{
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    "title" : "How to Tell the World War I Story: Make it Personal |Digital.gov",
    "description": "How to Tell the World War I Story: Make it Personal",
    "home_page_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/","feed_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/03/09/how-to-tell-the-world-war-i-story-make-it-personal/index.json","item" : [
    {"title" :"How to Tell the World War I Story: Make it Personal","summary" : "We naturally gravitate towards story-telling. It’s part of our human nature that began thousands of years ago, well before the written word. We want to pass down our history and cultures, and we do this by telling stories because they resonate with us. Stories tap into our emotions. They make us feel. They move us","date" : "2017-03-09T02:00:08-04:00","date_modified" : "2025-01-27T19:42:55-05:00","authors" : {"sarah-herrmann" : "Sarah Herrmann"},"topics" : {
        
            "content-strategy" : "Content strategy",
            "social-media" : "Social media"
            },"branch" : "bc-archive-content-3",
      "filename" :"2017-03-09-how-to-tell-the-world-war-i-story-make-it-personal.md",
      
      "filepath" :"news/2017/03/2017-03-09-how-to-tell-the-world-war-i-story-make-it-personal.md",
      "filepathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/blob/bc-archive-content-3/content/news/2017/03/2017-03-09-how-to-tell-the-world-war-i-story-make-it-personal.md",
      "editpathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/edit/bc-archive-content-3/content/news/2017/03/2017-03-09-how-to-tell-the-world-war-i-story-make-it-personal.md","slug" : "how-to-tell-the-world-war-i-story-make-it-personal","url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/03/09/how-to-tell-the-world-war-i-story-make-it-personal/","content" :"\u003cp\u003eWe naturally gravitate towards story-telling. It’s part of our human nature that began thousands of years ago, well before the written word. We want to pass down our history and cultures, and we do this by telling stories because they resonate with us. Stories tap into our emotions. They make us feel. They move us to action. When we talk about the centennial of World War I, we have to make it personal for the American public, or else we run the risk of forgetting this war. Below are two ways to talk about the Great War. They’re both factual, but convey the information in different ways. See which one you prefer:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOption A\u003c/strong\u003e: \u003cem\u003eDuring the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, considered one of the largest battles in American history, more than 1.2 million Americans took part. Of these, more than 26,000 lost their lives. This 47-day battle supported the entire Allied offensive that extended from Verdun, France, through Belgium, all the way to the English Channel. On September 26, 1918, nine American divisions began the first assault along a twenty-four mile front from the Argonne Forest to the Meuse River. The objective was to cut vital German rail communications running through Mezieres and Sedan, and to serve as one of two Allied pincers converging on the Germans in Belgium and Northern France.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n    src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2017/03/600-x-487-ABMC-Capt-Timothy-Barber-stands-with-members-of-the-313th-Infantry-Regiment.jpg\"\n    alt=\"Captain Timothy Barber stands with members of the 313th Infantry Regiment.\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOption B\u003c/strong\u003e: \u003cem\u003eCaptain Timothy Barber, a regimental surgeon with the 79th Division, served on the front lines during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive of World War I. After the initial fighting, he described his experiences in a letter to his mother. “I’ve been on the firing line a week, and it was like a lifetime in hell. It was one of the worst and bloodiest battles of the war.” Within days of writing the letter, Barber died from mortal wounds. Neither his mother nor his widow could go through the grief of reburying him in his native soil of West Virginia. They chose to have him rest eternally at Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in France.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n    src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2017/03/600-x-1039-ABMC-Capt-Timothy-Barber-with-his-son-WWI.jpg\"\n    alt=\"Captain Timothy Barber with his son.\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn my opinion, Option B is much more compelling. We can understand Barber’s fear, pain, and sadness. We’ve all felt those emotions. And we can understand his writing to his mother, a person who provided love, safety, and comfort to her son. We can see, by example, that even though 100 years have passed, the natural qualities of being human have not. Barber’s story makes us remember and connect with the Great War.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"getting-started-on-making-it-personal\"\u003eGetting Started on Making it Personal:\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\"\u003e\n  \u003cstrong\u003eThink about the profound effect World War I had on American society.\u003c/strong\u003e It changed international relations, science and technology, music, gender roles, and race relations, among others. \u003ca href=\"/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/11/08/why-world-war-i-matters-for-your-agency/\"\u003eMany agencies in the federal government can find a connection to the Great War, but it may take a little creative thinking\u003c/a\u003e.\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\"\u003e\n  \u003cstrong\u003eFind people that played a role in World War I that you can connect to your agency’s mission.\u003c/strong\u003e More than four million Americans served, and millions more at home were connected to the war. Here are some examples of how Americans who lost their lives in the war can be connected to the bigger picture: \u003cul\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\"\u003e\n       \u003ca href=\"https://www.abmc.gov/node/325615#.WMGhWRiZORt\"\u003eCapt. Edward Grant\u003c/a\u003e: A former Major League Baseball player who played in nearly 1,000 games, Grant was killed in France during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive when hit by enemy artillery fire during an attempt to rescue the “Lost Battalion,” the name given to nine companies of Grant’s Army division isolated by German forces after the attack. American soldiers came from diverse backgrounds during the Great War.\n    \u003c/li\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\"\u003e\n      \u003ca href=\"https://www.abmc.gov/node/343308#.WMGhgRiZORt\"\u003eSgt. Joyce Kilmer\u003c/a\u003e: Known for authoring the poems “Trees” and “\u003ca href=\"https://www.army.mil/article/56643/CLOSE_TO_THE_HEART__World_War_I_Soldier__039_s_Poem_and_Personal_Artifact_Honor_the_Fallen_in_the_42\"\u003eRouge Bouquet\u003c/a\u003e,” Kilmer was killed in action in July 1918. Kilmer’s poetry is still used in classrooms today.