectives] can be put into a single sentence: What we seek is the reign of law, based upon the consent of the governed and sustained by the organized opinion of mankind'."

About The US World War One Centennial Commission
The U.S. World War One Centennial Commission was created by Congress in 2013 to provide education programs, public outreach, and guidance for commemorative events regarding America's involvement in WWI, which many see as The War That Changed the World. Honorary Chairs include all five living former U.S. Presidents; the Honorable Madeleine Albright; and the Honorable Colin L. Powell, among others. The World War One Centennial Commission is creating the National WWI Memorial in Washington, DC through private donation. No public funds may be used. Visit ww1cc.org to learn more about the World War One Centennial Commission and its work; ww1cc.org/memorial for America's WWI Memorial in Washington DC; ww1cc.org/veteran for veteran resources; and ww1cc.org/bells for information on Bells of Peace: a WW1 Remembrance on Veterans Day, Nov. 11–the 100^th anniversary of the Armistice. Connect with WWICC on Facebook.com/ww1centennial/; instagram.com/ww1cc/; and twitter.com/WW1CC (@WW1CC).

Commission key donors.
The Commission Pershing Society Donors ($5 million and up) are the founding sponsor, The Pritzker Military Museum and Library, and the Starr Foundation.

About The WW1 Centennial News Podcast
WW1 Centennial News at www.WW1CC.org/cn, is a fast, entertaining, wide-ranging and informative weekly audio podcast, recorded with a live audience at noon eastern every Wednesday. New hour-long installments go live every Saturday covering WW1 THEN: 100 Years Ago This Week; and WW1 NOW: news and updates about the centennial and the commemoration. WWI public domain photos and footage available for download at www.WW1CC.org/promotion. Twitter: @TheWW1Podcast.           

SOURCE World War One Centennial Commission