Washington WWI Memorial Ground Breaking Ceremony

Cadets participated in the ground-breaking ceremony for the National WWI memorial in Washington, DC meeting with General Milley, Secretary Shulkin, and the other dignitaries discussing the importance and lasting influences of WWI on America, our armed forces, and the international community. After participating in the ceremony, they spent the rest of the weekend continuing studies on WWI in American memory. The cadets taught each other about some of the important WWI sites in Arlington, including the Argonne Cross, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Canadian Cross of Sacrifice, Frank Buckles gravesite (last surviving Doughboy), and Charles Pierce's gravesite (the father of graves registration, identification, and repatriation), among others. At Arlington, they visited and talked about COL Charles Young (The third African-American West Point graduate) and Henry Johnson (African-American Medal of Honor recipient from WWI). Cadets also participated in the wreath-laying ceremony and commemoration at General Pershing's grave.