\n    \u003c/li\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\"\u003e\n      \u003ca href=\"https://www.abmc.gov/node/514932#.WMGhvBiZORt\"\u003e1st Lt. Quentin Roosevelt\u003c/a\u003e: As a member of the Air Service and the youngest son of President Theodore Roosevelt, Quentin died in battle in July 1918. He is buried next to his brother, Theodore Roosevelt Jr., at Normandy American Cemetery. As the son of a president, Quentin’s death resonated with the entire nation.\n    \u003c/li\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\"\u003e\n      \u003ca href=\"https://www.abmc.gov/node/347038#.WMGh3RiZORs\"\u003ePvt. Axel T. Rydell\u003c/a\u003e: Born in Sweden, Rydell did not come to the United States until he was nearly 20 years old. He served in the American Army as a recent immigrant, and lost his life in October 1918. Recent immigrants were common in the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I.\n    \u003c/li\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\"\u003e\n      \u003ca href=\"https://www.abmc.gov/node/336691#.WMGh_xiZORt\"\u003eCpl. Freddie Stowers\u003c/a\u003e: As an African-American who posthumously \u003ca href=\"http://www.history.army.mil/moh/worldwari.html#STOWERS\"\u003ereceived the Medal of Honor\u003c/a\u003e in the 1990s, Stowers lost his life in September 1918. His story of extraordinary heroism and supreme devotion to his men exemplifies the bravery of American forces.\n    \u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\"\u003e\n  \u003cstrong\u003eUtilize existing resources in your search.\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cul\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\"\u003e\n      \u003ca href=\"http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/commemorate/family-ties/stories-of-service.html\"\u003eThe World War I Centennial Commission is collecting stories of service.\u003c/a\u003e This is a great place to start your search in terms of finding a personal connection.\n    \u003c/li\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\"\u003e\n      The American Battle Monuments Commission honors the more than 30,000 Americans buried or memorialized overseas from World War I. \u003ca href=\"https://medium.com/r/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.abmc.gov%2Fdatabase-search\"\u003eYou can search our online database\u003c/a\u003e to find names, units and dates of death.\n    \u003c/li\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\"\u003e\n      The \u003ca href=\"https://medium.com/r/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.archives.gov\"\u003eNational Archives\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://medium.com/r/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.loc.gov\"\u003eLibrary of Congress\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://medium.com/r/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.history.army.mil%2F\"\u003eU.S. Army Center for Military History\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://medium.com/r/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.history.navy.mil%2F\"\u003eNaval History and Heritage Command\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://medium.com/r/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usmcu.edu%2Fhistorydivision\"\u003eMarine Corps History Division\u003c/a\u003e, the \u003ca href=\"https://medium.com/r/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.uscg.mil%2Fhistory%2Fweb%2Faboutoffice.asp\"\u003eU.S. Coast Guard Historian’s Office\u003c/a\u003e, and the \u003ca href=\"https://medium.com/r/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nationalmuseum.af.mil%2FCollections%2FResearch%2FWW100.aspx\"\u003eNational Museum of the U.S. Air Force\u003c/a\u003e all have great resources available related to World War I.\n    \u003c/li\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\"\u003e\n      Join our WWI-focused social media group for resources, suggestions, or support for producing content. \u003ca href=\"mailto:herrmanns@abmc.gov\"\u003eEmail me to join\u003c/a\u003e.\n    \u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\"\u003e\n  \u003cstrong\u003eTalk with your agency’s history office for ideas or suggestions.\u003c/strong\u003e You never know how someone or something from World War I may be part of your agency’s history.\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\"\u003e\n  \u003cstrong\u003eUse statistics and facts to support the stories you write, but don’t make those elements the focus.\u003c/strong\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\"\u003e\n  \u003cstrong\u003eNever forget the “So what?”\u003c/strong\u003e When telling these personal stories be sure to include a connection to the larger war. Did this person exemplify bravery? Did this person break gender roles? How did this person represent early 20th century America? Why is this story important?\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese a few ways to get started on making emotional and intellectual connections with your readers about World War I. When you make your content personal, you make it memorable.\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the American Battle Monuments Commission\u003c/strong\u003e (ABMC):\u003c/em\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eABMC is a U.S. government agency charged with commemorating the service, achievements and sacrifice of the U.S. armed forces. Established by Congress in 1923, ABMC administers, operates, and maintains 26 permanent American military cemeteries and 27 federal memorials, monuments, and markers located across the globe. These cemeteries and memorials, most of which commemorate the service and sacrifice of Americans who served in World War I and World War II, are among the most beautiful and meticulously maintained shrines in the world. For more information, visit \u003ca href=\"https://www.abmc.gov/\"\u003ewww.abmc.gov\u003c/a\u003e, or connect with us on \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/abmcpage\"\u003eFacebook\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"http://www.youtube.com/user/abmcvideos\"\u003eYouTube\u003c/a\u003e, or \u003ca href=\"http://www.instagram.com/usabmc\"\u003eInstagram\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eThis is the second article of a 3-part series from ABMC—the others are:\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePart I, \u003ca href=\"/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/11/08/why-world-war-i-matters-for-your-agency/\"\u003eWhy World War I Matters for Your Agency\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePart III, \u003cem\u003eComing soon\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n"}
  ]
}