State -Wide Coordination Meeting

With less than a year until the start of the centennial period, there is still work to be done to identify new partners, continue collaboration, and formalize keystone events. We are planning for late July or August 2016 for a state-wide planning meeting. Date and location have not been finalized (Austin or College Station). Let us know what’s best for you by completing a 10 question survey at by June 20. Click HERE to take the survey.

National Goals

Establish State Commemorative Bodies

World War I Memorial Inventory Project

Veterans History Project

Texas Historical Commission (THC) Update

The THC’s internal task force (Commissioner Hatfield, Doug Harman, and William McWhorter) presented a plan to the commissioners at the April quarterly meeting. THC staff were directed to identify projects within the plan that they can accomplish with existing resources. THC’s executive director has since shared the plan with his Division Directors and has asked each division (State Historic Sites, archeology, architecture, Community Heritage Development, etc.) to review the project list and report back to him on what they feel they can contribute to.

COLLEGE INTERNS NEEDED. Know a college student with interests in history or communications? Looking ahead to fall 2016 and spring 2017, the Texas World War I Centennial Commemoration is looking for motivated undergraduate or graduate students who want to make an impact on planning, organizing and executing World War I centennial events. Contact us at WWICC.TX@gmail.com.

Publicize Your Events

Have a WWI centennial event or exhibit you want to publicize? We’re here for you. We can use both our Facebook site and Texas WWICC web site to help get the word out.

Partners in the Arts

Looking for great potential partners for centennial events in your area? The Great War period influenced the arts and humanities greatly. Changes in the modern era are still being impacted by the war. Think, theater, film, literature, poetry, photography, dance, and painting to name just a few. Reach to the arts in your area, as well as the arts in local colleges and universities. These groups often need 18 months to select plays they will produce or for exhibits of art or photography.

Summer Reading

Read any good WWI books lately? Here are some you might find interesting. You should be able to find them online if not in your local book store.

Think you know what started the war for the US or why we entered it? This fascinating book might surprise you.

Great story and lots of pictures of Fort Sam Houston and San Antonio before and during WWI.

Want more? Click HERE to see our annotated bibliography.

Texas Treasures Business Award

Below is information on the business award that may be of interest to the WWI Centennial Commission since one of your initiatives is to identify businesses that were in existence during WWI.

If businesses meet the criteria, a certificate is awarded that is signed by that business’s district senator and legislator and the Chair of the Texas Historical Commission. Elected officials are often happy to attend a presentation ceremony if asked. I

t would be a nice way to publicly recognize 100+ year old businesses across the state during 2017-19. The process can take about six months to complete so it would be good if people could start planning and researching now.

Visit the Texas Historical Commission’s TEXAS TREASURES BUSINESS AWARD web page to learn more. (Click HERE)

Questions? Contact:
April Garner, CTE

State Coordinator, Texas Heritage Tourism Program
Community Heritage Development Division
Texas Historical Commission
512-463-2630

We Need You to Grow

Interested in commemorating Texas and Texans in the Great War? We need your help passing the word. Forward this newsletter or pass on the website or Facebook addresses to others you know. Already made contact with other Texans interested in WWI Centennial Commemoration? Pass on their contact information or ask them to email us wwicc.tx@gmail.org.

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Past newsletters can be found on our RESOURCE.

June 2016

Looking for Action this Summer?

There is plenty of computer and smartphone gaming available on WWI. Two of the best are Black Flight and Valiant Hearts.

Black Flight is from the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum and puts you in the middle of that squadron's action in WWI. It is made for smartphones and tablets. You "fly" a variety of aircraft on different missions earning medals and fame as you fly and fight. It's hard to put down. FREE. Click the image for more information.

In Valiant Hearts, you play one of four unsung heroes and experience the Great War like never before in this animated comic book adventure with a mix of action, puzzles and exploration. Multiple platforms. FREE for iPhones, $14.99 for XBox. Click image for more info.

Texas Outreach Update

212 separate organizations
521 individuals, including volunteers, subject matter experts, authors, and re-enactors
Diverse range of interests and focus areas
- 56 State agencies & elected officials
- 24 Military bases
- 125 Colleges and universities
- 5 school districts/public school programs
- 25 Veteran and civic organizations
- 22 Historic and professional organizations
- 21 Unique subject matter experts
- 112 Local city/county historical and library programs

Have you made contact with other Texans interested in WWI Centennial Commemoration? Pass on their contact information or ask them to email us wwicc.tx@gmail.org.

Use the button below to share this email with others.

Coming This Fall

For the last few months THC staff and local historians have been searching the state for WWI sites to be included in a mobile tour application. When completed this fall, the tour will include 60 points of interest around the state, five videos, and five audio guides. This new tour will join the other seven tours already available on the mobile application. The App is available free for both IOS and Android. Click HERE for more information and a link to download.

Contacts and Outreach Information Available.

Our contacts and outreach organizations are over 500. To make it convenient for you to keep up and reach out to others, we have added a spreadsheet to the website.

Under the ABOUT tab, you will find the RESOURCES area. You will need to log in to use this area. Registering and logging in are simple. On the bottom right corner of the home page you will find links to: Login, Log Out, and Register. Just click REGISTER and follow the instructions.

One of the great resources is a list of over 500 people we are in contact with. Look for it under the RESOURCE section.

Did you miss a newsletter?

We have started a section of the RESOURCE page on the website that has links to past newsletters. You can also receive the newsletter in text format. Or, we can send you a link. Please let us know if you are having trouble getting the newsletter.

COMMUNICATION

Communication is a primary part of our mission. We are here to help draw attention to events, exhibits, and historical stories about Texas and Texans in The Great War. You can keep track of ongoing information about the Texas WWI centennial:

Texas WWI Centennial web site:

Texas WWI Centennial Facebook page:

National WWICC web site:

Email us at wwicc.tx@gmail.com if you have information on commemoration events, exhibits or Texas WWI history you would like to highlight on the web site or Facebook page.

Visit the Texas WWICC Website and Forum.
Click here.

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